September 29, 2020
Part of larger administration effort to strengthen training and credentialing opportunities for educators working with young children
The New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department (ECECD) today announced that it will provide a limited number of licenses to an online professional development program for individual New Mexico educators who work with families with young children from prenatal to age five.
The program, called Quorum eLearning, provides 24/7 access to over 180 hours of high-quality interactive online courses on topics including developmental milestones, health and safety, language development, trauma-informed practices, building resilience, children with special needs, and engaging with families. Quorum courses are available in English and Spanish and are all approved for Continuing Education Units (CEUs). A menu of courses is available here.
“In these unprecedented and challenging times, it is important that the state expand access to online training for all who work with families with young children,” said Elizabeth Groginsky, New Mexico’s Cabinet Secretary of Early Childhood Education and Care. “I am pleased to be able to supplement our existing professional development programs, offered by our higher education community, in partnership with Quorum eLearning.”
“The Early Childhood Education and Care Department (ECECD) is committed to all of our professional development—across the state and across the industry. Child care providers, family home providers, Head Start, and home visitors will all benefit from an online learning platform. This will help our teachers access high-quality training, resulting in improved outcomes for New Mexico’s children and families,” said Debra Baca, Vice President of Early Childhood Education at YDI NM.
“The UNM Children’s Campus firmly believes that an investment in early childhood professionals is an investment in our future. Access to affordable, high-quality professional development opportunities for early childhood educators can be a challenge. Providing a platform that is free of cost and easily accessible is a great way to address this concern. The new Early Childhood Education and Care Department (ECECD) and Cabinet Secretary Groginsky’s commitment to building a well-educated and strong early childhood workforce will have a major impact on the education and well-being of the children in New Mexico,” said Daniela Baca, Director of UNM Children’s Campus.
“Kids Campus at SFCC has been reopened since June and the staff has been working diligently to provide engaging learning opportunities for all of our children while keeping everyone safe and healthy. The missing piece has been access to high-quality learning opportunities for staff. As early childhood educators, we must continue to grow and reflect on our practice, to have fresh ideas and insights, and to grow our workforce,” said Michelle Rosen-Hatcher, director of Kids Campus at Santa Fe Community College.
Quorum is currently utilized by 30,000 early educators across the country. The Quorum eLearning program is distributed by Kaplan Early Learning Company.
Quorum licenses are available to early educators who work in child care, Head Start, PreK, home visiting programs, and other early intervention programs. Spanish-speaking educators, educational assistants in public schools, and Tribal early childhood educators are especially encouraged to apply. To obtain a free Quorum license, educators may sign up online.
The Quorum project is supported by the Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five Initiative (PDG B-5), from the Office of Child Care, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.