Early Childhood & Elementary Education: Teacher Resources

"Recognized as the gold standard in teacher certification, the National Board believes higher standards for teachers means better learning for students. The founding mission of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is to advance the quality of teaching and learning by: Maintaining high and rigorous standards for what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do; Providing a national voluntary system certifying teachers who meet these standards; Advocating related education reforms to integrate National Board Certification in American education and to capitalize on the expertise of National Board Certified Teachers." (National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, n.d.)

"The New Jersey Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (NJACTE) is an organization whose work is focused on the preparation and professional development of teachers and educational leaders in the State of New Jersey." (NJACTE, n.d.)

"NJCTL is a nonprofit that is providing a simple, scalable solution for our nation's massive STEM teacher shortage and the great social injustice that comes from depriving underserved students access to STEM education and the important opportunities this learning provides. NJCTL empowers teachers of every academic and cultural background to effectively teach K -12 mathematics and science to all students with the Progressive Science Initiative and the Progressive Mathematics Initiative. NJCTL's inclusive new pedagogy shakes up traditional STEM education and actively engages both teachers and students with: Accessible teacher training as well as free open source curricula that align with current standards." (NJCTL,n.d.)

"Bring the World to Your Classroom
THIRTEEN PBS and PBS have curated FREE, standards-aligned videos, interactives, lesson plans, and more..." (PBS Learning Media, n.d.)

The CDC provides information on topics pertinent to early childhood educators.

"Your Education Video Resource For College, High School, Middle School and Elementary School" (TeacherTube, n.d.)

"Vision:
The New Jersey Parents' Caucus celebrates the potential for ALL children to become
loving, contributing adults.

Mission:
The New Jersey Parents’ Caucus, Inc. is a non-profit coalition of parents, caregivers and young adults with lived experience whose mission is to ensure that families raising children, ages 0 to 26, with emotional, behavioral, mental health and substance use challenges have the opportunity to play a strong and active role in the development and delivery of services in the mental health, juvenile justice and child welfare systems."

(New Jersey Parents' Caucus, n.d.)

"For more than 120 years, National Parent Teacher Association (National PTA®) has worked toward bettering the lives of every child in education, health and safety." (New Jersey Parent Teacher Organization, n.d.)

"SPAN has started, piloted, and run multiple projects and programs for parents of children from birth to age 21, all the while teaching families and caregivers to be advocates for their children and leaders in their communities in collaboration with their school districts.

SPAN is proud to have been the first stop for families around New Jersey for 35 years. As we’ve grown, we’ve expanded our services and support across the US and US Territories." (SPAN, n.d.)

"As a union of professionals, AFTNJ takes a critical look at promoting social justice in our union, our workplaces and the communities where we live. We do so by organizing working people, community members and alongside organizations with shared values.

We commit to promote curriculum, professional practices and progressive legislation on the local, state and federal level to ensure equal opportunity for all, including the pressing need for police reform and accountability in our state. We commit to values of justice no matter their color, creed, gender, sexuality or ethnic origin." (AFTNJ, n.d.)

"The American Federation of Teachers is a union of professionals that champions fairness; democracy; economic opportunity; and high-quality public education, healthcare and public services for our students, their families and our communities. We are committed to advancing these principles through community engagement, organizing, collective bargaining and political activism, and especially through the work our members do." (American Federation of Teachers, n.d.)

"Since 1892, Childhood Education International has been committed to one primary objective: ensuring children’s access to quality education worldwide. We create programs and projects that support pre-primary to primary school-age children so they can learn, grow, and develop optimally. We collaborate with teachers, education leaders, families, community leaders, health professionals, government agencies, the private sector, and civil society organizations. Together we provide innovative solutions that enhance learning and development for all children." (Childhood Education International, n.d.)

Provides information and resources on a variety of professional and political education topics.

"The New Jersey Public Charter Schools Association is the non-profit membership organization and statewide advocacy voice for the state’s 85 public charter schools and the more than 60,000 students they serve." (New Jersey Charter School Association, n.d.)

The National Assessment of Educational Progress also known as NAEP is the largest national representative that assesses what America's students know and can do in various subject areas. (NAEP, n.d.)

Here you will find links to research, school data and teacher credential information.

"The Division of Early Childhood Services is committed to enhancing the social-emotional, physical and cognitive development of New Jersey's children from birth through third grade by supporting the implementation of comprehensive services that address the needs of the whole child". (New Jersey Division of Early Childhood Services, n.d.)

"The New Jersey Education Association is a diverse, democratic organization working to create an optimal environment to achieve excellence in public education in New Jersey." ( New Jersey Education Association, n.d.)

United States Dept. of Education has links to many resources including funding, policy, research and news.