A Great Place to Work
Creating a Healthy Organizational Climate
By Paula Jorde Bloom, Ann Hentschel, Jill Bella

Early childhood program administrators often have a global impression that things are going well or not so well at their center, but they lack specific feedback on just what the different areas of the organization contribute to those impressions. This updated and expanded edition of an NAEYC bestseller helps directors define more precisely how ten dimensions of a center shape the quality of work life for staff. It will help you look at your program in terms of collegiality, opportunities for professional growth, supervisor support, clarity, reward system, decision making, goal consensus, task orientation, physical setting, and innovation. Written in an engaging and lively style, the ideas in this book will help you sharpen your leadership skills and make your center A Great Place to Work. 

 A Great Place to Work will help you…

• understand why organizational climate is so important

• learn how to gather data to measure and monitor your center’s climate

• appreciate the different perspectives of your teachers and support staff

• recognize the vital role that you play in setting the tone for success

• implement strategies to guarantee bright and sunny days ahead

2010, $24.00, 115 pages, perfect bound, 7 x 10, ISBN: 978-0-9827082-0-0

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The Business Administration Scale
for Family Child Care
By Teri N. Talan and Paula Jorde Bloom

Family child care providers who utilize effective business and professional practices are more likely to provide a high-quality learning environment and interact more sensitively with children. The Business Administration Scale for Family Child Care (BAS) is the first valid and reliable instrument for measuring and improving the overall quality of business and professional practices in family child care settings. Providers that use the BAS can easily set goals to incrementally improve business practices that will result in improved recordkeeping, marketing, and communication with families, as well as financial stability and reduced risk of operating a home business.

The BAS uses a 7-point rating scale to measure quality in 10 areas: Qualifications and Professional Development, Income and Benefits, Work Environment, Fiscal Management, Recordkeeping, Risk Management, Provider-Parent Communication, Community Resources, Marketing and Public Relations, Provider as Employer. The BAS is designed to complement the widely used Family Child Care Environment Rating Scale–Revised (FCCERS-R). When used together, they provide a comprehensive picture of the quality of the family child care learning environment and the business practices that support the program.

2009, $22.00, 48 pages, soft cover, Teachers College Press, 8 ½ x 11, ISBN: 9780807749777.

Includes CD with financial templates.

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Escala de Evaluación de la Administración de Negocios para el Cuidado de Niños en el Hogar (BAS)
By Teri N. Talan and Paula Jorde Bloom

La Escala de la Administración de Negocios para el Cuidado de Niños en el Hogar (BAS) es la primera herramienta válida y confiable para medir y mejorar la calidad total de negocios y prácticas profesionales en los programas de cuidado de niños en el hogar. Tiene múltiples usos, incluyendo auto-mejoramiento del programa, asistencia técnica y monitoreo, entrenamiento, investigación, evaluación y conciencia pública.

Con la BAS, los proveedores fácilmente pueden establecer metas para gradualmente mejorar las prácticas de negocio que resultarán en una mejor comunicación con los padres de familia, estabilidad financiera, reducción de riesgos al operar un negocio en la casa y cumplimiento con requerimientos legales. Utilizando una escala de evaluación de 7 puntos (inadecuada a excelente), este instrumento fácil-de-usar mide: Cualificaciones y Desarrollo Profesional, Ingresos y Beneficios, Ambiente de Trabajo, Manejo Fiscal, Mantenimiento de Archivos, Manejo de Riesgos, Comunicación con Padres de Familia, Recursos Comunitarios, Mercadeo y Relaciones Públicas, El Proveedor como Empleador.

La BAS está designada para complementar la extensamente utilizada Escala de Calificación del Ambiente de Cuidado Infantil en Familia-Edición Revisada (FCCERS-R). Cuando estas herramientas son utilizadas en conjunto, proveen una imagen completa de la calidad del ambiente de aprendizaje en el cuidado de niños en el hogar y las prácticas de negocio que apoyan el programa

2010, $22.00, 48 pages, soft cover, Teachers College Press, 8 ½ x 11, ISBN: 9780807751664.

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 Circle of Influence (2nd. Ed.)
 Implementing Shared Decision Making and Participative Management
 By Paula Jorde Bloom

As the director of an early childhood program, you are in a unique position to influence the decision-making policies and practices at your center. In this book you'll learn that participative management is both a philosophy and a set of behaviors that define your interactions with people. You'll explore techniques for managing the daily business of your center by involving others in critical decisions affecting their professional fulfillment. If you are serious about wanting staff to become vital partners in achieving centerwide goals, then this book is essential reading. 

