Full Council Meeting
December 5, 2006
In attendance:, Katherine Blauvelt, Trish Brokman, Katy Chase, Jamie Cooper, Deb Fitzwater-Dewey, Nancy Dougherty, Claudia Freund, Vicki Hawley, Zoe Nicolie, Liliana Padilla, Samantha Pereira, Mary Ann Robinson, Michelle Thole, Vicki Thrasher-Cronin, Meg Thomas, Dan Wielinski, Casandra Williams-Sims
Moderated by: Meg Thomas
Welcome and Icebreaker
Introductions, Announcements and Updates
MnAEYC and MLFCCA have moved their office and sharing space in the Griggs Building. Suite number 324-S. The Alliance will also have an office at this site.
The Umbrella Group has also received MELF and DHS funding for its Accreditation Task force to provide technical assistance for programs seeking accreditation. More information will be available once the workplan has been formalized and approved.
Samantha Pereira is the Professional Development Coordinator for the West Metro Region through RCC. Jamie Cooper is the PDC for the East Metro Region. RCC has picked up the contract from GMDCA
Report on Ready 4 K Public Policy Agenda- Presented by Zoe Nicolie
Zoe presented a draft copy of the Minnesota Early Education Plan. The two goals set out in the report were: 1. Build the capacity of parents to access high quality early learning services for their children 0-5 to support school readiness; and 2. Build the capacity of programs to provide high quality early learning services and meet accountability standards.
Ready 4K has met with key stakeholders and has developed a Five Key Bill Strategies to reach these goals. When the language of these bills have finalized we will post a link on the MnPDC website. To read a copy of the press release follow this link: http://www.ready4k.org/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={70EEF9DD-B8B1-4636-A748-EA9B6F8C3950}&DE={F9E1DF6E-04CA-4B4B-B722-E19D5BA13EB4}
System review of Minnesota’s early childhood and school age professional development system: to assist the workgroups in planning the coming year’s goals, we examined the strengths and gaps in this system.
Some of the strengths identified:
- Different constituencies are working together
- Learning to stand together
- Learning from each other
- Dissemination of information is improving
- Technology
- Development of tools i.e. Core Competencies, Indicators of Progress are building consistent baselines
- A stronger agreement on definitions of quality
- Use of nationally recognized tools
- Stronger legislative voice
- Teamwork/collaboration
- Intentional breaking down of silos
Identified system gaps:
- Consistency
- Infra-structure
- Early childhood/after care and public school relationships
- Access (how do people know what’s available) including parents
- Who’s making the decisions and are they asking us?
- Who’s at the table?
- Lack of intentionality in reaching out to direct care and people of color
- Not reaching out to family child care as small businesses
- Funding
- Lack of internet access
- We have developed the tools but lack the funding to train how to use the tools
- No consistent career path (career lattice)
- Need for bilingual and languages other than English training is growing faster than the trainer capacity.
- Quality of translation/translator are not consistent
- Making sure training supports cultural proficiency so children are prepared to succeed in a global world.
- Need for advocacy and communication
After a short break we developed a list of the successes of the MnPDC and the areas we need to focus our goals for the coming year.
Successes:
- Communication (a more imbedded use of technology)
- Clearer structure (more collaborative)
- Articulation information is spreading
- Initiating conversations around diversity
- Core Competencies being used and creating ripples
- School-age Core Competencies completed
- Connection with MnTrecc
- Beginning connections with Head Start
- Future focused
- DHS support
- MnPDC presence at statewide events
Work still needed:
- Articulation information getting to practitioners (esp. night time students)
- Need to disperse information and training on the Core Competencies and other work
- Have a more statewide influence
- Spread awareness of the MnPDC
- Availability of quality training in greater Minnesota
- Funding (including business community dollars)
- Advance Head Start connections
- Connections in greater Minnesota
- Need to connect with more non-DHS systems including early childhood mental health
- Connection with and buy in from independent trainers
- Connections with MECSATA trainers (building on a clearer pathway to becoming a trainer)
- More MnPDC presence at statewide events
- Statewide information about key documents
- Trainer awareness of the Core Competencies
- Inclusion of emigrant/refugee language communities
Although progress has been made in some areas you will note that we still need to continue work.
The staff will coordinate the next meeting times for the workgroups to set 2007 goals.
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