We asked the contributors to Rethinking Early Childhood Education to recommend some of the organizations and websites that they find useful in their work. Below are their recommendations.
Ellen Bravo recommends:
Center on Law and Social Policy, clasp.org
This DC-based organization researches policy to strengthen low-income families. They have done significant work on child care and early education, child welfare, and work-life issues.
Institute for Women’s Policy Research, iwpr.org
This organization conducts rigorous research and disseminates its findings to address the needs of women, promote public dialogue, and strengthen families, communities, and societies. They have produced studies documenting the cost-benefit ratio of implementing paid sick days, as well as the costs of not having family leave.
Multi-State Working Families Consortium, valuefamiliesatwork.org
This is a network of 11 state coalitions working for policies that value families at work, including paid sick days, family leave insurance, and time for parental involvement in children’s education. The consortium is a new model of collaborative fundraising, strategy and messaging.
National Partnership on Women and Families, nationalpartnership.org
This nonprofit, nonpartisan organization uses public education and advocacy to promote fairness in the workplace, quality health care, and policies that help women and men meet the dual demands of work and family. They coordinate a national coalition of groups working to pass the Healthy Families Act.
9to5, National Association of Working Women, 9to5.org
This is a national, grassroots organization of low-wage women working to win economic justice. They have been instrumental in involving low-wage women in efforts to win paid sick days and expanded access to family leave.
Mary Cowhey recommends:
Philosophy for Children, mtholyoke.edu/omc/kidsphil
This website offers information and resources about teaching philosophy to children, including question sets and video.
Syracuse Cultural Workers/Tools For Change, syracuseculturalworkers.com
This catalog includes posters, music, children’s books, and calendars on issues like labor, the environment, diversity, peace, and children’s and human rights.
Teaching Tolerance, teachingtolerance.org
This free magazine for teachers is published by Southern Poverty Law Center.
Louise Derman-Sparks recommends:
Applied Research Center, arc.org
This website has useful analyses of racism in education and suggests public policy and educational changes.
California Tomorrow, californiatomorrow.org
This organization offers resources for working with elementary, middle, and high school children on issues of culture and language.
Children’s Book Press, childrensbookpress.org
This organization publishes preschool and primary bilingual children’s books that feature children and families of color.
Gustavus Myers Center for the Study of Bigotry and Human Rights, myerscenter.org
This organization reviews new books and videos for adults about social justice issues.
Teaching for Change, teachingforchange.org
This website is one of the best places to begin looking for social justice teaching resources. It has great books, videos, and posters, as well as excellent links to other social justice websites.
Patty Hnatiuk recommends:
Childcare Resource and Research Unit, childcarecanada.org
Based at University of Toronto, this website offers information about the most recent policy studies and developments on issues in child care, including compensation, as they take shape in Canada, the U.S. and Europe.
Center for the Child Care Workforce, ccw.org
This is a project of the American Federation of Teachers Educational Foundation. It provides numerous print resources and a free monthly electronic newsletter: Rights, Raises, Respect.
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment, iir.berkeley.edu/cscce
The Center is housed at the Institute of Industrial Relations at the University of California at Berkeley. Longtime compensation activists Marcy Whitebook and Dan Bellm are the key researchers at the Center. The website makes available numerous research studies about the childcare workforce, including the 2006 study, Roots of Decline: How Government Policy Has De-educated Teachers of Young Children.
National Women’s Law Center, nwlc.org
The Center focuses on major policy areas of importance to women and their families. It works to protect and to advance women’s rights.
Sharna Olfman recommends:
Alliance for Childhood, allianceforchildhood.net
This international organization’s mandate is to restore healthy play in children’s lives and to reinstate play-based early childhood curricula.
Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood, commercialfreechildhood.org
This coalition of organizations and groups across the United States is dedicated to reducing the impact of commercial culture in children’s lives.
Margot Pepper recommends:
AdBusters, adbusters.org
AdBusters calls TV-Turnoff Week “Mental Detox Week” and encourages unplugging DVD players, iPods, laptops, PSPs and Xboxes for seven days.
Center for Screentime Awareness, screentime.org
This organization provides information to help people live healthier lives in functional families in vibrant communities by taking control of electronic media, rather than allowing it to control them. The website also has information on National TV-Turnoff Week, which takes place in late April each year. Included are shocking statistics on the detrimental effects of television and alternative activities and resources.
Valerie Polakow recommends:
Children’s Defense Fund, childrensdefense.org
This national advocacy and policy organization acts as a watchdog for children’s rights, with a specific focus on children in poverty. It publishes and posts excellent updated information and leads advocacy campaigns on behalf of children.
Columbia University Clearinghouse on International Developments in Child, Youth and Family Policies, childpolicyintl.org
This website provides cross-national and comparative information about family, child, and youth policies in wealthy industrialized countries.
Economic Policy Institute, epi.org
This nonprofit think tank focuses on economic inequality with a focus on improving conditions for working families in the United States. They provide useful data and living-wage budgets.
Human Rights Watch, hrw.org
This global organization is dedicated to protecting human rights and exposing abuses, violations, and injustice worldwide.
Innocenti Research Centre of UNICEF, unicef-irc.org
Innocenti publishes comparative cross-national research about children’s rights and child well-being. It issues annual report cards on child poverty, child justice, sexual exploitation, and children’s rights.
National Center for Children in Poverty, nccp.org
This is a national clearinghouse, based at Columbia University, that disseminates important information about children in poverty.