EDUC 586 Advocacy Journal | Patricia Coss Maxwel

Advocacy Journal

I believe that there is a challenge for society to provide quality education in the first years of a child's life. Mainly because we focus on care that satisfies the basic needs of young children, such as nutrition, health, and care; however, it is essential to pay attention to the importance of services that offer quality early childhood education. Therefore, my motivation for child advocacy is my wish to provide integral care and education to young children. I wish I could guarantee young children rights to comprehensive development, education, protection, participation, and a life free of violence, addressing the existing inequality gaps between social strata, geographic regions, and genders, as well as the diversity inherent in each person.

Because of neuroscience research, we know young children develop their learning journey from conception. Therefore, it is essential to create actions that include all the pedagogical intentions to meet and satisfy the vital needs of infants, toddlers, and young children. Also, it is crucial to consider their learning requirements in environments that recognize them as beings in contexts that include their social and cultural characteristics.

My goals are short and long-term. The context of my advocacy work is regional. I work for Child Care of Washington (CCA of WA), an organization that works to provide support and information about early care and education. We work with families, childcare providers, caregivers, early childhood educators, and communities to meet every child's diverse and specialized early learning needs in the State of Washington.

My challenges are the systematic inequalities related to the persistence of racism, discrimination, and the lack of opportunities for a particular population. Those inequalities are reproduced and aggravated by a set of policies, programs, and public services for early childhood of different types of scope that result in severe consequences for child development.

My goal is to promote awareness and acceptance, affirm equity, and take an active stance against bias to reach racial equity. For that, it is necessary to provide education, training, and equitable wages to early childhood education professionals to provide high-quality education to young children.

I can control my participation in advocacy, and I have to put aside the misunderstanding of believing that I can do it alone. I will persist in my efforts towards my goal by participating in early childhood advocacy groups and training. I will continue my efforts toward my goals by participating in early childhood advocacy groups.

The inspiration to keep me going is the desire to make a better world. I hope the next generations will have opportunities that the current generation does not have. I dream that every child will have the right to high-quality early childhood education in the future.

EDUC 586 – MODULE 2 - ADVOCACY JOURNAL

Patricia Coss-Maxwell

Planning Blueprint

September 28, 2022

ADVOCACY GOAL

To implement anti-bias education curricula in all Early Childhood Education (ECE) programs in the State of Washington to promote consciousness, engagement, understanding, knowledge, and equilibrium in the education provided to every child in the State of Washington.

OBJECTIVES

Different organizations in the State of Washington will work on a) developing broad systemic changes in learning environments, curriculum, program policies, structures, procedures, and processes in ECE programs, b) shifting the cultural core of ECE programs, and c) providing recognition to the stakeholders for the impact of the process of change.

ACTIVITIES

Identify critical aspects for improvement in ECE programs regarding Anti-Bias Education (ABE).
Conduct research and innovate to solve ABE challenges in ECE programs in preparation for State advocacy meetings.
Develop an evidence-based and usable program with a clear and precise theory of change.
Gain agreement from the key decision-makers on the program.
Promote the implementation of developmental best practices (DAPs) on ABE in ECE programs following the final plan.
Prepare ECE programs for an ABE change.
Implement ABE in ECE programs.
Evaluate the program to determine what works for whom and why.
Adapt the ABE program in fast-cycle iterations.
Conduct appreciation events for gatekeepers, decision-makers, and partners.

PARTNERS

Child Care Aware of Washington (CCA of WA)

Catholic Charities of Central Washington (CCCW)

Child Care Resources (CCR)

Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFL)

Center for Study of Social Policy (CSSP)

Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF)

Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS)

Early Head Start (EHS)

Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI)

Washington Association for the Education of Young Children (WAEYC)

TIME FRAME (Refer to activities' numbers)

1. Three months (January – March 2023).

2. Three months (April – June 2023).

3. Three months (July -September 2023).

4. Three months (September -December 2023)

5. Three months (January – March 2024).

6. Three months (April – June 2024).

7. Six months (June – December 2024).

8. One month (January 2024).

9. One month (February 2025).

10. One month (March 2025).

OBSERVABLE MILESTONES

ECE professionals have implemented reflective practices about ABE.
Partnerships have been created, and families have been engaged and grown on ABE.
Awareness, knowledge, and skills on ABE have been Implemented and sustained in ECE programs.
The program has been evaluated to determine what works for whom and why.
Fast-cycle iterations have been adapted and scaled to promising programs in other states.
ABE Program has been adopted in ECE programs.
Stakeholders have been recognized at the WAEYC conference.

