Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources WEEK 3

I emailed 8 different education professionals: 6 from The Global Alliance of NAEYC and 2 from the World Forum and i have heard nothing back so I am now having to use the podcast alternative assignment. 

I listened to the podcast of TJ Skalski who is the Principal of The Mother Earth’s Children’s Charter School (MECCS). I learned that their are 13 charter schools in Canada. Ms. Skalski never saw herself being a teacher or principal but loves her job. She was greatly influence by her grandmother, who always told her she was a teacher at heart. The schools vision is about reinvesting in the kids, creating a community where culture and language are essential. This is a place where children from all worlds can learn and grow. Its the only native charter school in Canada (Alberta). I found it interesting that 'MECCS believes that there are four needs that must be met for every child to be able to succeed.  Every child feels the need:

• for Belonging (I mean something to you),
• for Mastery (I am good at something),
• for Independence (I have power to make decisions), and
• for Generosity ( I have a purpose in life).

I believe this rings true and while we do support this in our education practices, i think it needs a bigger role. The school implements the culture of the Alberta history and culture. They learn the language of the native land, the gifts the land has to give, and the culture of the people in conjunction with the knowledge needed all subject areas.

http://www.meccs.org/site/

Since I have been unable to establish any contact with any professionals I went to the Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre’s page (http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/) and read over the site. The country I picked to learn more about is China. China is the worlds most populated country, there are 1.27 billion people recorded in 2001. China has made some strides in reducing poverty but at the same time created new poverty issues. In the Western part of China the poverty level is still relatively high because economic growth and social transition. There are 4.2 mullion children that live in deep poverty and 8.7 million children that live in poverty like conditions. In Western China the chances of living past childhood, finishing school and obtaining health insurance is severely lower then in the Eastern part of China. Even in Beijing, which is China's richest city, half of the lower income families could not afford all the costs of their child's education and families in Shanghai cannot afford health insurance. Since the economy and social structure has changed over the years so must some of the services, supports and government policies that are in place. 

Even the most populated and well developed countries suffer from poverty, under-development and lack of sufficient means to achieve a proper education, health care and career.I am shocked at the high level of poverty in China as well as the U.S and other well-developed countries. There are so many different areas that need money such as unemployment, education, health care for low-income families, etc I dont know how all of the issues can be resolved. We as early childhood/education professionals need to know and understand all the different issues and diversities that children experience because when they come into a classroom or any educational setting or service they bring all that 'baggage' with them and we need to be able to help them overcome it and rise above it.