Over the past decade it has become increasingly evident that the leadership provided by child care center Directors and Administrators are an important element of a high quality program. In fact, effective leadership is crucial to establishing a high quality early childhood program (Bloom & Sheerer, 1992; Peisner-Feinberg et al., 1995; Phillips, Mekos, Scarr, McCartney & Abbott-Shim, 2000; Talan & Bloom, 2004). The Director shapes the work environment for the teaching staff that, in turn, provides the critical link to children’s developmental outcomes. However, there are still very few programs in the State of Arizona that provide specialized training and support to child care directors and administrators in a systematic manner.
The Chase Early Education Emergent Leaders Program was designed to address the need for leadership development in Arizona by recognizing that by training and mentoring early care and education program Administrators and Directors, we can enhance the quality of their programs while simultaneously developing leadership skills that will poise participants for statewide and community leadership positions.
2008 marked the fourth cohort of Chase Early Education Emergent Leaders (CEL). The two partners in coordination were Southwest Human Development and The Governor’s Office for Children, Youth & Families. This year’s CEL was an 8- month program that began in January 2008 and ended with a “Graduation Ceremony” in September 2008.
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