Happy Birthday Gateways to Opportunity!
There is much to celebrate in 2008, including the fact that Gateways to
Opportunity launched a new name and website three years ago in March 2005. As
the first comprehensive professional development system in Illinois, Gateways
to Opportunity addresses professional competence in the field of early care and
education. In the three years since Gateways was launched, there have been
significant changes and growth in many areas. This issue of Inside Gateways
focuses on two: teacher training and education, and career opportunities.
Lilian Katz shares reflections on the effectiveness of teacher training and
education. What we don’t know on this topic may surprise you! Recent
developments in training and education include the Associate of Arts in
Teaching (AAT) and Bilingual Early Childhood Certification Assistance Program
(BECCA). Read about these professional development opportunities and how they
affect practitioners.
As Gateways celebrates its third birthday, a quick review of Gateways seems in
order. Gateways to Opportunity was designed as a system that uses a career
lattice as its framework. A career lattice schematic allows for flexibility as
practitioners make choices based on ongoing training and education, evolving
professional development, and career opportunities. This issue of Inside
Gateways clearly demonstrates the career lattice concept by profiling two
highly recognized early care and education professionals from IDHS: Holly
Knicker and Anne Wharff.
Inside Gateways is one of many valued components of Gateways to Opportunity. I
hope that you set aside time to read this issue to keep up-to-date with the
state’s constantly changing landscape of early care and education. And please
join me in saying Happy Birthday to Gateways to Opportunity along
with wishes that Gateways will continue to celebrate many more years as a
recognized leader in the field!
Joni Scritchlow and Your
Gateways to Opportunity
Professional Development Team
Articles:
Read profiles of Holly Knicker and Anne Wharff, long-time early care and
education professionals in the Bureau of Child Care and Development at the
Illinois Department of Human Services.
Lilian Katz discusses what we know—and don’t know—about the effectiveness of
teacher education in early care and education.
Learn more about the Associate of Arts in Teaching (AAT) degree in Early
Childhood Education (ECE) and the Bilingual Early Childhood Certification
Assistance Program (BECCA).
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