NCTE's 2012 annual convention is in Las Vegas! Online proposals are due January 20, 2012 (by mail January 12). Get with some teachers and think about submitting a proposal for the ECEA!

The 100^th year anniversary marks an important time for all NCTE members. For those of us in early childhood education this moment in time is particularly poignant, because with the creation of the Early Childhood Education Assembly we are officially recognized as a constituent group of the organization.

As I move on to the position of past chair I want to thank all of you for the opportunity to serve in the capacity of interim chair and chair. Your encouragement, support, and patience over the past three and a half years have been greatly appreciated. In particular I want to thank Jean Anne Clyde and the Early Childhood Issues Committee of the late 1990s for their vision of an NCTE that welcomes early childhood educators. Thanks to Carol Avery for putting the committee in place and Jerry Harste for keeping it going. I am also grateful for time spent with Susi Long with whom I had initial conversations that eventually led to the idea of the ECE Assembly. Debi Goodman, as past chair of the Elementary Section Steering Committee (ESSC), helped create a space for the ECEA at the ESSC table making it possible for us to participate in program planning for the annual convention and bringing to you the Day of Early Childhood. Thanks also goes to Laurie Katz, Barbara Z. Kiefer, Detra Price-Dennis, Melissa Wilson, and Patricia Enciso, past co-editors of Language Arts, who expanded the focus of the journal to include pre-K. Historically pre-school concerns have not always been addressed in the journal. Laurie and her co-editors even went as far as to devote a special issue that focused specifically on early literacy.

Thank you to Mariana Souto-Manning, Dinah Volk, Carol Felderman and Jeff Wood for the hours of work getting the ECEA off the ground and continuing to help iron out the kinks as we enter into our toddler years. Carmen Medina, Erin Miller and the Affirmative Action Committee have been instrumental in ensuring that issues of diversity and difference are kept at the forefront of our work. And of course thank you to the At-Large Members of the Board of Directors;Victoria Dixon-Mokeba, Amy Evans, Anne Haas Dyson, Celia Genishi, Julia Lopez-Robertson, Becky McCraw, Wayne Serebrin, and Katie Wood-Ray.

It took almost 100 years for us to be recognized in an official capacity at NCTE, so for the next 100 years it behooves us to make sure that early childhood concerns and issues continue to be part of the NCTE agenda. Here’s to the next 100!

Vivian Vasquez
Past Chair


If you presented an EC focused paper at NCTE this year please consider submitting it for publication in the ECEA Yearbook Volume 2.

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS.

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Chicago is just around the corner! This year, Mariana Souto-Manning (Assistant Chair) has put together a wonderful Day of Early Childhood program on Saturday., Nov. 19,2011, that includes such early childhood educators and researchers as Lisa Cleaveland, Katie Wood-Ray, Kathryn Whitmore, Susie Long, Dinah Volk, Heidi Mills, and Ann Haas Dyson.

The ECEA Business meeting will also be held on Saturday, November 19, 2011 from 5:45 pm to 7:00 pm at the Chicago Hilton/PDR 3, Third Floor. Please attend as this is an opportunity for us to imagine possiblities for the ECE Assembly of NCTE.

Also, it's an election year! You should have received a link to an electronic ballot by now. If you have not and you are a current member please send us an email at eceassembly@gmail.com

Following are the positions we are voting on and a description of what each role entails.

The Assistant Chair:
1. In the temporary absence of the Chair, presides at all business meetings of ECEA and its Board of Directors.
2. Assists the Chair with managing the current ECEA Business Meeting at the NCTE Annual Convention.
3. Assists the Chair in preparing the Annual Report to NCTE.
4. Assists the Chair in planning for ECE involvement at NCTE’s annual convention.

The Treasurer:
1. Handles all financial transactions of the group.
2. Pays bills incurred by ECEA within the budget adopted by the Board of Directors.
3. Submits a written financial report that also includes a report on membership at the ECEA Annual Business Meeting and Board of Directors Meeting.
4. Notifies the Chair if at any time ECEA appears to violate the proviso that it shall not, without the express permission of the Executive Committee of NCTE, incur any obligation exceeding its funds.
5. Assists the other officers and committees in carrying out their responsibilities.
6. Serves as the IRS contact for tax-exempt reporting purposes.

Duties of the Board of Directors
1.Sets policies for the general operation of the organization.
2.Approves the budget and authorizes additional expenditures.
3.May authorize publication of monographs and special publications.
4.Sets dues for various classes of membership.
5.May propose amendments to the Bylaws.
6.Receives reports from officers and committees.
7.Plans for ECEA involvement in NCTE’s annual convention
8.Communicates with membership through the assembly newsletter or the annual business meeting.

Finally, we are awarding a number of membership scholarships. Please click on the link below for information regarding this.

Click here for scholarship form.

Looking forward to seeing you in Chicago!
Vivian Vasquez
ECEA Chair.

NCTE Chicago 2011

Happy Spring! Thank you to those of you who submitted proposals to the early childhood strand for the NCTE annual convention to be held in Chicago in November, 2011. As a result of your submissions, Mariana Souto-Manning, our Assistant Chair and Program Chair was able to create a very strong early childhood strand and Day of EC for the convention!

Keep an eye out for updates regarding keynote speakers and other events!

Also, please remember to spread the word about ECEA and renew your membership today!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year! It is hard to believe that another year has come and gone! As you plan for the year ahead please remember to renew your membership to the ECE Assembly. Your membership sustains the life of the assembly and we encourage you to spread the word and invite others interested in early childhood issues and advocacy to become members as well.

Thank you to those of you who participated in the early childhood strand at the NCTE annual convention in Orlando, Florida! We hope many of you have submitted proposals for the 2011 convention!