Four Members Reflect on What NAEYC Means to Them
Editors’ Note
In celebration of NAEYC’s 100th anniversary, we revisited early childhood professionals whose contributions to the field were highlighted in past issues of NAEYC periodicals. Where, we wondered, have their careers taken them? What changes have they observed in the profession? What role has NAEYC played, and how do they view our centennial year?
The following reflections represent a variety of roles and geographic locales: A higher education faculty member in Illinois; a center director in Miami; a family child care educator in California; and a public school kindergarten teacher in Washington, DC. Each brings perspectives based on their unique settings, with NAEYC as the underpinning of their work.
Rosa Milagros Santos
Associate provost for faculty affairs, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign County, Illinois. September 2016 Member Spotlight
“You can’t think about early childhood without thinking about NAEYC.”
Rosa Milagros Santos was highlighted in Young Children’s first Member Spotlight. At that time, she was a professor in the Department of Special Education at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and she leaned heavily on NAEYC publications in her work with preservice teachers. “Young Children was something I used a lot in my courses, for readings and references and to build upon other research work that we did. I also used the books, particularly Developmentally Appropriate Practice. It’s a good foundation for teacher preparation: It helps new teachers understand what they need to know and then build off of that.”
Today, Rosa supports more than 3,000 assistant, associate, and full professors in their career arcs. This includes guiding them in the current federal landscape. “I’m thinking about how we are going to continue supporting faculty and enabling them to thrive and do the good work that they do.”
How I came to NAEYC: I joined NAEYC in 1997. I had just completed my PhD and was a member of the Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children. NAEYC allowed me to broaden my work beyond children with disabilities. It gave me perspectives that enriched my research as well as my teaching. I attended Annual Conferences and one of the first Professional Learning Institutes.
How early childhood education has influenced my current role: What I’m doing now is rooted in the work I did in educator preparation. What I know about teacher development and adult learning—making it meaningful and enjoyable—is rooted in the principles and positions of NAEYC.
What NAEYC’s centennial means to me: I think about the pioneers—the people who had the vision for an organization designed to help others and to build up our knowledge base about early childhood. Usually, these things start with a conversation around a table. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall: What was their vision? Would they be surprised by where we are now? I love history, and I’m grateful to the pioneers who helped build out this organization and early childhood education.
My hope for NAEYC’s next 100 years: I hope NAEYC continues to be the advocate for children, families, and educators no matter the place they are coming from. One of the changes I’ve seen in teacher preparation is that teacher candidates expect to see children of different abilities and backgrounds in their settings. They’re considering how to work with children and families in a way that is supportive of their backgrounds. These children bring different strengths; how can teachers honor their stories and build a foundation to make them successful?
We’re in a moment in history right now. I hope NAEYC continues to stand on its principles and mission to really support children and professionals in the field to carry us forward.
Sylvia De Armas
Founder and director, Bottega Child Development Center, Miami, Florida. July 2017 Member Spotlight
“You have to have a passion for this. It’s a beautiful career. You impact so many lives.”
Sylvia De Armas was working as an accountant and director of operations in real estate and construction when her sister-in-law began looking at early childhood education programs. It was challenging, and it made Sylvia realize, “This is a business I’m interested in.”
Sylvia began taking classes at Miami-Dade Community College, where a mentor recommended getting firsthand experience as a teacher and taking coursework in early childhood education. So Sylvia studied—eventually earning a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction. Along the way, she worked as a teacher at the United Way Center for Excellence.
Sylvia joined NAEYC in 2008 and has served on the boards of both the South Florida Association for the Education of Young Children (as member-at-large, treasurer, vice president, and president) and the Florida Association for the Education of Young Children (FLAEYC) as member-at-large. In 2013, she opened Bottega Child Development Center, a Reggio Emilia-inspired early childhood center that serves 66 children, 18 months to kindergarten. It earned NAEYC accreditation in 2022.
How I learned about NAEYC: When I was going to school, NAEYC was my touchstone. The book on DAP [developmentally appropriate practice] was essential! NAEYC is the standard we try to always meet. You show us what quality looks like. When I started my school, I dreamt that we would be accredited. And that dream came true.
What NAEYC’s centennial means to me: The 100th anniversary of NAEYC holds profound significance for us at Bottega Child Development Center. We align closely with NAEYC’s commitment to high-quality, research-based education. This anniversary is a milestone that celebrates a century of advocacy and excellence in early childhood education. It’s an opportunity for us all to renew our dedication to our shared mission and to address ongoing challenges like accessibility and educator compensation. We are proud to join in this centennial celebration, reaffirming our commitment to advancing early childhood education in alignment with NAEYC’s enduring legacy.
Changes I’ve seen in the profession: The landscape of early childhood education is evolving quickly in Florida, including where and how early learning is offered. These changes have affected our school in terms of enrollment and when families choose to transition to other programs, such as those offered in a school district.
This isn’t bad—it’s just a matter of being aware of what’s happening. I’m a business person. I’m comfortable with competition. I’m working with FLAEYC to reach out to these other schools to start a business chapter to look at finances and employment. How are these issues affecting early childhood education statewide?
