An Announcement Regarding
The Professional Development Center for Early Learning
At their December 21, 2016 meeting, the Pathways of Central Ohio Board of Directors voted to close the Professional Development Center for Early Learning (PDC) effective December 31, 2016. All services (trainings, the Pathways to Quality Conference, and background checks) will end on that date.
The one exception is that the Pathways Board is committed to seeing that the current Child Development Associate (CDA) class is completed. Teri Peasley will continue to instruct the class on a contract basis until graduation in June 2017.
The decision to close the PDC was not an easy one. The program operated for over 25 years offering premiere child development and early learning trainings, events, conferences and services. One consideration was the resignation of Teri Peasley, the long-time Program Director. Teri brought a level of expertise to the program that would have been hard to replace. She will be greatly missed by Pathways and the community.
A second consideration was financial. The decision by the State of Ohio six years ago to only fund regional child care resource and referral centers had a significant impact on the PDC. Pathways kept the program going by offering more training, the Pathways to Quality Conference, the Child Development Associate Credential, technical assistance, and background checks. But in the end, Pathways could not continue to operate the program at a loss. Pathways will work with local child care providers to ensure that they are connected to similar services locally, in Franklin County or online.
The Board and staff of Pathways are thrilled that Teri has been hired as full-time faculty in the Early Childhood Education Department at Ohio University’s Zanesville Campus. As many know, Teri acquired her Masters of Science in Early Childhood Studies in October 2012 and is currently pursuing her Ed.D in Adult Education at Walden University. Pathways is extremely proud of Teri’s accomplishments and looks forward to seeing her succeed in her new position!
If you have questions about the PDC, please contact Kristin McCloud, Executive Director, at mail@pathwaysco.org or at 740-345-6166 ext. 211.