EDUC 8854 Dynamics of Early Childhood Policies and Systems

Dear Colleagues,

For this course assignment we are required to complete a blog post that explains at least two social media I might use to communicate my policy issue and explain why I am using them. I would like to begin this post by clarifying that for this assignment I am not promoting the acceptance and implementation of a new policy and or system. Rather, I am advocating for an evidence-based research and evaluation of the program and policies integrating preschool services between Head Start (HS) and the Chicago Public School (CPS) system. Due to the nature of the program as a public organization and my direct participation as an educator, I do not deem appropriate to advance my initiative through social mass media such as Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube.  

Although I understand “the transformative power of social media” as stated by June, Hong and Sung-Min (2011), I would like to communicate my observations, improvements and suggestions to the person and department in charge of supervising the program. Courtesy is essential for effective communication (Mind Tools, n.d.) and Ms. Miller-Mascetti, the director of the Office of Early Childhood Education (OECE), deserves the courtesy of being informed of my initiative. Effective communication can improve relationships by deepening our connections to others and improving teamwork, decision-making and problem solving (Helpguide, n.d.).

I would like to initiate a policy and system change locally, in my community of practice, by cooperating with the staff in charge of making the changes in the OECE. I would like to participate by providing an insider’s view of the effective practices and challenges experienced during implementation and offering suggestions for improvement. As a matter of fact, I already initiated communication with the directors of CPS, HS and OECE using the CPS’ electronic communication system. CPS responded that HS and OECE are responsible for the implementation of the preschool program. HS is very unresponsive and defensive to any comments or suggestions for change. OECE, through the person of Ms. Miller, was very responsive and open for communication. This is the reason that motivated me to create the communication plan addressed to her. As plan B, if this initiative doesn’t yield positive results, I can use the teacher’s chats and/or ECE forums to further my plan.

Any comments/suggestions? Please, do not hesitate to post them here. Thanks for your time and attention!

References

Helpguide.org. (n.d.). Effective communication. Retrieved October 15, 2013, from http://www.helpguide.org/mental/effective_communication_skills.htm

June, P., Hong, C., & Sung-Min, P. (2011). Social media's impact on policy making. SERI Quarterly, 4(4), 125–129. Retrieved from the Walden Library database.

Mind Tools. (n.d.). The 7 Cs of communication: A checklist for clear communication. Retrieved October 15, 2013, from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCS_85.htm