November 10, 2021 FDA Authorizes COVID-19 Vaccine for Emergency Use for Children Five to 11 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19 to include children five through 11 years of age. The authorization was based on the FDA’s thorough and transparent evaluation of the data that included input from independent advisory committee experts who overwhelmingly voted in favor of making the vaccine available to children in this age group. About the COVID-19 Vaccine The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for children five through 11 years of age is administered as a two-dose primary series, three weeks apart, but is a lower dose (10 micrograms) than that used for individuals 12 years of age and older (30 micrograms). In the U.S., COVID-19 cases in children five through 11 years of age make up 39% of cases in individuals younger than 18 years of age. According to the CDC, approximately 8,300 COVID-19 cases in children five through 11 years of age resulted in hospitalization. As of Oct. 17, 691 deaths from COVID-19 have been reported in the U.S. in individuals less than 18 years of age, with 146 deaths in the five through 11 years age group. Pfizer Inc. has updated its safety monitoring plan to include evaluation of myocarditis, pericarditis and other events of interest in children five through 11 years of age. In addition, the FDA and the CDC have several systems in place to continually monitor COVID-19 vaccine safety and allow for the rapid detection and investigation of potential safety problems. Additional Information Additional information on the COVID-19 vaccine can be found on the FDA website.
November 9, 2021 Course Available to Introduce New Set of Professional Standards The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) is now offering an asynchronous course to introduce the new set of Professional Standards to anyone interested in learning more. About Pennsylvania is adopting a new set of professional standards for Early Childhood Educators. The Pennsylvania Professional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators are the general knowledge and skills that educators need to know and be able to demonstrate as they work with children and families. This set of standards and competencies are replacing the Pennsylvania Core Knowledge Competencies (CKCs) and have been adopted from the National Professional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators. OCDEL is offering a course for professionals, which covers the following: Why a new set of standards for early childhood educators is being implemented; The development of the Pennsylvania Professional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators; The main aspects and components of the PA Professional Standards; and The key shifts found throughout the PA Professional Standards Access the Course The course is available within the PD Registry or by searching the training calendar for The Pennsylvania Professional Standards for Early Childhood Educators. To access the course using the link you must be logged into the PD Registry. All early learning educators, program administrators, professional development instructors, IHE faculty, and anyone interested in learning about the new Professional Standards are encourages to take this free course. A Registry login is required to access the course. Information on how to log into the PD Registry is available on the PA Keys website.
Join ELC Subcommittee for the Child Care Certification Rewrite The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) is seeking members for the Pennsylvania Early Learning Council (ELC) Subcommittee for the Child Care Certification Rewrite. About An Impact Project with the National State Capacity Building Center will focus on rewriting Pennsylvania’s child care regulations with a lens toward equity, quality, and decreasing provider burden. OCDEL is seeking providers to participate in an ELC Subcommittee that will provide feedback on the draft regulations. Applications will be reviewed, and participants for the subcommittee will be chosen to represent a diverse group of individuals (both ELC appointees and other stakeholders and subject matter experts in the community). OCDEL anticipates beginning the work of the ELC subcommittee in winter 2021-2022. However, OCDEL anticipates an iterative process of writing, review, and revisions for each section of the certification regulations. OCDEL would like each subcommittee participant to be involved in two sections of the certification regulations in depth. More information about the time commitment and timeline are available online. How to Apply To apply, complete this online application by November 19, 2021. More Information For questions, contact Karen Grimm-Thomas, OCDEL Director of External Relations, at c-kgrimmth@pa.gov. For more news, visit our news page or subscribe to our newsletters.
November 8, 2021 New Resource: Child Care & Pre-k in the Build Back Better Act The Hunt Institute has released Child care and Pre-kindergarten in The Build Back Better Act: A Guide for Policymakers, which condenses roughly 100 pages of pertinent Build Back Better Act bill language into six pages of question and answer-style summary. About Aspects of the $1.75 billion Build Back Better (BBB) Act spending proposal hold the potential to fundamentally transform America’s early care and education landscape – creating universal pre-k for three- and four-year-old children, expanding access to affordable, high-quality child care, and addressing the compensation needs of the early childhood workforce. The guide highlights: Child care and universal pre-k provisions and what it means for families; child care support eligibility information for families and child care providers; state quality rating systems for child care; funding that will be made available to support child care and pre-k; and more. Based on the current working version of the House bill released October 28, 2021, the summary document will be updated regularly as the Act works its way through the legislative process. Read the full guide for details.