What I hope for the future: I’ve always advocated for educators at my program to join NAEYC. I hope NAEYC continues to grow and do the work you do. And I hope one day this profession becomes just like being a doctor: Well-respected, well-paid, with appropriate supports. Early childhood education is the most important stage of life. It’s the foundation for the future.
Tessie Ragan
Founder and director, Perfect Start Learning, Rosamond, California. September 2019 Member Spotlight
“I am not just a family child care provider. I am an educator. A business owner. There is a place for me.”
In 2019, Tessie Ragan ran a family child care program on Edwards Air Force Base in California and was an ardent supporter of family child care educators. Since then, she has grown both her business and advocacy efforts. Her husband retired from the military in 2020, and Tessie now serves 17 children—most from military families—out of her home in Rosamond, California. She offers preschool, pre-K, and kindergarten instruction and is a Head Start community partner.
Tessie serves as California’s representative to the National Association for Family Child Care. She also is a member of the Commission on Professional Excellence, the group charged with supporting implementation of the Unifying Framework for the Early Childhood Education Profession. That consensus document was created by NAEYC and 14 other national organizations representing members of the early childhood education field. It articulates the career pathways, competencies, qualifications, standards, compensation, and infrastructure that will lead to a unified and diverse early childhood education profession serving children birth through age 8 across states and settings.
What NAEYC means to me: After I joined NAEYC in 2012, someone inside the organization realized how passionate I was about family child care and asked me to facilitate the Family Child Care Interest Forum. From there, I was able to take on additional leadership roles. I met others in the industry, which helped me on my advocacy journey. I gained confidence and began to speak about family child care. I have been a featured speaker at NAECY’s Professional Learning Institute. I now look to be a mentor to other family child care educators.
What NAEYC’s centennial means to me: As a family child care educator, NAEYC’s 100th anniversary reminds me that I am part of a larger early childhood community, one that values my expertise and advocacy. For a century, NAEYC has put children, families, and educators first while grounding its work in research and community. In a field that often feels divided by federal, state, and local policy, NAEYC has created space for connection and progress. One hundred years of people believing in this mission matters, and I am proud to be part of that legacy.
How the profession has changed: I see more family child care educators becoming advocates. They are business owners; they are providing important services for their communities; they are speaking out and sharing their expertise and stories. When I first entered the field, the prevailing thought was that you had to move outside of family child care and into the public schools to have a meaningful career. But I have had people in this professional community who support me and uplift me. I have found that there is a career path as a family child care educator. Education happens in all sorts of environments, and all those environments are important.
What I hope for the future: The year I joined NAEYC was a pivotal one. NAEYC was making a push for its membership and the Governing Board to reflect what the field looks like. I’ve watched the association evolve and make changes to ensure that all educators are represented. That’s amazing—to be able to see these changes so visibly. Look at the president, the Board members, the conference offerings: Diversity, equity, and inclusion are always central to NAEYC’s work. We must continue to move forward.
Garnett S. Booker III
Kindergarten teacher, Oakridge Elementary School, Arlington, Virginia. Summer 2022 Feature Teacher
“This isn’t work. It’s a duty.”
For more than 15 years, Garnett S. Booker III has worked to create caring communities of learners in both early childhood and adult settings. He has taught pre-K, kindergarten, and primary-age children throughout the Washington, DC, metropolitan area, working in both general education and multilingual settings. He has worked to advance the early childhood education profession through a variety of NAEYC roles. These have included providing input on NAEYC’s developmentally appropriate practice and advancing equity position statements and contributing to NAEYC publications and professional development resources. Today, Garnett teaches 19 kindergartners from a range of countries, including Ukraine, Japan, and Jordan.
How I learned about NAEYC: I was in graduate school for my master’s degree, and I took a course on play. It was eye-opening and gave me a developmental understanding of the benefits of play. At the time, I was a pre-K teacher, and I had a class of all boys. My class was full of rough-and-tumble play. I went to my advisor and mentioned that I was interested in the concept of big body play. He and I created workshops, then he signed me up for a NAEYC conference.
What NAEYC means to me: NAEYC has helped me refine my pedagogy and improve my professional interactions. Developmentally appropriate practice is my foundation. When we’re grounded in theory and practice, we can really understand children’s development and foster their learning. NAEYC is a community: A community of practice, a community of advocates, a community that highlights what we do.
Why I celebrate NAEYC’s centennial: One hundred years is a reason to celebrate—particularly now, in the context of our society. This anniversary is a time to look back at how far we have come in the field and how we continue to impact children. It is a reminder of the joy and love we all should have for each other and for the youth who are our future.
What I hope for the next 100 years: As a field, I hope that we stay attuned to changes in technology, like artificial intelligence and social media. How can we support children through these changes? How can we use them in our work? We also need to stay attuned to current events. Sometimes my heart becomes sad when I think about the current state of the world. But then I remember there is hope and a reason to smile. We are helping young children develop autonomy and a willingness to think on their own. The work we do as a profession has everlasting impacts on the children, families, and communities we serve.
Photographs: courtesy of the authors
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