McDONOUGH — The first five graduates of Mercer’s Early Care and Education Program, which was established in 2007 as the first in the state to offer a bachelor’s degree and certification, were honored at a ceremony at Mercer’s Henry County Regional Academic Center on Feb. 25. A number of state and regional officials who are at the forefront of early childhood education were also on hand for the event.
Mercer has been a pioneer in Georgia in birth through 5-year-old education and was the first to establish a program with an accredited Bachelor of Science in Education in Early Care and Education leading to birth-through-5-year-old state certification. The five graduates who were honored entered Mercer’s program when it began in 2007 either as transfer students or from other Mercer programs and therefore graduated more quickly than the standard four years. The graduates completed their requirements in December.
“This is an outstanding group, and we wanted to honor these graduates for their pioneering spirit,” said Dr. Catherine Gardner, chair of Mercer’s Teacher Education Programs at the Henry and Douglas Centers and head of the Early Care and Education Program. “These students will be the first in the state to graduate with an Early Care and Education degree and state certification, and that is a major achievement for them and the University.”
The graduates are: Donnamarie Dane, of Dallas, a kindergarten teacher at The Primrose School at Bentwater; Sheila Davis, of Hampton, a teacher at Sheltering Arms Stonewall Tell Center in College Park; Misty Gresham, of Mableton, a teacher at the Goddard School in Kennesaw; Allison R. James, of Eatonton, a head start teacher in Putnam County and Jo Ann Thompson, of Social Circle, a teacher at Kids R Kids in Conyers.
“This program was great for me because I hope to one day become an owner of a childcare center myself,” Gresham said. “I learned so much from this program and I am so excited to be a part of something that is so new. This program is a wonderful opportunity for anyone who wants to further their education and teach younger children. After graduating, I quickly found a position as a pre-k teacher. I have had a wonderful experience and am proud to be a graduate of Mercer University with a degree in Early Care and Education.”
Dane had a similar experience, quickly finding a position in her new career.
“After graduating in December, I began interviewing for positions and was hired in January,” Dane said. “During the interviewing process the hiring team was very excited that I was not only a Mercer graduate, but that they would be hiring one of the first graduates in the Early Care and Education program.”
Among the state officials on hand were: Dr. Marsha W. Lawrence, regional program manager for the federal Region IV Office of Head Start; Hilda Tompkins, president of the Georgia Association of Young Children; Dr. Holly Robinson, commissioner of Georgia’s Bright from the Start program; and Dr. Deborah Wilkes, chair of the Georgia Professional Standards Commission.
“Early Childhood Care and Education is in the spotlight in Georgia and one of the reasons is the new birth through five educator preparation and certification programs,” Tompkins said. “We know for certain that high-quality early learning experiences are crucial to a young child’s readiness to succeed in school and in life. Through its PSC-approved Early Care and Education Program, Mercer University is producing graduates that will have the education and training they need to positively impact the lives of young children and their families.”
“The adoption of the Birth through Five Preparation and Certification rules by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission was the culmination of tireless efforts by a number of early care and education advocates,” Dr. Wilkes said. “The adoption of these rules, however, was only the first step to enhancing the quality of teachers who work with Georgia’s youngest citizens. I am very proud of our state and private universities, including Mercer, that have chosen to develop and prepare certified teachers to work in early care programs. I am equally proud of all the steps that our field has taken to improve the professional development of everyone working with young children. I think such efforts mirror my belief that education begins long before children enter school.”
Evidence suggests that better care must be taken in the early years to educate children before they reach traditional school age in order to help students succeed in the classroom. The state of Georgia has launched an effort to require lead teachers at all early education centers to have bachelor’s degrees and to eventually require certification.
The Tift College of Education has been the leader in the state’s efforts to design a state-wide model for the curriculum and standards for early care degrees. Additionally, Mercer has been charged with facilitating the development of statewide articulation agreements to support candidates as they move from two-year or technical colleges into bachelor’s degree programs. To date, the University has received more than $680,000 from the state to fund those efforts.
