Embracing ECEC Values as Resistance
When I saw the call for editors for special issues of the Global Education Review shared in a group for early childhood educators and researchers, I immediately thought about how we can lean into early childhood values and principles, such as child development, free play, open-ended inquiry, child-driven curriculum, etc., to resist the growing neoliberalism and fascism threatening to take over public education. It was December 2024, and we were preparing for a second Trump administration, which we knew meant an escalation in the ongoing attempts to silence educators teaching for truth, equity, and justice. The CRT boogeyman had been unleashed, causing many states to enact legislation banning teaching about the history of racism and supporting LGBTQ students. As college students led a national protest movement against the genocide in Gaza, they were met with violent police attacks and criminal persecution by university officials. It was clear that education, as the practice of freedom, would continue to face attacks from those who seek to maintain the status quo of education as colonization.
As I thought about drafting the call for papers, I was drawn to the famous Robert Fulghum quote: “All I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned in kindergarten.” When I became a kindergarten teacher, I had a framed print of the quote hanging in my classroom.
A framed poster displayed against a brick wall. The poster features the title "All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten," hand-lettered on lined paper, with a large illustrated red apple in the center.
As I reread his words, I was reminded that it is our early childhood education and care (ECEC) values that we must hold onto as a form of resistance to a future that is uncertain but sure to be full of challenges. In the call, I rewrote Fulghum’s words to All We Really Need to Know to Face the Future Comes from Our ECEC Values, noting that in times of uncertainty, our commitment to ensuring a just and equitable early childhood experience for all children must remain steadfast. When the future threatens to reshape our world, our shared values can ground us in what all children fundamentally need and deserve.
Well, I’m thrilled to announce that the first issue in this special issue has been published. We received so many great submissions that we decided to publish two issues. In the first issue, you will find three articles that took up play as an ECEC value and a tool to resist neoliberal policies and ideologies that threaten our values. The fourth article centers on children’s agency in a participatory action research study on exploring issues of food consumption, local agricultural practices, and environmental sustainability. As we continue to grapple with climate change and the risk of war with Iran, which could cause a fertilizer shortage that negatively impacts harvests and leads to famine, we find this article very timely for thinking about how we can support young children to address these and other challenges. You can read all the articles in this special issue for free https://ger.mercy.edu/index.php/ger/issue/view/64.
I listed the following 10 foundational ECEC values for authors to consider when submitting a proposal.
Recognizing childhood as a unique, sacred phase of life that must be nurtured and protected.
Valuing children as inherently worthy of respect, dignity, agency, and autonomy, without conditions or rewards
Embracing play as the leading activity of development (play is learning).
Aligning early childhood practices and policies with research that supports healthy child development.
Centering care as fundamental to fostering healthy development in the early years.
Celebrating and affirming diversity as a vital asset in the lives of young children.
Supporting children’s development through caring, meaningful relationships with families and caregivers.
Strengthening collaboration and communication between families, caregivers, and educators.
Prioritizing joy, peace, love, and security as essential to thriving childhoods.
Leveraging nature as an ideal environment for early learning and growth.
As I thought about what a just and equitable early childhood education for all children truly meant, these are what came to mind. And I wanted to hear from other early childhood educators and researchers about how these values show up in our work, help us navigate today’s challenges, and prepare us for those on the horizon.
Do these values feel important to you? How do they show up in your work? How can they aid you in resisting harmful policies and practices? How can they support you in providing developmentally appropriate experiences to all children? What values would you add to my list? If these values resonated with you, I invite you to join my community, Free to Teach = Liberated to Learn. I created this free community as a supportive space for early childhood teachers and providers who want to stay connected, reflect together, and reclaim their professional voice, without adding to their workload.
These 10 values align with my free monthly guided discussions and subscription-based mini-reflective courses. I will use this space to expand on these values through live social media discussions and a free workshop on how our values can serve as a tool for resistance. I invite you to join my community, so we can work together to embrace our values and prepare for current and future challenges.
