Leadership in Early Childhood

Strong leadership is crucial in early childhood education settings. Many education leaders begin their careers as teachers. Carlyn Rahynes, founding principal of Learning Through Play Pre-K Center in the Bronx, New York, is no exception. In this article, she offers advice for educators who aspire to leadership roles.

School leaders can help sustain early grades teachers’ job satisfaction. This article describes leadership strategies that foster teachers’ joy in working with young children. 

The Gateways Illinois Director Credential (IDC) is for professional administrators of early childhood education (ECE) and school-age programs. An administrator is a director/assistant director of a center-based program, similar to the principal of an elementary school, and is responsible for planning and supervising child development programs and overseeing staff. The IDC requires specific levels of training, education, experience teaching in an ECE or school-age program, and experience as a director or assistant director in an ECE or school-age program. This page explains the requirements for the Illinois Director Credential and links to an online application.

In 2024, the Robert R. McCormick Foundation made a landmark investment in recognition of both the former McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership and National Louis University’s significant contributions to ECEC, and our potential to change the trajectory of young children and families in Illinois and beyond. The new McCormick Institute for Early Childhood will further elevate NLU’s reputation in early childhood, increase our impact in the field, and expand access, equity, and innovation for the early childhood workforce. 

Educators tend not to think much about policies—until something goes wrong. Yet many aspects of educators’ lives are governed by policies. In early childhood programs, written policies let staff, families, and others know how the program handles important issues. This article describes a few key areas that call for written policies and describes how good policies promote great work environments. 

This paper explores Illinois’s shift from a general administrative license, called a “Type 75” license, to a “PK–12 Principal Endorsement.” It includes both a history of the reform efforts and a look at how implementation has fared nearly a decade after the legislation was signed into law. It also offers lessons and recommendations for other states looking to ensure principals are equipped to lead pre-K and early grade classrooms.

This PDF guide articulates a vision and practical strategies leaders in early childhood can use to strengthen the learning opportunities provided to young children. Backed by relevant and recent research findings, the guide defines six competencies to help elementary school principals navigate aligning Pre-K–3rd grade—for children, families, and the adults who serve them within a school—and practical strategies that will support these competencies. 

The author of this article shares her story as she moved from lead teacher to program director. After years in a leadership role, she reflects on the lessons she learned and offers advice to others assuming a director role. Many effective program directors begin their careers as classroom teachers. While there are a number of parallels between working with children and working with adults, the jump from peer to supervisor can be daunting. 

Effective leadership is an important component of high-quality early care and education (ECE). Practice and policy in ECE is broadening its view of leadership beyond just management functions to include leadership for change, improvement, and innovation. The Early Care and Education Leadership Study (ExCELS) was launched to help define leadership in center-based ECE settings that serve children birth to five and understand how leadership can support quality improvement.

Preschool leaders can adopt the “yes, and” approach to help teachers understand and implement change in their classrooms.