Circle of Influence will help you …

• determine your preferred decision-making style

• analyze different types of decisions

• assess the impact of the decisions you make

• solicit feedback about organizational practices

• increase the level of trust among your staff

• make better decisions

2011, $24.00, soft cover, perfect bound, 92 pages, 7x10, illustrations, ISBN: 9780982708217

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Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs
By Carol Copple and Sue Bredekamp

Published by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs is an essential resource for every early childhood professional. This 2009 version comes with a CD containing readings on key topics, plus video examples showing developmentally appropriate practice in action. Based on what research says about development, learning, and effective practices, as well as what experience tells us about teaching intentionally, DAP articulates the principles that should guide decision making. Chapters describe children from birth through age 8 in detail, with extensive examples of appropriate practice for infant-toddler, preschool, kindergarten, and primary levels.

2009, $35.00, soft cover, perfect bound, 355 pages, NAEYC, 8 ½ x 11, ISBN: 9781928896647

Includes CD with financial templates.

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From the Inside Out 
The Power of Reflection and Self-Awareness
By Paula Jorde Bloom

The quest for excellence begins with an inner quest to discover who we are—our passions, values, talents, personal resources, and even those foibles and annoying habits we might prefer not to acknowledge. Having a better understanding of ourselves is the first step toward achieving a better relationship with others. From the Inside Out is your passport for self-discovery. Through thought-provoking questions and engaging exercises you'll have an opportunity to reflect on where you are in your journey through adulthood, determine the gap between your current and ideal work environment, and become a self-mentor for envisioning new possibilities for the decades ahead.

From the Inside Out will help you …

• gain clarity about your purpose and passions
  
  
• understand the values and beliefs that shape your behavior
  
  
• appreciate your strengths and internal resources
  
  
• learn how to avoid the comparison trap
  
  
• practice strategies to reduce stress and avoid burnout
  
  
• create an action plan for achieving greater job fulfillment

2007, $24.00, soft cover, perfect bound, 120 pages, 7x10, illustrations, ISBN: 9780962189494

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 Leadership in Action 
 How Effective Directors Get Things Done
 By Paula Jorde Bloom

Leadership begins in the head and heart. It is a way of thinking about yourself and the vital role you play in your early childhood program. This book dispels the myth that there is one best leadership style that all directors should emulate. It will help you understand the subtle but important distinction between leadership as a role and leadership as a set of skills and competencies that can be supported and nurtured at all levels of the organization. Filled with practical suggestions and lively examples from high-performing directors, you'll learn how you can create and sustain a compelling vision for your program that transforms your center into a vibrant and engaging learning community. 

Leadership in Action will help you… 

• assess your unique leadership style

• understand the values and beliefs that shape your leadership behavior 

• increase shared commitment to your center's goals

• make action plans that get implemented

• instill leadership capacity at all levels of the organization

• solve organizational issues in a collegial and nonconfrontational way

• ensure a smooth transition for your successor 

2003, $24.00, soft cover, perfect bound, 120 pages, 7x10, illustrations, ISBN: 9780962189470

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Lifesavers
Tips for Success and Sanity For Early Childhood Managers
By Sue Baldwin 

This light-hearted book provides dozens of self-assessments and practical strategies for achieving balance in your life. Laced with humorous anecdotes and stories from early childhood directors, Lifesavers gives you the survival tools you need to keep the right perspective on your job. The book includes most frequently asked questions and a personal contract for change.

1996, $15.00, 155 pages, 6 x 9, Insights Training, soft cover, perfect bound, illustrations, ISBN: 0-9654439-0-6

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Making the Most of Meetings
A Practical Guide
By Paula Jorde Bloom

Meetings are the glue that holds early childhood organizations together. Whether it's a weekly staff meeting, a monthly parent meeting, or an annual board meeting, directors rely on meetings as the primary vehicle for communicating information, identifying and solving problems, and making new decisions and modifying old ones. There is no avoiding it, skill in facilitating meetings is essential for effective program management. This book is filled with practical tips and techniques to help you reverse the slump you may be experiencing in meeting effectiveness. You'll learn how to accomplish more work in less time and have more fun in the process.

Making the Most of Meetings will help you… 

• craft a well-designed agenda

• engage participants in lively, substantive discussion

• increase interpersonal understanding among participants

• solve problems in a collegial way

• make action plans that get implemented

• build a more productive work team

• increase shared commitment to your center's goals

2002, $24.00, soft cover, perfect bound, 104 pages, 7x10, illustrations, ISBN: 9780962189456

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Managing Legal Risks in Early Childhood Programs: How to Prevent Flare-Ups from Becoming Lawsuits
By Holly Elissa Bruno and Tom Copeland

Reduce the stress that comes with worrying about legal matters. This practical guide provides sample policies, procedures, and best practices to help you prevent legal challenges and conflicts with families and staff. Includes dozens of real-life scenarios to help you

Making the Most of Meetings will help you… 

• Build a partnership with families with clear expectations
  
  
• Maintain privacy and confidentiality in the Internet age
  
  
• Hire employees with ethical and legal policies in place
  
  
• Understand the limits of your insurance coverage
  
  
• Understand ADA requirements and minority rights

2012, $26.00, 192 pages, Redleaf Press, soft cover, perfect bound, 7 x 10, ISBN: 978-0-8077-5377-4

