Our courses, degrees and certificates prepare you to work in schools and early education and care programs after completion or after transferring and completing a bachelor’s degree. There is a shortage of qualified teachers to work with children of all ages. Whatever your goal, we have a pathway and specialized advisors to guide you along the way.
The Mission of the Education Programs is to prepare a competent, qualified, knowledgeable and diverse workforce, improve the quality of area early childhood education programs and schools that serve children and families, and provide access to training and career ladders, including transfer to four-year institutions, to a diverse student body.
In Massachusetts, two departments certify early childhood and elementary educators: The Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).
EEC certifies educators, including program directors, to work in early education and care settings like childcare centers. MassBay will help you meet the education and experience requirements so you can apply for the positions listed below or move up the career ladder if you are already working in the field. Educators can take individual courses required for a position or complete a Certificate or Degree that includes those courses as well as some of the supervised practical experience needed for certification. If you are working in the field, you may be eligible for Career Pathways Grant funding or EEC’s ECE Scholarship.
DESE licenses public school teachers for students in prekindergarten (PreK) through second grade. This license requires completion of a bachelor’s degree and Massachusetts Tests for Education Licensure (MTELs). Students who earn an associate degree at MassBay in Liberal Arts: Early Childhood Education (PreK-grade 2) or Liberal Arts: Elementary Education (Grades 1-6) and maintain the required GPA can transfer into a bachelor’s degree program to complete public school teacher licensure requirements. Select the degree that matches the grade(s) you hope to teach.
Consult with Education Department faculty to determine which of MassBay’s educational offerings can best support your career goals and build upon your work experience. You can also find more information about certification at www.mass.gov/eec and www.mass.gov/doe, which are the Massachusetts EEC and DESE websites.
The A.A. Liberal Arts: Early Childhood Education and A.S. Early Childhood Education degrees at MassBay Community College are accredited by the Commission on the Accreditation of Early Childhood Higher Education Programs of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, https://www.naeyc.org/accreditation/higher-ed/accreditation. The accreditation term runs from September 2022 through September 2029.
To maintain accreditation, colleges must submit reports every two years on program and student outcomes. The latest data report is available here.
If you are already working in the field of early education and care, you may be eligible for financial support and advising to progress in your career to a new position and level of EEC certification. The Department of Early Education and Care funds this grant, and a new online application opens about two months before the beginning of each semester. Information about the courses offered and a link to apply will appear here in late June, mid-October and early March. You may apply to take a grant-funded course with or without matriculating (admission to a certificate or degree program). We will help you outline a professional development plan that works for you.
If you have questions about the grant, email Linda Romero, Career Pathways Grant Coordinator: lromero@massbay.edu.
The status of the upcoming application for grant-funded classes will be updated regularly. Once it is open, there will be a link on this page to the application for classes for the upcoming semester.
An instructor in early childhood and elementary education at MassBay for twenty years, Professor Romero has had a wide range of teaching, supervisory and administrative roles in early education settings. She is the Project Director for the Career Pathways Grant, funded by the MA Department of Early Education and Care. Having begun her career teaching in Honduras, she is particularly interested in the needs of emergent bilingual students and has done research on how early educators can be more effective with diverse learners. She has a B.A. in Liberal Arts from Sarah Lawrence College and an M.S. in Education from Wheelock College.
With over 25 years of experience in higher education, Professor Rzezuski has dedicated the past 10 years to teaching Early Childhood Education at MassBay. Her extensive background includes roles in teaching, coaching, consulting, training, and managing early childhood programs. She holds certifications from the Massachusetts EEC, including Infant Toddler Lead Teacher, Preschool Lead Teacher, and Director I & II.
Passionate about inclusion and advocacy, Professor Rzezuski works to create a stronger support system for educators, families, students, and the community. She earned her B.S. from Boston University and her M.S. in Early Childhood Education from Wheelock College.
Daiane Antonio, M.Ed. in Education, PMC in Early Education, Research, Policy and Practice. Enrolled in a doctoral program at UMass Boston. Before arriving in the United States, Professor Antonio had more than 15 years of experience as an English/Portuguese Teacher for Elementary/ Middle/ High School in Brazil, where she gained an Advanced degree in Education, a bachelor’s in English teaching and literature, and a master’s in science of Education, both in Brazil. In the U.S. she completed a certificate in Early Childhood Education at Massbay and a post-master’s program at UMass Boston and is currently enrolled there in a doctoral program. She has Infant Toddler Teacher, Preschool Lead Teacher, Director I and II certifications from EEC with wide experience supporting students with or without disabilities both in Early Childhood and Higher Education.