ESTIMATED COST

Meetings expenses: Facilities and equipment $1,000.00; Food & Beverage $1,000.00; Materials & Supplies $2,000.00; Technology expenses $1,000.00; Occupancy $,500.00; Maintenance & Equipment Rental $200.00; Total meetings expenses $5,700.00.
Travel expenses: Hotels $2,000.00; Meals $2,000.00; Miles’s reimbursement $1,000.00 Total travel expenses $5,000.00.
Program development expenses $3,000.00
Program implementation expenses $4,000.00
Communications $2,000.00; Printing & Publications $2,700.00; Postage & Shipping $200.00; Translation Services $500.00. Total communication expenses $5,400.00
Evaluation expenses $1,000.00
Adaptation expenses $1,000.00
Appreciation expenses $10,000.00
Total expenses $35,100.00

EVALUATION

As the program moves from one stage to the next, it is necessary to understand how and why the program works or does not work. Therefore, every step of the process will be evaluated with the following path,

1. Planning and development. How will the program be implemented and evaluated?

2. Process Evaluation. Are the program strategies feasible and acceptable?

3. Outcome Evaluation. Is there evidence to suggest that intermediate outcomes are changing in the anticipated direction?

4. Scaling. Is the program feasible and effective at scale?

EDUC 586 – MODULE 3 - ADVOCACY JOURNAL

Patricia Coss-Maxwell

Initial Draft Advocacy Summary Sheet

October 4, 2022

Informative Title

Children of Color have been suspended and expelled from ECE programs due to the lack of anti-bias education and attention to diversity from early childhood education professionals.

Statement of Problem

Research by Bell (2020) mentions that African American middle schoolers feel targeted and misunderstood in terms of disciplinary practices (Buell, 2022). Black boys in preschool are 3.6 times as likely to receive one or more suspensions relative to White preschoolers (Gilliam et al., 2016). Boys are three times as likely as girls to be suspended one or more times (Gilliam et al., 2016). Exclusions from ECE programs lead to adverse effects on a child's self-image, family relationships, and workforce problems (Buell, 2022). Sex and race disparities in ECE expulsions and suspensions are associated with ECE professionals' stress tolerance and access to low-quality ECE programs.

Need for Change

Educating in diversity is a necessary and strategic task at the same time. It is in the first years of life when our vision of the world is constitutively structured when that lens will allow us to see the other as a different person and, at the same time, recognize ourselves in it. Dismantling the prejudices that divide us as a society is a task shared by all. Still, its contribution achieves an even more substantial and multiplier value in the educational community. In this sense, it is vitally important to provide tools that facilitate work in the classroom on the issues of discrimination, xenophobia, and racism, reducing

the violence of these practices in the ECE field.

Possible Solutions

Some possible solutions to address this problem could be;

Staff training and professional development,
Working with families,
Creating developmentally and culturally appropriate learning environments,
Implementing interventions designed to address biases directly, and
Implementing an anti-bias education (ABE) curriculum intentionally focuses on teaching social-emotional skills to young children.

The organization and key individuals that could support

Catholic Charities of Central Washington (CCCW) - Rebecca Knox - Regional Coordinator Child Care Aware of Washington (CCA of WA) - Sandy Maldonado- Director of Early Learning
Child Care Action Council - Kristin Gomez - Regional Coordinator
Child Care Aware of Southwest Washington - Michelle Aguilar - Regional Coordinator
Child Care Resources (CCR) - Janine Meyers - Early Learning Services Dept. Director
Community-Minded Enterprises - Kathy Blair - Regional Coordinator
Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) - Rachael Brown-Kendal
Opportunity Council/Child Care Aware of NW WA - Elaine Larson - NW Regional Manager
University of Washington - Cultivate Learning - Dawn Williams - Director of Professional Learning & Coaching

Expected outcomes

ECE programs have a fundamental role in internalizing norms, values, and beliefs. As institutions, they are sound broad for the society to which they belong and are often discriminatory organizations; however, ECE programs can also be the engine of change toward a more diverse and inclusive community. Over time, positive progress has been made in transforming the ECE curricula to avoid exclusion. Still, the hidden curriculum - that set of ideas, meanings, and perceptions that are implicitly transmitted - often remains unchanged, reproducing a system of stereotypes that naturalizes a discriminatory view of the world. Therefore, if the ABE curriculum is implemented in the Washington State preschools, children will;

Develop self-awareness, confidence, pride, and positive social identities
Feel comfortable and happy with human diversity; accept human differences, and become empathetic with human beings
Recognize unfairness, and advocate for equity
Be empowered and ready to act against prejudice and discrimination

However, if the ABE curriculum is not implemented in Washington State preschools, children will continue developing fear, racism, discrimination, and injustice.

