#NNPA BlackPress

Supporting Early Childhood Educators Helps the Entire Community

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Educators with credentials produce better outcomes for children, according to the many studies that Usma cites. And she provides recommendations that can help lower the roadblocks early childhood teachers face to earning credentials.

Published

9 months ago

August 26, 2024

Oakland Post

Council for Professional Recognition

The Council for Professional Recognition, the nonprofit organization that supports early childhood education professionals and administers the Child Development Associate^® (CDA) credential, is proud to highlight new insights. Usma Mohamed, the Council’s vice president of brand experience and marketing, recently gave these educators a chance to share their views in her doctoral dissertation: Uncertified Early Childhood Education (ECE) Teacher Perceptions of ECE Certifications: A Qualitative Narrative Inquiry Study. Usma’s study makes a strong contribution as our country continues to face a shortage of qualified early childhood teachers. And it’s an issue that has a major impact on children, as Usma points out. Teachers with specialized ECE training are better equipped to help children learn at the most formative stage in life, and the learning scaffolding these teachers provide makes a long-term impact.

But it’s another story in low-income communities like the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas, where Usma conducted her research in the field. The region has lower-quality early learning programs than wealthier parts of the state. And it isn’t unique. Texas has met only four out of ten quality benchmarks for early childhood education, as defined by the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER). And the shortfall is especially acute when it comes to assistant teachers. In Texas, as in other states, the qualifications for assistant teachers do not meet NIEER recommended criteria like holding a Child Development Associate® (CDA) Credential or similar certification.

The lack of qualified assistant educators or teachers is a cause for concern, as Usma points out, since assistant teachers play a vital role in early learning settings, often sharing classroom responsibilities with lead teachers. Unqualified assistant teachers are especially common in areas, like the Lower Rio Grande Valley, which have large minority populations, high poverty rates, and lower per-capita incomes. Areas like the Lower Rio Grande Valley also have lower-quality early learning programs than wealthier parts of the state, and that’s a roadblock as the region strives to improve early learning programs, prepare children for success, and ultimately cut poverty levels down. Granted, the region is expanding access to early learning programs, but it struggles to raise their quality due to the shortage of certified teachers.

Usma explored the reasons for this roadblock through in-depth interviews with seven uncertified teachers at a preschool in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. They conveyed their thoughts by sharing their lived experiences to uncover insights to support the following questions: What perceptions do uncertified ECE teachers have toward certification training? What are uncertified teachers’ perceptions regarding the degree to which ECE certification would or would not add to their knowledge and skills? And how do uncertified teachers perceive their current ability to teach children effectively?

The stories that teachers shared revealed both personal and professional factors that deterred the teachers from pursuing credentials such as the CDA. The roadblocks to certification, as Usma learned, include time constraints, the perceived difficulty of certification, lack of awareness of credentials, and such high confidence in their teaching skills that teachers didn’t feel they needed training. In addition, strong support from colleagues and the importance of their family duties made teachers question the merits of pursuing ECE credentials. Yet they did not question the value of their profession. The stories they shared revealed the passion, pride, and sense of commitment they brought to serving young children well.

Some teachers even acknowledged that earning an ECE credential or certification would assist them in their work. And it is important for education leaders to also acknowledge the factors that can prevent many early childhood teachers from pursuing this goal. Understanding the context of their daily life and perceptions of specialized training is crucial for boosting the number of credentialed early childhood teachers. And it’s especially urgent for underserved communities both in Texas and beyond.

That will be a challenge for educators and for those who support them. Still, the effort is worthwhile. Educators with credentials produce better outcomes for children, according to the many studies that Usma cites. And she provides recommendations that can help lower the roadblocks early childhood teachers face to earning credentials. For example, states and localities can build a more qualified workforce by using block grants and funding to help educators earn an ECE certification or credential. Center directors can urge teachers to make credentials a priority and show them how it would enhance their teaching skills. Accreditation organizations can provide detailed rationales for the importance of teacher certification. Credentialing organizations can tailor their outreach to highlight specific benefits for centers, teachers, and students.

Future studies should explore incentives for uncertified teachers to pursue certification nationwide. These efforts should take account of teachers’ real-life challenges and stories, like the ones that Usma heard. Her insights contribute to an understanding of why more teachers don’t earn credentials, ways to help them succeed in doing so, and why it matters so much. Granted, early childhood teachers contend with other commitments and face constraints on their time. But Usma urges policymakers and education leaders to find ways to help more teachers earn credentials for the sake of those they serve. Qualified early childhood teachers, as she points out, have the skills to help young children someday tell success stories of their own.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

Season 5, Episode 15 – Gen-Z on Policy: Young American’s Political Future

Don't Miss

Op-Ed: If We Fight, We Win!

Oakland Post

Click to comment

#NNPA BlackPress

Remembering George Floyd

Published

12 hours ago

May 25, 2025

Oakland Post

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

#NNPA BlackPress

OP-ED: Oregon Bill Threatens the Future of Black Owned Newspapers and Community Journalism

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Nearly half of Oregon’s media outlets are now owned by national conglomerates with no lasting investment in local communities. According to an OPB analysis, Oregon has lost more than 90 news jobs (and counting) in the past five years. These were reporters, editors and photographers covering school boards, investigating corruption and telling community stories, until their jobs were cut by out-of-state corporations.