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Measuring Work Attitudes in the Early Childhood Setting (2nd. Ed.)
Technical Manual for the Early Childhood Job Satisfaction Survey and the Early Childhood Work Environment Survey
By Paula Jorde Bloom

Measuring Work Attitudes in the Early Childhood Setting provides a framework for understanding and evaluating early childhood environments from the perspective of the adults who work in those environments. It is intended for early childhood administrators who are looking for practical ways to improve the quality of work life for their staff and for researchers interested in conducting scholarly investigations of job satisfaction and the organizational climate of early childhood programs.

Measuring Work Attitudes in the Early Childhood Setting introduces the reader to two assessments, the Early Childhood Job Satisfaction Survey (ECJSS) and the Early Childhood Work Environment Survey (ECWES). Technical information on the development of the instruments, data on reliability and validity, and national norms are presented as well as examples of practical and scholarly applications. The book concludes with a chapter about organizational change and lessons learned from different intervention initiatives.

2010, $25.00, 140 pages, spiral bound, 104 pages, 8.5 x 11

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Program Administration Scale (2nd. Ed.)
Measuring Early Childhood Leadership and Management
By Teri N. Talan and Paula Jorde Bloom

Research consistently finds that high-quality administrative practices are crucial for ensuring beneficial results for children and families. Without systems in place at the organizational level, supportive teacher-child interactions and stimulating learning environments at the classroom level cannot be achieved or sustained. 

This valuable tool includes 25 items clustered in 10 subscales, which measure both leadership and management functions of center-based early care and education programs. The PAS can be used in multiple ways: program self-improvement, technical assistance and monitoring, research and evaluation, and public awareness. 

This second edition of the PAS includes updated national norms and minor refinements to support the reliable use of the instrument and reflect best practices in early childhood program administration.

2004, $22.00, 90 pages, soft cover, Teachers College Press, perfect bound, 8½ x 11, 
ISBN: 9780807752456

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 The Right Fit 
Recruiting, Selecting, and Orienting Staff
By Kay Albrecht

Well-trained and experienced staff are the key to early childhood program quality and healthy child development. Yet, every director knows that finding those teachers is a huge challenge. Skills in recruitment, interviewing, screening, selecting, and orienting new teachers are ones that every director needs. This book breaks down the recruitment, selection, and orientation processes into manageable components and suggests practical and effective techniques to help you find teachers with the right fit for your program's particular needs. 

  The Right Fit will help you…

• design a recruitment plan so you are always prepared when turnover occurs

• position your program to get numerous applicants to consider for vacant positions

• determine criteria to maximize the "fit" between individuals, the job, and the center

• choose an interview plan that will work

• involve other teachers in the hiring process 

• select the right person from the applicant pool

• orient new staff right from the start

2002, $24.00, soft cover, perfect bound, 128 pages, 7x10, illustrations, ISBN: 9780962189463

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The Visionary Director (2nd. Ed.)
By Margie Carter and Deb Curtis  

The Visionary Director provides a concrete framework for achieving a vision of excellence for your early childhood program. This second edition includes a new chapter entitled “Bringing Your Vision to Life” as well as additional resources to help your teachers become reflective practitioners. The Visionary Director will inspire you to have bigger dreams for the role your program can play in your community. 

2009, $45.00, 336 pages, Redleaf Press, soft cover, perfect bound, 8 ½ x 11, illustrations, ISBN: 9781605540207

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Workshop Essentials 
Planning and Presenting Dynamic Workshops 
By Paula Jorde Bloom

Good training has never been more important and good trainers have never been in more demand. As workshop leader, your job is to ignite a passion for learning and engage your participants as active partners in the learning process. This book will help you achieve that goal. It provides the tools you need to design and deliver high-content, high-involvement, and high-energy training. 

If you are a novice at presenting workshops, you'll find Workshop Essentials an indispensable resource to get you started. It'll help you gain the confidence you need to communicate your ideas with conviction, control, and poise. You'll learn how to organize your ideas, set up the learning environment, and deal with anxiety. If you are a seasoned trainer, the tips and techniques in Workshop Essentials will help you sharpen your presentation skills so you can respond to the subtle cues in your participants' expressions, questions, and responses. You'll learn how to anchor your message in the hearts and minds of the participants attending your training.

Workshop Essentials will help you… 

• tailor your training to the needs of adult learners

• set up the physical environment to support learning

• establish and maintain rapport

• communicate with clarity 

• add spontaneity and humor to your presentations

• create eye-catching visuals

• handle challenging situations

• evaluate the effectiveness of your training

2000, $25.00, 230 pages, soft cover, perfect bound, 9 x 12, illustrations, ISBN: 9780962189449

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