EDUC 586 – MODULE 4 - ADVOCACY JOURNAL

Patricia Coss-Maxwell

Role Play Meeting

October 14, 2022

Who would attend the meeting?

Main Advocate - Patricia Coss-Maxwell

Decision Maker - Mrs. Sarah Obi

Gatekeeper - Mark Lin

A Family Member of a preschooler that has been expelled from a childcare center - Valerie Willis

Preschool Teacher - Betty White

Administrator - Tamara Lamb

Family Child Care Provider - Paulia Valerio-Guerrero

Financial Expert - Alan Strand

Personal Contact of the decision maker - Ryan Picco

Where will the meeting be hosted?

The meeting will be hosted at Mrs. Sarah Obi's office.

841 Central Ave. N. C-232

Kent, WA 98032

When will the meeting be hosted?

On Monday, October 17, 2022, at 9.30 am.

What is the purpose of the meeting?

The purpose of the meeting is to advocate allocating public investment for implementing an Anti-Bias Education (ABE) curriculum in early learning and care programs in the State of Washington.

Why is it essential to implement ABE curricula in ECE programs?

Implementing ABE curricula in ECE programs is essential to improve the quality of ECE and to increase the attention to diversity and inclusion in early learning classrooms.

What are the expected outcomes?

The goal is to dramatically reduce the incidence of expulsions of children from early learning programs in the State of Washington. However, if the ABE curriculum is not implemented in Washington State preschools, children will continue developing fear, racism, discrimination, and injustice.

How will the meeting be hosted?

The Main Advocate will provide information and facts and assist the personal Contact of the decision maker in leading the meeting. She will ensure that the dialogue is fluid and stay on the topic.

The Family Member will provide testimony of the stress she and her family faced when her child was suspended and finally expelled from the preschool program.

The Preschool Teacher will provide testimonies about the lack of training and pressure from the administrators, families, and the district.

The Administrator will testify to the challenges of managing and negotiating disequilibrium and conflict in her ECE center.

The FCC Provider will testify to the need for an ABE curriculum and training.

The Financial Expert will explain the fiscal implication of implementing an ABA curriculum in every ECE program of the State of Washington.

The Personal Contact of the Decision Maker will lead the meeting, introduce participants at the beginning of the meeting, make everyone feel comfortable, and ensure that the information is clear and understandable. Also, Ryan Picco will make sure that people have their questions answered. He will set the tone for the meeting and create an environment that will make the meeting successful.

Before the meeting, what research would you have done about the decision maker or gatekeeper?

I would read their Bios and learn about their experience in decision-making, position, goals, and personal interests.

Are there other things not included in the descriptions that you would like to have known?

I would like to have known who are their close colleagues, their political affiliation, race and ethnicity, and SES.

How will the meeting be developed?

Ryan Pico; "Good morning. I am Ryan Picco, Director of Policy and Advocacy at Child Care Aware of Washington. I want to introduce you to Patricia Coss-Maxwell, Program Manager of Professional Development at Child Care Aware of Washington; Mrs. Valerie Willis, a Family member; Mrs. Betty White, Preschool Teacher; Mrs. Tamara Lamb, Center Administrator; Mrs. Paulina Valerio-Guerrero, FCC Provider, and Mr. Alan Strand. Thank you for having us today, Mrs. Obi and Mr. Lin."

Patricia Coss-Maxwell. "Thank you, Ryan. Honorable Mrs. Obi and Respectable Mr. Lin, we are happy to be here and share with you our intentions to have your support for our initiative of implementing an Anti-Bias Education curriculum in every preschool, childcare, and early childhood education (ECE) program of the State of Washington. For that, I want to provide you with information about the issue. Children of color 3-5 years of age in the U.S. are most likely to be expelled more times than their counterparts from ECE programs due to the lack of anti-bias education and attention to diversity from early childhood education professionals. This issue is not different in Washington State. Race, gender, and SES strongly predict the expulsion and suspension of children of color. According to Buell (2022), in 2019, 7.7 million children under five attended ECE programs in the U.S. Research has shown that licensing regulations impact all aspects of care offered to those children with different policies, such as infection control, nutrition, and behavior management (Buell, 2022); National Center on Early Childhood Health and Wellness (n.d.). ECE programs in the State of Washington (WAC 110-300-0331) are subject to licensing regulations that include discipline and guidance policies. However, even though those regulations prohibit specific methods of discipline, such as corporal punishment, childcare providers' disciplinary decisions are influenced by bias based on race, gender, ability, SES, and other different experiences. A recent survey found that 35.7% of private childcare center administrators expelled a child in the previous 12 months (Buell, 2022), with children of color the most affected. Even when preschool children are 54% of the student population, 79% of suspended children are preschoolers (Costa, 2015)."

