Young Children - March 2008 - (Page 6) DE NUESTRO PRESIDENTE FROM OUR PRESIDENT Anne Mitchell Votar: nuestra responsabilidad profesional Voting: Our Professional Responsibility As you reAd this column, members’ votes in the 2008 NAEYC Governing Board election are being tabulated. The results will be posted on NAEYC’s Web site on March 31. I sincerely hope each of you participated. This year’s NAEYC election made use of new technology. For the first time members could choose to vote electronically by calling in over a secure line at any hour of the day or by marking a paper ballot and mailing it back (the traditional way). In addition, for the first time, videos of the candidates speaking about themselves and their ideas for NAEYC’s future, along with their candidate statements, were available on the NAEYC Web site. The candidates’ pictures and statements also appeared in the January issue of this journal. These innovations, we trust, will have increased voter participation in our Association’s elections. We welcome other suggestions you may have for increasing voter turnout (member participation) in the future. Please send your ideas to Jerlean Daniel, deputy executive director, NAEYC. sition statements and by research and evidence on the outcomes of high-quality early childhood development and education programs for young children. The federal role in early childhood education— especially through funding—impacts both families’ access to and the quality of early childhood education for children from birth through age 8. To find out what the presidential candidates stand for and say they will do on the important issues in early education, NAEYC sent to each candidate, Republican or Democrat, the same questionnaire for response. We asked them all to limit their responses to 100 words on each of the six questions. As a 501(c)(3) organization, NAEYC is allowed to submit questions to candidates and to publish their responses without change. The responses received to date are available at www.naeyc.org/policy/presidential/ presCanQuestionnaire.asp. All presidential candidates are listed on NAEYC’s Web page along with links to their campaign Web sites so that you can learn more about their positions on these and other issues. As citizens and as early childhood educators, each of us has a responsibility to participate in the political process. To prepare for the November election, first be sure you are registered to vote. If you need information about registering, go to the Web site of the League of Women Voters, https://electionimpact.votenet.com/lwv. I hope you have participated or will participate in your state’s primary or caucus. Most important, get out and vote in the national election on Tuesday, November 4! If you are traveling to the NAEYC Annual Conference on that Tuesday, be sure to get (and use) an absentee ballot. I strongly encourage you to read all candidates’ responses to NAEYC’s six questions and use the information to select your choice for our nation’s next president. Another significant election In November of this year, Americans will elect the next president of the United States. Unless you have been living on the moon for the past year, you have undoubtedly seen, heard, and read quite a bit about this election and the candidates. There are many important issues to consider in choosing our next president. As early childhood education professionals, we have a responsibility to learn how candidates for public office at any level, especially the presidency, stand on issues that matter for young children, their families, and early childhood educators. As you well know, NAEYC cannot endorse or oppose candidates for any public office at any level. NAEYC’s public policy advocacy positions are driven by the Association’s po- mientrAs usted, lector, está leyendo el presente artículo, se están tabulando los votos de los miembros para la elección de 2008 del Comité Gobernante de NAEYC. Los resultados se pondrán en el sitio de Internet de NAEYC el 31 de marzo. Es mi esperanza sincera que usted y todos hayan participado. En las elecciones de NAEYC del presente año se valió de una tecnología nueva. Por primera vez los miembros tuvieron la oportunidad de votar en forma electrónica llamando a una línea telefónica segura a cualquier hora del día o indicando sus opciones en una papeleta tradicional y enviándonosla. También por primera vez se presentaron vídeos de los candidatos en que discursaron acerca de sí mismos y sus ideas para el futuro de NAEYC, junto con sus declaraciones de candidatura, en el sitio de Internet de NAEYC. Las fotografías de los candidatos y sus declaraciones también se imprimieron en el número de enero de esta revista. Confiamos que dichas innovaciones hayan aumentado la participación de los votantes en las elecciones de nuestra Asociación. Recibiremos con mucho gusto otras sugerencias que usted pueda tener para aumentar la participación en votaciones futuras. Sírvase enviar sus ideas a Jerlean Daniel, Directora Ejecutiva Auxiliar de NAEYC. Young Children • March 2008 http://www.naeyc.org/policy/presidential/presCanQuestionnaire.asp http://www.naeyc.org/policy/presidential/presCanQuestionnaire.asp https://electionimpact.votenet.com/lwv
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