Reflections Over the Past Two Years as Your NAEYC Board President
From Our President
Let’ s Stay in Community. Let’ s Re-Imagine. Let’ s Stay on Mission.
Reflections Over the Past Two Years as Your NAEYC Board President
NAEYCNEWS
Tonia R. Durden
June 1, 2024, was day one for me as your NAEYC Board president. I remember this moment vividly, as I had just stepped off the plane in New Orleans for NAEYC’ s Professional Learning Institute( PLI) with my favorite green dress, yellow fingernails, and green hair highlights. I was coming to NAEYC as your new leader and my authentic self. I was ready and eager to lead, engage, learn, and be in community with one of the most dedicated and talented groups of professionals and champions for young children. It was also during this conference that I announced how we were re-imagining PLI and encouraged us all to begin engaging in the forward thinking and innovation that will propel NAEYC into the next 100 years.
Little did I know how foreshadowing this moment would be. Just a few months later, our early childhood field would be greatly impacted by funding cuts and policies that were detrimental to the health, education, safety, and well-being of the children and families we serve. We were forced( ready or not) to be creative, forward thinking, innovative, resilient, and steadfast in our commitment to this profession. Now, more than ever, we needed each other. We needed to be in community. We needed NAEYC’ s leadership.
Shortly after PLI, my first Young Children column was published. In it, I asked,“ Who are you? Why are you here? Are you ready?” In leading with these questions, I introduced myself as a person, educator, scholar, and leader. It was essential for me to share my whole self and the multiple lenses I bring with me, which include having children within the early childhood age band. When I started as a Board member, president-elect, my children were 2, 4, and 6. During my time as president, I’ ve included pictures of my family in my columns. They are now 6, 8, and 10. They have been my advisors throughout this leadership journey and are one of the“ whys” I am here.
Finally, I shared how I was ready to be your NAEYC Board president:
› I indicated how my purpose was to elevate the conversations on how we are creating equitable, high-quality experiences for children, families, colleagues, and our communities. During my tenure, I’ ve led presidential sessions at NAEYC Annual Conferences about how we have actualized the advancing equity position statement since its inception in 2019. I’ ve brought together NAEYC leaders, scholars, researchers, and educators to discuss how we are creating equitable spaces for the children,
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