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Elsa Jones: Early childhood professionals are "essential" and must defend equity
Summary
In a keynote for the Office of Early Childhood's Women in History webinar, Elsa Jones urged attendees to claim the profession's importance, cited long'running contributions by organizations such as the Children's Defense Fund and Head Start, and warned that recent policy moves threaten diversity, equity and inclusion.
Elsa Jones delivered the webinar's keynote, telling early childhood educators that their work is essential and rooted in a long history of advocacy. Introduced by Commissioner Beth Bye, Jones framed her remarks around three prompts: reflect on the past, assess the present and think about forward movement.
Jones highlighted historical milestones for advocates and programs that shaped the field: the Children's Defense Fund (50th anniversary cited in the talk), Head Start (described as marking 60 years) and the National Association for the Education of Young Children's upcoming centennial in 2026. She…
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