Before choosing my dissertation focus, I recognized a significant gap in education. You might wonder how I came to this realization. With over a decade in early childhood education and various educational roles, I encountered numerous experiences that left me dissatisfied and yearning for more—for myself and my peers. Pursuing my doctorate was driven by my desire to establish credibility based on my classroom experiences and interactions with educators.

Throughout my tenure in early childhood education, I witnessed a pervasive absence of cultural responsiveness and values, among other challenges. This observation wasn’t merely anecdotal; many educators I encountered lacked adequate training and professional development in diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-bias education. Some refused to implement culturally responsive practices that went against their religion, morals, and values, while others faked it until they made it.

When training occurred, there was often insufficient follow-up or accountability to ensure effective implementation in the classroom. Instead, the prevailing focus was on adhering to protocols, meeting standards, and achieving high scores on assessments like CLASS and ERS/ECERS. This narrow approach overshadowed the broader goal of creating inclusive and supportive learning environments for ALL.

So, where do we go from here? We need consistency, follow-up, accountability, professional development, and coaches/consultants supplying ongoing guidance on this path. It’s not a one-size-fits-all or a one-and-done approach. Instead, it’s consistent, ongoing, culturally responsive, relevant, sustaining, DEI-focused, and versatile.

With Love for All, Dr. Erica Dallas

#CRRSP #culturallyconnectedconsultingllc