Published

2 days ago

May 23, 2025

Oakland Post

By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr.
President and CEO, National Newspaper Publishers Association

For decades, The Skanner newspaper in Portland, the Portland Observer, and the Portland Medium have served Portland, Oregon’s Black community and others with a vital purpose: to inform, uplift and empower. But legislation now moving through the Oregon Legislature threatens these community news institutions—and others like them.

As President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), which represents more than 255 Black-owned media outlets across the United States—including historic publications like The Skanner, Portland Observer, and the Portland Medium—l believe that some Oregon lawmakers would do more harm than good for local journalism and community-owned publications they are hoping to protect.

Oregon Senate Bill 686 would require large digital platforms such as Google and Meta to pay for linking to news content. The goal is to bring desperately needed support to local newsrooms. However, the approach, while well-intentioned, puts smaller, community-based publications at a future severe financial risk.

We need to ask – will these payments paid by tech companies benefit the journalists and outlets that need them most? Nearly half of Oregon’s media outlets are now owned by national conglomerates with no lasting investment in local communities. According to an OPB analysis, Oregon has lost more than 90 news jobs (and counting) in the past five years. These were reporters, editors, and photographers covering school boards, investigating corruption, and telling community stories, until their jobs were cut by out-of-state corporations.

Legislation that sends money to these national conglomerate owners—without the right safeguards to protect independent and community-based outlets—rewards the forces that caused this inequitable crisis in the first place. A just and inclusive policy must guarantee that support flows to the front lines of local journalism and not to the boardrooms of large national media corporations.

The Black Press exists to fill in the gaps left by larger newsrooms. Our reporters are trusted messengers. Our outlets serve as forums for civic engagement, accountability and cultural pride. We also increasingly rely on our digital platforms to reach our audiences, especially younger generations—where they are.

We are fervently asking Oregon lawmakers to take a step back and engage in meaningful dialogue with those most affected: community publishers, small and independent outlets and the readers we serve. The Skanner, The Portland Observer, and The Portland Medium do not have national corporate parents or large investors. And they, like many smaller, community-trusted outlets, rely on traffic from search engines and social media to boost advertising revenue, drive subscriptions, and raise awareness.

Let’s work together to build a better future for Black-owned newspapers and community journalism that is fair, local,l and representative of all Oregonians.

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., President & CEO, National Newspaper Publishers Association

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

#NNPA BlackPress

Hate and Chaos Rise in Trump’s America

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Tactics ranged from local policy manipulation to threats of violence. The SPLC documented bomb threats at 60 polling places in Georgia, traced to Russian email domains.

Published

2 days ago

May 23, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

The Southern Poverty Law Center has identified 1,371 hate and antigovernment extremist groups operating across the United States in 2024. In its latest Year in Hate & Extremism report, the SPLC reveals how these groups are embedding themselves in politics and policymaking while targeting marginalized communities through intimidation, disinformation, and violence. “Extremists at all levels of government are using cruelty, chaos, and constant attacks on communities and our democracy to make us feel powerless,” said SPLC President Margaret Huang. The report outlines how hard-right groups aggressively targeted diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives throughout 2024. Figures on the far right falsely framed DEI as a threat to white Americans, with some branding it a form of “white genocide.” After the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, a former Utah legislator blamed the incident on DEI, posting “DEI = DIE.”

Tactics ranged from local policy manipulation to threats of violence. The SPLC documented bomb threats at 60 polling places in Georgia, traced to Russian email domains. Similar threats hit Jewish institutions and Planet Fitness locations after far-right social media accounts attacked them for trans-inclusive policies. Telegram, which SPLC describes as a hub for hate groups, helped extremists cross-recruit between neo-Nazi, QAnon, and white nationalist spaces. The platform’s lax moderation allowed groups like the Terrorgram Collective—designated terrorists by the U.S. State Department—to thrive. Militia movements were also reorganized, with 50 groups documented in 2024. Many, calling themselves “minutemen,” trained in paramilitary tactics while lobbying local governments for official recognition. These groups shared personnel and ideology with white nationalist organizations.

The manosphere continued to radicalize boys and young men. The Fresh & Fit podcast, now listed as a hate group, promoted misogyny while mocking and attacking Black women. Manosphere influencers used social media algorithms to drive youth toward male-supremacy content. Turning Point USA played a key role in pushing white nationalist rhetoric into mainstream politics. Its leader Charlie Kirk claimed native-born Americans are being replaced by immigrants, while the group advised on Project 2025 and organized Trump campaign events. “We know that these groups build their power by threatening violence, capturing political parties and government, and infesting the mainstream discourse with conspiracy theories,” said Rachel Carroll Rivas, interim director of the SPLC’s Intelligence Project. “By exposing the players, tactics, and code words of the hard right, we hope to dismantle their mythology and inspire people to fight back.”

Click here for the full report or visit http://www.splcenter.org/resources/guides/year-hate-extremism-2024.