Author: Greg Gaspard
Fletcher Technical Community College is pleased to announce a new program starting in the spring 2020 semester. The Associate of Applied Science degree in Care & Development of Young Children is designed to prepare students for the workforce in occupations related to the direct care, education, curriculum development, and/or administration of programs for young children.
Graduates will be prepared and eligible to open their own licensed childcare centers, serve as childcare providers and directors of licensed centers, or work in quality childcare programs such as Head Start and Early Start. This program is viewed as a terminal, not a transfer, degree program; however, all requirements for credentials of instructors and quality of courses are maintained exactly as needed for AS and AA (transfer) degrees of the College. Specific courses may transfer to four-year universities if the candidate would like to pursue a Bachelor’s degree. Students are required to maintain a portfolio and other artifacts for this degree program, and are required to work under supervision and mentorship at schools or child care centers outside of class.
“Fletcher Technical Community College continues to look toward the future of work and we are so pleased to add Care and Development of Young Children as a new major at Fletcher,” commented Dr. Kristine Strickland, Chancellor. “We are very happy to offer this exciting opportunity to our community.”
Research has proven that Early Childhood teachers are the most critical factor in achieving high-quality outcomes for children. All early childhood teachers need access to training that prepares them to manage classroom interactions and use high-quality instructional tools to provide excellent educational experiences to children. To help address a fragmented early childhood system that prepares too few children for kindergarten, Louisiana’s legislature passed the Early Childhood Care and Education Act of 2012. Since the enactment of this Act, Louisiana has collected information on the success of the provisions and tools implemented. It has found that along with supporting meaningful classroom interaction, early childhood teachers must be prepared to use high-quality instructional tools and child assessments.
As a result, beginning in July 2019, all lead teachers working in publicly funded early childhood learning centers must hold, at a minimum an early childhood ancillary certificate. Fletcher’s program offers course work that contributes to a candidate earning their CDA credential or an Early Childhood Ancillary Certificate.
Registration is now underway for the spring 2020 semester. Contact Kem Matherne at kem.matherne@fletcher.edu or 985-448-7975 for information about the new program. To apply at Fletcher, visit www.fletcher.edu/apply, or contact Enrollment Services, from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday, at 985-448-7900, or visit them at the Schriever campus, suite 100.