RANDI B. WOLFE, Ph.D.
Randi B. Wolfe, Ph.D., has worked for more than 40
years in early care and education, workforce development, teacher preparation, family support, and policy and systems change. Her practical understanding of children and families reflects her experience teaching preschool, directing a child care center, and creating and directing a family support center. Her theoretical and intellectual understanding is informed by her Ed.M. in Instructional Leadership from University of Illinois and her Ph.D. in Human Development and Social Policy from Northwestern University. (Click here for more information.)
As Associate Professor in Early Childhood Education at Northern Illinois University (1997-2006), Randi taught undergraduate and graduate courses in developmentally appropriate classroom practice, family engagement, child development and working in diverse settings. She also served as faculty team leader for the inter-disciplinary early childhood unit. While she was at NIU, graduate student enrollment grew by 300% and undergraduate enrollment doubled. Reflecting her commitment to ensuring all children receive an excellent education, Randi was instrumental in infusing into the ECE teacher preparation programs a focus on working effectively in diverse settings, engaging families, and meeting the unique needs of children with special needs and dual language learners.
While Director of Workforce Development at Los Angeles Universal Preschool (2007-2010), Randi created and implemented the Early Care and Education Workforce Initiative which awarded "workforce pipeline" grants to seven collaborations of community colleges and universities, aimed at removing barriers and creating pathways to careers in early
care and education. She also developed and instituted the Teacher Stipend Program that provided roughly 225 stipends annually as an incentive to ECE teachers to complete
college coursework and pursue degrees. Randi also conceived of and built the LA County ECE Workforce Consortium, securing $37 million from First 5 LA to fund the Consortium for five years. The Consortium, a broad-based coalition of agencies and institutions of higher education, worked together to provide professional development
and training to incumbent and future ECE professionals, and to impact ECE systems and policy across the state and across the county.
As President of TIKKUN Consulting, Inc. since 2011, Randi has focused on designing and implementing large-scale ECE workforce development initiatives, engaging diverse stakeholder groups (e.g., ECE employers, workforce development agencies, institutions
of higher education, community-based organizations), and advancing systemic efforts to strengthen the delivery and impact of child care and early education. (Click here for more information.) Highlights of her work include:
PUBLICATIONS AND REPORTS
From 2015-2019, Randi partnered with the SEIU Early Educator Training Center to design, launch and implement Early Educator Apprenticeships that provide an on-ramp to the ECE field, offering paid on-the-job training coupled with coaching and no-cost college coursework. The registered apprenticeships brought together ECE employers, community-based organizations, institutions of higher education and labor. In all, the apprenticeships engaged nearly 350 workers -- predominantly low-income women of color, recent immigrants and non-traditional students. Randi is currently building a new organization -- ECEPTS (Early Care & Education Pathways to Success) -- through which to further develop, expand and replicate Early Educator Apprenticeships. (Click here for more information.)
years in early care and education, workforce development, teacher preparation, family support, and policy and systems change. Her practical understanding of children and families reflects her experience teaching preschool, directing a child care center, and creating and directing a family support center. Her theoretical and intellectual understanding is informed by her Ed.M. in Instructional Leadership from University of Illinois and her Ph.D. in Human Development and Social Policy from Northwestern University. (Click here for more information.)
As Associate Professor in Early Childhood Education at Northern Illinois University (1997-2006), Randi taught undergraduate and graduate courses in developmentally appropriate classroom practice, family engagement, child development and working in diverse settings. She also served as faculty team leader for the inter-disciplinary early childhood unit. While she was at NIU, graduate student enrollment grew by 300% and undergraduate enrollment doubled. Reflecting her commitment to ensuring all children receive an excellent education, Randi was instrumental in infusing into the ECE teacher preparation programs a focus on working effectively in diverse settings, engaging families, and meeting the unique needs of children with special needs and dual language learners.
While Director of Workforce Development at Los Angeles Universal Preschool (2007-2010), Randi created and implemented the Early Care and Education Workforce Initiative which awarded "workforce pipeline" grants to seven collaborations of community colleges and universities, aimed at removing barriers and creating pathways to careers in early
care and education. She also developed and instituted the Teacher Stipend Program that provided roughly 225 stipends annually as an incentive to ECE teachers to complete
college coursework and pursue degrees. Randi also conceived of and built the LA County ECE Workforce Consortium, securing $37 million from First 5 LA to fund the Consortium for five years. The Consortium, a broad-based coalition of agencies and institutions of higher education, worked together to provide professional development
and training to incumbent and future ECE professionals, and to impact ECE systems and policy across the state and across the county.
As President of TIKKUN Consulting, Inc. since 2011, Randi has focused on designing and implementing large-scale ECE workforce development initiatives, engaging diverse stakeholder groups (e.g., ECE employers, workforce development agencies, institutions
of higher education, community-based organizations), and advancing systemic efforts to strengthen the delivery and impact of child care and early education. (Click here for more information.) Highlights of her work include:
PUBLICATIONS AND REPORTS
- Early Childhood Education Workforce Development: Capturing Trends and Innovations from Race To The Top-Early Learning Challenge States. In Rising to the Challenge: Building Effective Systems for Young Children and Families. BUILD Initiative, 2015.
- Coaching as a Component of ECE Workforce and Professional Development. Child Care Alliance of Los Angeles, 2014.
- Preparing Educators for Transitional Kindergarten -- A Statewide Meeting of Key Informants & Institutions of Higher Education. California State Universities Chancellor's Office, 2013.
- Establishing Cross-Disciplinary Competencies for the 0-3 Workforce: A Countywide Summit on Practice, Research and Policy. ZERO TO THREE Western Office, 2013.
- Feasibility and Needs Assessment: Providing Child Care to the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital Campus Workforce. LA County Supervisorial District 2, 2014.
From 2015-2019, Randi partnered with the SEIU Early Educator Training Center to design, launch and implement Early Educator Apprenticeships that provide an on-ramp to the ECE field, offering paid on-the-job training coupled with coaching and no-cost college coursework. The registered apprenticeships brought together ECE employers, community-based organizations, institutions of higher education and labor. In all, the apprenticeships engaged nearly 350 workers -- predominantly low-income women of color, recent immigrants and non-traditional students. Randi is currently building a new organization -- ECEPTS (Early Care & Education Pathways to Success) -- through which to further develop, expand and replicate Early Educator Apprenticeships. (Click here for more information.)
