MY ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Florida Association of Academic Non Public Schools
This web site keeps me up to date and policies and laws regarding the seperation of church and staet and our rights to educate according to our beliefs.
http://faans.org/

Child Care Wages
This web site details programs that promote higher wages for Early Childhood professionals.  Includes ongoing research.
http://wages-fl.com/index.php


Orginizations and Web Sites from my course at Walden:

World Forum Foundation
http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/about-us
This link connects you to the mission statement of this organization. Make sure to watch the media segment on this webpage


World Organization for Early Childhood Education
http://www.omep-usnc.org/
Read about OMEP's mission.


Association for Childhood Education International
http://acei.org/
Click on "Mission/Vision" and "Guiding Principles and Beliefs" and read these statements.

National Association for the Education of Young Children
http://www.naeyc.org/
The Division for Early Childhood
http://www.dec-sped.org/
 
Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families
http://www.zerotothree.org/
 
WESTED
http://www.wested.org/cs/we/print/docs/we/home.htm
 
Harvard Education Letter
http://www.hepg.org/hel/topic/85
 
FPG Child Development Institute
http://www.fpg.unc.edu/
 
Administration for Children and Families Headstart's National Research Conference
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hsrc/
 
HighScope
http://www.highscope.org/
 
Children's Defense Fund
http://www.childrensdefense.org/
 
Center for Child Care Workforce
http://www.ccw.org/
 
Council for Exceptional Children
http://www.cec.sped.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home
 
Institute for Women's Policy Research
http://www.iwpr.org/
 
National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education
http://www.ncrece.org/wordpress/
 
National Child Care Association
http://www.nccanet.org/
 
National Institute for Early Education Research
http://nieer.org/
 
Pre[K]Now
http://www.pewstates.org/projects/pre-k-now-328067
 
Voices for America's Children
http://www.voices.org/
 
Te Erikson Institute
http://www.erikson.edu/

Inspiration and Passion

Inspirations

Marian Write
 

“Investing in [children] is not a national luxury or a national choice. It's a national necessity. If the foundation of your house is crumbling, you don't say you can't afford to fix it while you're building astronomically expensive fences to protect it from outside enemies. The issue is not are we going to pay -- it's are we going to pay now, up front, or are we going to pay a whole lot more later on.” Marian Wright

“The high turnover rate among poorly paid child-care workers...creates an unstable environment precisely when stability is most needed in a child's life. "Turnover among childcare workers is second only to parking-lot and gas-station attendants," Marcy Whitebook

Ever Evolving Passion

 “Passion... is an ongoing process…Itsis Like a ripple, you put in a little rock in the center…and it grows.” Leticia Lara LCSW

“The passion I had when I started, is just as great now as it ever was, maybe greater because ive seen the wonderful impact that using what I call an anti-bias approach has not just on the children, but on the teachers…” Louise Derman-Sparks

 

        

      

Personal Childhood Web

       My Mom-

       Mom.Hardworking.determined.stubborn.free.unconditonal love.Mom

       My favorite saying after she came home from the hospital where she worked:

       “Wait, you can’t hug me yet, I have germs-First let me get out of my monkey suit!”

       My mom and dad divorced when I was 2 years old.  She raised my sister and I by herself.  She was able to go on government assistance so she could go to school and get her nursing degree.  This proved to be the best decision that she could make because it enabled her to support us financially.  I always knew she loved me and totally accepted me for who I was and she still continues to influence my life.  I have the same hard work ethic that she has and the same stubborn determination.  We stay connected on a weekly basis and she has shown me the value of sacrificial love.  She has given all of herself to the betterment of her children and others.

       My Step Dad

       Dad.harworking.Entrapauneur.Intellegent.Forgiving.Likable.

       My dad married my mom when I was 9 years old and legally adopted me giving me his name.  He modeled what it means to work hard by starting at minimum wage and working his way up to supervisor.  He does not have a formal education but has always found work by starting his own businesses.  He currently has his own handy man business.  He can fix anything and reads a lot and therefore is very intelligent.  We did not get along very well, but he has a very forgiving spirit and we have mended up our differences.  Although we were not close, I learned how to work hard and how to be a good steward.  These characteristics helped me when I was managing my own child care center.

       My Grandmother

       Grandma.Tough.Resourceful.Dependable.Faithful.Responsible.Grandma

       Favorite saying “Waste not want not”

       My grandmother is now deceased.  She was a major influence in my life because she took care of us when my mom was in school and working.  She was a very stern and disciplined woman.  She made me clean up after myself and taught me responsibility.  Although she was not very affectionate, she did verbally tell me that she loved me and in my heart I knew that she did.  One of the biggest legacy’s she left me is her faith.  Every morning she would read her bible.  Her faithfulness and dependence on faith still remains a part of my life to this day.

       My Aunt

       Aunt. Fun.Genrouse.Loving.inspiring.Sacrificial.Aunt

Although I never lived near my Aunt, she stayed involved in my life through phone calls and yearly visits.  She taught kindergarten for 30 years and when I was considering college she encouraged me to go into education and allowed me to come into her classroom to observe.  She also gave me some of her literature books, and they are a treasure to me to this day.

 Brother

Brother.Kind.generouse.innocent.fisherman.loving.Brother

Favorite saying:  “Hi Lori, This is your brother, Brain Seeley”

My younger brother has special needs which has affected me greatly and given me passion for those that are mistreated within the educational system.

I have been married for 25 years and I have two children, Zachary age 22 and Chelsea, age 19.  Together we have created a strong family unit based on a strong faith and value in closeness.  We have started new traditions and values that were lacking in our own childhoods and are passing on both old and new legacy’s.

This book is about 3 frogs that always argue about not wanting to share, until there is a huge storm that comes up and they are forced to all work together.  I read this book constantly throughout the year as it is helpful in building teamwork and fostering a school family value.

Early Learning Experiences Matter

I will call her “Star” for that is what she truly is.  At four years old she entered my classroom on the first day, said goodbye without any difficulty and proceeded to observe and settle in to her new environment:  My classroom.  On her face was an expression of hardness, and it quickly showed in the seemingly lack of empathy she displayed towards her classmates.  I knew I had a challenge there, and quickly began the process that I do with all of my students that involves unconditional love, free expression of feelings, instilling value and self-worth, high standards and expectations.  Being able to teach in a Christian school I was able to share with her the characteristics of Jesus and how just as a caterpillar is transformed, so we can be transformed by His love.  Slowly, slowly, this began to chip away at the exterior of this little girl and she became indeed the most sensitive and loving student in the class.  She had a sparkle in her eyes one day as she shared with me a song that she had made up on her own.  I just stood in amazement.  I don’t mean to make it sound easy, it wasn’t.  I worked hard, my assistant worked hard.  We prayed hard.  Star worked hard.  Sometimes she would forget and then catch my eye and say “oops, that wasn’t kind was it?”  Finally graduation week came.  I planned a very special celebration complete with caps and gowns.  On the day of the event she came in and said to me.  “I’m not gonna be coming tonight to my graduation.”  “Why?” I said.  “Because my family say it’s dumb, I’m just a little kid and it don’t matter, it’s not real.”  My heart was filled with hot burning anger, but containing it I bent down and looked her in the eye and said.  “It is important and it does matter, because you matter.  You have worked hard and I am so proud of you.”  Later that day I begged her mom to please bring her telling her she had a very important part in the ceremony.  That evening at the last minute she showed up.  Big smile, sparkling eyes, shining star, although there was no fanfare, no photos and she slipped out before I could even say goodbye, she was there, and she made it, and I knew I had made a difference that would last a life time.