Presidential Seminar panelists. Front row: Zaina Cahill and Rachel Giannini. Back row: Llanet Montoya, Mary Graham, and Amy O’Leary.

Earlier this month at the NAEYC Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., the Presidential Seminar featured a panel discussion about advocacy with both seasoned advocates and newer advocates who are just finding their advocacy voices.

“To achieve universally accessible, high-early early education and care in our country, we need to build a broad-based movement that is organized, guided and supported by a diverse leadership that has as its core the voices of those who directly work with children and families,” the panel’s description explains, adding that to make a difference for children, families, and the field, early educators should understand that, “We are the ones we have been waiting for – we need to be the change we want to see in the world!”

The panel was planned and moderated by Amy O’Leary, NAEYC’s president and the director of Strategies for Children’s Early Education for All campaign.

The panel discussion was also featured in the Education Dive article, “Panelists stress need for educators to play dual role as pre-K policy advocates.”

“Zaina Cahill always knew she wanted to be a teacher,” the article says. “But she didn’t always know she’d also end up an advocate.

“Cahill – who is the early childhood director at Children’s Village, a Philadelphia nonprofit child care center – said when she was contacted to testify at a congressional hearing in May, she was terrified.”

Cahill prepared herself. She had key facts at her fingertips. But when she testified before legislators, Cahill realized that what mattered more were her personal stories.

After the panelists shared their reflections, Amy posed this question to the 200 people in the audience, “What stops early educators from becoming advocates?”

“At least 10 educators stood up to respond,” the article says. “They hailed from all across the country – New Mexico, Nebraska, Massachusetts, Minnesota – but many of their sentiments seemed to hit common nerves: a lack of confidence and skills, not enough support or fear of retribution.”

Early educators do, however, have tools that they can use to become advocates, including media. One example is Rachel Giannini, the lead educator at the Chicago Children’s Museum. Giannini created “a video blog series on issues in early-childhood education,” and she is featured in the documentary “No Small Matter.”

“So, in addressing many educators’ hesitation to take up advocacy roles, Giannini stressed the power of social media to connect with those who share common ground and produce strength in numbers.

“ ‘It’s about owning your power,’ she said.”

In addition, it’s not so bad to have a door slammed in your face, according to Llanet Montoya, a family child care provider in Worcester.

“If somebody says no, it’s okay. Keep going,” Montoya advises. Montoya is enrolled in the Leadership Certificate program at Quinsigamond Community College in Massachusetts. She shared her story about hearing of a potential policy change in funding for early childhood education. She explained how she collected information and took action, reaching out to her state senator, Michael O. Moore, who visited her advocacy class and helped secure a successful outcome!

Among the panel’s take-home lessons: Early educators can tap into the strength of their convictions. As Mary Graham, the executive director of Philadelphia’s Children’s Village explains in the Education Dive article:

“Early childhood [education] isn’t a political issue,” she said. “It’s a human rights issue.”

“We have all of the tools to make it happen,” Amy also said in the article. “If it is not us, who are the voices of young children and families?”