T.E.A.C.H. Scholarship Spring 2022 Deadline Are you interested in attending college in Spring 2022? The Teacher Education and Compensation Helps (T.E.A.C.H) Scholarship application period is now open! T.E.A.C.H. Scholarship Pays for a percentage of the cost of tuition and books. Provides a travel stipend each semester. Reimburses child care centers for a percentage of the release time given. Provides counseling and administrative support for the child care program. Eligibility To be eligible, applicants must: work a minimum of 25 – 30 hours per week directly with children in a DHS-certified child care program, make $19 or less an hour ($25 or less per hour for directors), and be interested in pursuing coursework at a participating college toward a degree or credential in early childhood. More Information T.E.A.C.H. applications must be complete and submitted with all required documentation/ information by Friday, November 14, 2021, to be considered for the spring 2022 semester. The Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA) will continue to accept applications on an ongoing basis, however, incomplete applications and applications received after this date will not receive priority for consideration. For a full list of eligibility requirements, visit the PACCA website.
November 5, 2021 Child Care Providers Needed for Focus Group Children First, formerly known as Public Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY), and the Children Matter Action Fund (CMAF) are hosting focus groups for child care providers during the month of November as they look to engage families as advocates. About State and federal legislation have a major impact on the child care sector, so Children First and CMAF are working to identify parents who are willing to commit to being child care voters to ensure elected officials always work to improve child care and the child care sector for all Pennsylvanians. Children First and CMAF are hosting virtual focus groups this month specifically for child care providers to talk about successful ways to connect with parents and motivate them to be a child care voter. Each group is capped at 15 people, and each participant will receive $50. The dates are as follows: Tuesday, November 9, from 1 to 1:45 p.m. Register Wednesday, November 10, from 1 to 1:45 p.m. Register Thursday, November 11, from 1 to 1:45 p.m. Register Friday, November 12, from 6 to 6:45 p.m. Register Monday, November 15, from 6 to 6:45 p.m. Register Children Matter Action Fund strategically works in a non-partisan fashion to help lawmakers learn what it takes for Pennsylvania children to succeed and persuade them to support legislative measures. Learn more on the website.
November 4, 2021 Child Care Career Openings in the Pittsburgh Area Are you looking for open child care positions? Early learning programs in the Greater Pittsburgh Area are hiring! See this week’s featured jobs. Child Care Positions in Pittsburgh Manager of Early Childhood Programs The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is seeking a Manager of Early Childhood Programs to work with teachers, school districts, teaching artists, and partner organizations to implement and manage arts integration residencies, workshops, and performances led by teaching artists and serving early childhood education providers and community organizations. A key component of this position is recruitment, training, and mentorship of teaching artists, including observation and evaluation of classroom or workshop instruction. Apply: To apply, send your resume and cover letter to: Director of Human Resources, The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, 803 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 or shannon@trustarts.org Program Director Manchester Youth Development Center is seeking an After School Group Lead to prepare students at their center for success and engage positively with them. Apply: To apply, email your resume to jfilmore@mydc.org Assistant Group Supervisor/Teacher YWCA Greater Pittsburgh is seeking an Assistant Group Supervisor/Teacher to support the implementation of daily activities under the guidance of the Group Supervisor towards the goal of quality program (in particular, PA DHS Certification regulations, Keystone STARS criteria and NAEYC requirements for accreditation) for all groups in the Children and Youth Development and Education Department. This is a hands-on position, working with children from Infants to Older Toddlers. Apply: To apply, email your resume to Linda Broman at lbroman@ywcapgh.org Accounting/Benefits/Payroll Coordinator Carriage House Children’s Center is seeking an Accounting/Benefits/Payroll Coordinator. Primary responsibilities include monthly payroll, managing employee benefits and working closely with a hired accounting firm which handles all accounting needs. Candidates with a Bachelor’s or Associates’s degree in Accounting or Business Administration and a minimum of 3 years’ experience with basic accounting and payroll are preferred. Apply: To apply, email your cover letter and resume to chcc@carriagehouse.org, attn. Sharon Amick. Group Supervisor Future Focus Child Care LLC is seeking a Group Supervisor to plan and implement daily program activities; coordinate activities of assistant group supervisors and aides; assist the director with designated activities. Apply: To apply, email your resume to futurefocus5936@gmail.com Assistant Group Supervisor Future Focus Child Care LLC is seeking an Assistant Group Supervisor to assist in the implementation of daily activities under the guidance of the Group Supervisor, and coordinate daily activities and supervise aides in the absence of the Group Supervisor. Apply: To apply, email your resume to futurefocus5936@gmail.com Submit a Job Each week, Trying Together highlights employer-submitted jobs on our website, social media, and in our newsletter. Submit a Job: To make it into next week’s post, submit the Child Care Provider Job Post Submission Form. All jobs submitted after Tuesday each week will be published in the following week’s news post. Publication dates may vary due to state and federal holidays. Unrelated jobs will not be included. For questions, contact Kara Bayer at kara@tryingtogether.org. Other Jobs in Early Childhood ECE Hire Visit the ECE Hire website to view early childhood education job listings and helpful tips on interviewing, resumes, and more. Submit a Job to PACCA Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA) offers a Job Board for its members to post jobs for free and sends out submitted jobs via their Facebook page and e-newsletter. PACCA members can submit jobs online after signing into their membership account. For questions, contact Maureen Murphy at maureen.murphy@pacca.org. Receive Jobs in Your Inbox To receive the latest job opportunities, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Facebook.
