Bright Horizons and The National Head Start Association Host "A National Conversation About Race in Early Childhood Leadership"

November 13, 2020 – On November 12, Bright Horizons and The National Head Start Association brought together leaders in early childhood education to discuss key issues of diversity and inclusion and their impact in the field.

The half-day virtual event, A National Conversation About Race in Early Childhood Leadership, was dedicated to promoting Black and Brown leaders in early childhood education. The event kicked off with a keynote address from Valora Washington, Ph.D about diversity in leadership as a whole. Dr. Washington’s keynote then set the stage for an in-depth discussion on the issue of diversity in early childhood leadership. 

Later, attendees joined panel discussions addressing three key areas: Research, Policy and Practice. A moderator led each panel and featured four key experts in each of these areas. The panelists engaged in a discussion of the issues from their particular lens. 

“Diversity in educational leadership is more than a goal—it is a necessity,” said Rachel Robertson, Vice President, Learning and Development at Bright Horizons.  “It is critical to remove systemic barriers and historical equity imbalances to ensure we have leaders that: represent the educational workforce and diversity of families, lift our collective quality through diverse thought and perspective, and boost innovation and achievements. We all have a role in this work and we must be impatient for results.”

Learn more about the featured speakers and the event here and more about The National Head Start association here.