Mrs. Willis. "Yes, my son was expelled from the child care center he attended because he did not want to zip up his jacket. When he was expelled, I had to take time off from work. Then, I lost my job. I do not know what to do."

Mrs. White. "I think I need more training in Anti-Bias education; it would help me. Sometimes, I do not know how to treat children from different ethnicities, socioeconomic classes, or racial groups. I do not want to make assumptions about black and brown kids. Therefore, I need more education and training."

Mrs. Lamb. "For me, the critical issue is how we encourage engagement in conversations that may sometimes be risky or uncomfortable. Also, how to involve families and how to support my Staff. I do not want to expel children, but I do not want my teachers to be stressed about a situation they don't know how to handle. Implementing an ABE curriculum will take time and money, but I am sure that time and funds will be well invested."

Mrs. Valerio-Guerrero. "I think that finding times in my program to create a community of learners is another challenge, given the realities of insufficient Staff and funding under which too many programs operate. However, even on a limited budget, there are many ways to increase opportunities for my Staff and me to expand their knowledge base and develop new skills and competencies."

Mr. Strand. "We ask for an initial investment of $35,000.00 and an annual investment of $5,000.00. These funds will cover the project's development, implementation, and evaluation."

Mr. Picco. "Mrs. Obi and Mr. Lin, do you have any questions for us?"

Mrs. Obi. "Yes. How long would it take to implement an ABE curriculum in all the State's preschools?"

Mrs. Coss-Maxwell. "We calculate that it would take two years. We plan to be implemented, evaluate, and adopt in its totality by December 2024, and we will recognize your support at the WAEYC Conference or 2025."

Mr. Lin. "What outcomes are you expecting to have by implementing the ABE curriculum in ECE Programs?"

Mrs. Coss-Maxwell. "As I mentioned, the goal is to dramatically reduce the incidence of expulsions of children from early learning programs in the State of Washington. We want to see the State of Washington lead the nation in this regard."

Mr. Picco. "We thank you very much for the opportunity of having this meeting with you. For the past five years, Mrs. Obi and Mr. Lin have supported ECE actively. We deeply believe that this issue will interest you and you will give us the highest level of support. We will be holding an informational meeting this Friday, October 21, 2022, at 7.00 pm in the Media Room at the Smalltown Public Library, which will be recorded and aired in the NEWS at King 5 on Saturday at 6.00 pm. We hope you will bring your ideas, creativity, and, most importantly, yourself."

References:

Buell, Fidel, R., Hustedt, J. T., Kuntz, S., & Slicker, G. (2022). From time-out to expulsion: A national review of states' center-based child care licensing exclusionary discipline regulations. Children and Youth Services Review, 141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2022.106623

Costa, F. 5 C. (2015). First 5 contra costa – en español. First 5 Contra Costa En Espanol. http://www.first5coco.org/es/tag/expulsiones-en-el-preescolar/

Washington State Legislature (n.d.) WAC 110-300-0331. https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=110-300-0331

Name: Patricia Coss-Maxwell

Quarter/Year: Fall 2022

Course Number: EDUC 586

Module Number: 4

Role-Play: Meeting Scenarios

Directions: Use the following template to complete the assignment. For this activity you will consider case scenarios for presenting your advocacy summary sheet to potential stakeholders. This activity will provide you the opportunity to "imagine" the experience presenting your advocacy materials in a mock meeting.

You will assume the role as the "Main Advocate."
You will then choose 1 of the 2 "Decision Makers" and 1 of the 2 "Gatekeepers" below.
Once you have chosen 1 of each, you will then consider how you might tailor a meeting with this specific person based on the specific discussion questions provided.
Answer the final general meeting scenario question.