November 3, 2021 Child Development Associate (CDA) Programs for Spring & Fall 2022 Looking to receive a Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential? Check out our programs to get certified, renew your certification, and more! What is a CDA Credential? A CDA Credential is the most widely recognized credential in the early childhood field and is a key stepping stone on the path to career advancement. The credential enables professionals to work in Head Start and Early Head Start classrooms, in addition to early learning programs across the United States, and provides opportunities for increased pay. Interested applicants may complete the CDA Interest Form to connect with a member of our staff. Please share this flyer with your networks. Trying Together’s CDA Programs Trying Together offers the following CDA programs at no cost to eligible early childhood professionals in Pennsylvania: CDA Credential Preparation Program Spring 2022 Classes: 1/11/22 – 6/14/22 (Deadline to Register: 12/20/21) Fall 2022 Classes: 8/30/22 – 3/28/23 Biweekly Zoom Meetings and Schoology Participants complete 135 hours of professional development to earn their CDA Credential in six to nine months. Participants can matriculate up to nine course credits at Carlow University upon credential completion. CDA Credential Community of Practice Program Fall 2021 Classes: 11/16/21 – 1/4/22 (Deadline to Register: 11/11/21) Spring 2022 Classes: Spring Classes: 3/1/22 – 4/26/22 Biweekly Zoom Meetings and Schoology Participants receive support in building a portfolio and preparing for the CDA Credential Exam. Applicants must have proof of 120 hours of coursework completed via professional development hours, transcripts, etc. CDA Credential Renewal Program Participants review current standards, literature, strategies, and more to meet the criteria for eight early childhood subject areas upon completion. Applicants are accepted on a rolling basis. More Information For more information, visit our CDA Credential page. To ask a question about our programs, contact Theresa Hetler at theresa@tryingtogether.org or Jasmine Davis at jasmine@tryingtogether.org. For eligibility questions, contact Judy Graca at judy@tryingtogether.org.
November 2, 2021 Initiative Launches to Address Racial Disparity Among Teachers in PA Earlier this month, Remake Learning launched the inaugural cohort of an innovative program called OTIS: Operation Teacher (of Color) Irrigation System. This program aims to address the increasing disparity in the percentage of students of color versus the number of teachers of color in Pennsylvania. This initiative was led by South Fayette School District’s director of diversity, equity and inclusion, Dr. Chuck Herring. He came up with the “irrigation system” concept to convey that the Pittsburgh region doesn’t need one narrow pipeline—especially given all the negative connotations that “pipeline” now carries in the world of education. Instead, Herring aims to “flood the region” with talented teachers of color from around the country by introducing them to Pittsburgh while they’re in college. The inaugural cohort is made up of four undergraduate students at Howard University studying elementary education. Howard University generally sends students to international locations for their months of student teaching, but one goal is to have OTIS participants do their student teaching in southwestern Pennsylvania. Continued funding will be sought out to continue and expand this program. About Remake Learning Remake Learning is a network that ignites engaging, relevant, and equitable learning practices in support of young people navigating rapid social and technological change.
November 1, 2021 Recruiting Teaching Artists for Substitute Roles Arts Education Collaborative (AEC) is still recruiting teaching artists for the Teaching Artist Substitute Initiative supported by The Grable Foundation’s Tomorrow Campaign. This effort aims to address the regional substitute teacher shortage, insufficient access to arts learning opportunities in schools, and teaching artist employment instability. During the spring of 2021, the AEC team worked with a cohort of teaching artists to investigate what a teaching artist needs to know and do to work as a certified substitute teacher. Interested individuals may register for the November 5th TASI training using this link. Additional information is available via AEC’s TASI information session recording. Program Details Interested teaching artists will benefit from: In-person training through the Guest Substitute Teacher Program hosted by Allegheny Intermediate Unit (at no cost to teaching artist) A self-paced online follow up course offered by Utah University (at no cost to teaching artist) $300 stipend when training is complete to cover the cost of clearances, a physical, and other school district requirements A printed Field Guide filled with lesson ideas and classroom strategies to support arts integration across creative disciplines and grade levels Right-matching support from AEC staff to get connected with a school district open to exploring news way to increase arts learning during the school day To qualify, teaching artists must: have a bachelor’s degree (any subject area) be a US Citizen be available for mandatory in-person training on Friday, November 5th from 1-5pm
