The late, great senator from Minnesota Paul Wellstone said, “We all do better when we all do better.” At times, it feels like we are competing against each other, despite having a shared goal of building a movement that is supportive of the children, families and the staff that comprise the early childhood education and care system. 

The current societal context, coupled with the fundamental changes and conversations that accompany the professionalizing of our field, create an environment conducive to feelings of isolation and opposition. In this moment, we are increasingly required to engage in hard conversations: Who is in our field? Who is not? What are appropriate pathways for early educators? What does the professionalizing of our field mean for my program? What do these changes mean? How can we improve our systems to better serve children and families? What does it mean to create more equitable systems?