Choose 1 of the Following Decision Makers Below:

Decision Maker 1: Samuel Schmirdlap has been in the legislature for many years. He is currently the chair of the finance committee of the legislature. Widely considered ambitious, he has expressed a desire to trade up to a higher political office. His attention span is short; typically, he is not able to concentrate for more than 15 minutes on a particular issue. He is divorced and the father of three children who are being raised by his ex-wife. His interests include soccer and golf. He is active on Facebook.

What type of research would you have done about the decision maker to your meeting? Are there other things not included in the descriptions that you would like to have known?

How specifically would you use the background information to interact with the decision maker in your meeting?

Decision Maker 2: Mrs. Sarah Obi is the head of the Educational department. While she has been in the national government bureaucracy for a long time, she has just transferred over from another department and is still learning about her new role in this new department. She has met with staff under her direction to learn about her jobs in order to better understand her own. The reason for her appointment was that the previous head of the Education department had been perceived as incompetent, and Mrs. Obi is finding that ineptitude in the department is widespread. She is middle-aged and married with pictures of her children prominently displayed in her office. Religion is also important to her, and devotional images are displayed in her office.

What type of research would you have done about the decision maker prior to your meeting? Are there other things not included in the descriptions that you would like to have known?

I would read her Bio and learn about their experience in decision-making, position, goals, and personal interests.

How specifically would you use the background information to interact with the decision maker in your meeting?

I would use the background information to provide Mrs. Obi with more details about the issue. According to the description above, Mrs. Obi likes to learn. Therefore, she will be interested in the information. The pictures of her children in her office indicate that she cares about children and families.

Choose 1 of the Following Gatekeepers Below:

Gatekeeper 1: Martha Gonzalez is the administrative assistant to a very powerful elected official (state governor or equivalent). She has been in the position for 25 years. Her words and actions suggest that she feels that she has complete control over the decision maker. If people indicate that they have tried to access the decision maker directly, without going through her, she gets upset. When people contact her to arrange a meeting with the decision maker, she is often impatient and curt. Listening to opera music and reading, particularly mystery novels, are her passions.

What type of research would you have done about the gatekeeper prior to your meeting? Are there other things not included in the descriptions that you would like to have known?

How specifically would you use the background information to interact with the gatekeeper in your meeting?

Gatekeeper 2: Mark Lin is a staff member for a powerful legislator and his right-hand man. He tells people that he knows the secrets of how to get to his boss and that people need to work with him. If you can play along with him, he'll go through the process with you to get you to the decision maker. As part of the process, he wants to know enough about your issue to look good to his boss. He is ambitions and enjoys working with others. During his free time, he surfs and bicycles. He is in his early 30s and is single.

What type of research would you have done about the decision maker or gatekeeper prior to your meeting? Are there other things not included in the descriptions that you would like to have known?

I would read his Bio and learn about their experience in decision-making, position, goals, and personal interests.

How specifically would you use the background information to interact with the decision maker in your meeting?

The description above mentions, "If you can play along with him, he will go through the process with you to get you to the decision-maker." That statement indicates that he has to be convinced that the advocacy is worth it. I would provide him with the needed information so that he can know enough about the issue and look good to his boss.

General Meeting Considerations Based on Scenarios

Based on your chosen Decision Maker and Gatekeeper, what other types of people would you choose to bring to your meeting? Be very specific.

Main Advocate - Patricia Coss-Maxwell

Decision Maker - Mrs. Sarah Obi

Gatekeeper - Mark Lin

A Family Member of a preschooler that has been expelled from a childcare center - Valerie Willis

Preschool Teacher - Betty White

Administrator - Tamara Lamb

Family Child Care Provider - Paulia Valerio-Guerrero

Financial Expert - Alan Strand

Personal Contact of the decision maker - Ryan Picco

How would these people fit with your issue and building connections with the decision maker or gatekeeper? Be specific in naming who these persons are and the clear role they would play.

The Main Advocate will provide information and facts and assist the personal Contact of the decision maker in leading the meeting. She will ensure that the dialogue is fluid and stay on the topic.

The Family Member will provide testimony of the stress she and her family faced when her child was suspended and finally expelled from the preschool program.

The Preschool Teacher will provide testimonies about the lack of training and pressure from the administrators, families, and the district.

The Administrator will testify to the challenges of managing and negotiating disequilibrium and conflict in her ECE center.

The FCC Provider will testify to the need for an ABE curriculum and training.

The Financial Expert will explain the fiscal implication of implementing an ABA curriculum in every ECE program of the State of Washington.

Patricia coss-Maxwell