These are exciting days for some of us in New York City with the focus of both Mayor de Blasio and Governor Cuomo squarely on expanding and universalizing Pre-K. But along with the excitement is also the trepidation of how some of the inevitable challenges will be overcome - procuring the funds, finding the space in a densely populated city, maintaining an adequate supply of well qualified Pre-K teachers... As the mayor's office works with early childhood educators and teacher educators in New York City it would serve us all well to keep an open mind and find examples of already implemented early childhood educational models to examine. As an ancient saying goes: Good ideas come to us from all directions. One such model was featured yesterday in the New York Times:
Amita Gupta
Dr. Amita Gupta is Professor Emerita of early education and a former Department Chair at The City College of New York – CUNY with extensive cross-cultural experience in teacher education, school administration and classroom teaching. As an early childhood specialist Dr. Gupta has worked in the field of ECE for 35 years teaching in India and NYC PreK and K classrooms, teaching graduate courses in early childhood education at CUNY, and supervising teachers in early childhood classrooms in NYC public and private schools. Dr. Gupta’s research interests focus on international and comparative education; postcolonial theory; and the impact of globalization on teacher preparation and parenting beliefs. Dr. Gupta has been an invited keynote/plenary speaker at international conferences in Slovakia, Denmark, UK, China, Singapore, India, Qatar and Indonesia among others. As a Fulbright Senior Researcher she has also collaborated with educators at universities in Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Dr. Gupta is a consultant for culturally responsive professional development in schools and other institutions. Dr. Gupta has published extensively including the following books: Investment in Early Childhood Education in a Globalized World: Practices and Parental Philosophies in China, India and the United States. Palgrave Macmillan, 2019. (Co-authored with G.Tan & G. Wilgus). Diverse Early Childhood Education Policies and Practices: Voices and Images from Five Countries in Asia (Routledge, 2014). Early Childhood Education, Postcolonial Theory, and Teaching Practices and Policies in India: Balancing Vygotsky and the Veda, 2nd ed (Palgrave, 2013). Going to School in South Asia (Greenwood, 2007). Early Childhood Education, Postcolonial Theory, and Teaching Practices in India: Balancing Vygotsky and the Veda, 1st ed (Palgrave, 2006).