By Karen Campbell, Weakley County Schools Communications Director
Dresden, Tenn.–The 43 students from Dresden, Gleason, and Westview completing a 30-hour course through the Tennessee Early Childhood Training Alliance (TECTA) are one step closer to credentialing as Child Development Associates (CDA).
In an interview after the certificate presentation in Dresden High School’s theater on Friday, Kelly Maupin, TECTA Director, noted the Weakley County group was the largest in northwest Tennessee. She also pointed out that with the Orientation Completion Certificate, students who continue working toward their CDA will also be eligible for a technical certificate from Dyersburg State Community College. Beginning next year, DSCC dual enrollment courses will be offered as part of the Human Studies pathway at the high schools. Upon completion of four courses and graduation from high school, students can receive the Basic Early Childhood Technical Certificate, the first certificate built within the Early Childhood AAS degree.
The ceremony was part of a meeting of the Weakley County chapter of Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA). Dresden FCCLA officers presided over the opening before Weakley County FCCLA advisors Pat Phillips, McKenzie Hurst and Lauren Freeman called students to the stage to receive certificates from Maupin and Julia Lynch of TECTA. Lynch served as the online instructor for the online course.
Certificate recipients included:
Dresden – Emma Boaz, Autumn Brackett, Tilley Hopper, Anasy Lochala, Haylee Locke, Arial Millar, Sofia O’Lano, Serenity Ragan, Abigail Rother, Aubrey Sellers, Caitlyn Swatzall, Abby Trandal, Hailey Wise.
Gleason – Olivia Perry, Jaeda Perry, Serenity Minard, Hollie Whitworh, Autumn Mingle, Paris Smith, Brooklyn McDowell.
Westview — Sandre Alanazi, Brisa Camcho, Addison Cary, Eason Couch, Tristen Damron, Ellie Dodson, Ariana Edge, Giselle Garicia, Persompathy Harrell, Ahyania Ivory, Ava Loza, Camilo Mercado, Ali Mullins, Preston Muzzall, Dearca Nicholson, Charles Pate, Chloe Peevyhouse, Hailey Rogers, Alyssa Payne, Kendall Thomas, Madison Wallsmith.
Lynch, a Martin resident, said she was impressed by the maturity level and the growth she observed in students throughout the process.
“I keep saying they blew me away,” she said.
Jaeda Perry, a Gleason sophomore, wants to be a teacher and pointed out that much of the curriculum is “a lot of it is common sense and it’s very helpful.” She mentioned one section particularly impressed her as it stressed remembering that “everybody is equal, and you shouldn’t discriminate according to advantages and disadvantages.”
Dresden’s Phillips said that DHS students were able to include experience in placements for one class period twice a week at Dresden Elementary. Those internships began in February and will conclude this week.
As students continue with dual enrollment classes, Maupin said those opportunities will increase.
“We appreciate the opportunity to offer this amazing program to the students. It can really be life-changing for so many of them,” she concluded.
Photo: With 43 students from three high schools which offer the Human Studies pathway, Weakley County had the largest group completing the 30 hours of online work to earn an Orientation Completion Certificate, part of the Tennessee Early Childhood Training Alliance (TECTA) track toward a becoming a Child Development Associate (CDA).