Preschool Leadership and Family Engagement in the Pandemic: Closer Together or Further Apart?

• In Event: In Pursuit of Equity: Centering the Voices of the Experiences of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Children and Families

Abstract

This work utilizes ethnographic methods and practitioner inquiry to understand how preschool leadership and family engagement have been impacted by the pandemic at an early childhood center in the U.S. Midwest. Drawing on the body of work around Social Justice Leadership in Early Childhood, analysis revealed continued themes of extended relationships between center leadership and families beyond the years of preschool, but also how the pandemic impacted long-term plans and programming for the center and families. In addition, the center often had to rely on local problem-solving or established means and methods of communication to continue to connect with and support families through the pandemic, rather than guidance from state or federal programs.

Author

• Anne Valauri, Georgia Southern University