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The Early Childhood Leadership Toolkit Comprehensive Support for Hiring, Onboarding, Compensating, and EvaluatingTools for Building Strong Teams This toolkit is designed to support you—early childhood program leaders—in guiding and growing your team. Inside, you’ll find practical tools and resources to help track staff development, align with Professional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators, and build clear career pathways for your educators.The Educator Interview Protocol is a structured, evidence-based guide designed to support child care center directors in conducting thorough and equitable interviews with early childhood educator candidates. Aligned with the Professional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators, this protocol includes a curated set of questions that assess a candidate’s qualifications, teaching philosophy, and professional competencies across key domains of early childhood education. It ensures consistent evaluation and helps inform placement on a salary scale using a scoring rubric. Adaptable for Lead, Associate, and Assistant Teacher roles, the guide allows interviewers to tailor questions while maintaining fairness, relevance, and alignment with program values and standards. This interview protocol is valuable because it promotes a high-quality, equitable hiring process that supports both organizational excellence and educator well-being. By aligning questions with professional standards, it ensures candidates are evaluated on the skills and dispositions most critical for early learning success. It also strengthens hiring decisions by providing structured guidance for assessing experience, instructional approaches, and cultural responsiveness. Importantly, the tool ties interview results directly to compensation decisions, supporting transparency and equity through the salary scale. Ultimately, this process helps build a strong, mission-aligned teaching team committed to delivering exceptional care and education for young children. Click here for the Educator Interview Protocol Click here for the Educator Interview Rubric Click here for the CCI at NCMC Click here for the MI’s ECE Professional Standards and Competencies What is it? Why is it valuable? How do I use it? Where can I learn more? A CCI team member is available to consult with you on your customization. Contact us at ECE@ncmich.edu Who can I talk to? Educator Interview Protocol OverviewA salary scale is a tool to help determine proper compensation for the early childhood workforce. They define expected earnings in a uniform way, usually comprised of a number of levels, with beginning and end points, that have clearly defined criteria (such as education, roles, and responsibilities) that promote transparency and equity. Click here forThe Salary Scale Click here for User Guide Worksheet for Implementing a Salary Scale in Your Early Childhood Business Click here forUser Guide: Implementing a Salary Scale in Your Early Childhood Business Click here for The Salary Scale White Paper Click here for The Impact of Compensation and Benefits on the ECE Workforce Click here for the CCI at NCMC Click here for the Living Wage Calculator at MIT Click here for NAEYC’s Unifying Framework for the Early Childhood Education Profession Click here for the accompanying Evaluation Tool What is it? Why is it valuable? How do I use it? Where can I learn more? A CCI team member is available to consult with you on your customization. Contact us at ECE@ncmich.edu Who can I talk to? Salary Scale Overview This salary scale is valuable because it establishes a transparent, equitable compensation framework that reflects the skills, experience, and qualifications of early childhood professionals. Grounded in living wage principles and aligned with professional standards, the scale empowers programs to recognize and reward educator expertise while supporting long-term recruitment and retention. By connecting compensation directly to demonstrated competencies and clear role definitions, the salary scale promotes organizational stability and professional growth. Ultimately, it serves as a critical tool for strengthening the early childhood workforce and advancing the quality of care and education for young children. Click here for the MI’s ECE Professional Standards and CompetenciesOnboarding Framework Overview Click here for the MI’s ECE Professional Standards and CompetenciesEducator Evaluation Overview Click here for TheEducator Tool Click here for the MI’s ECE Professional Standards and CompetenciesAbout CCI The undersupply of child care in rural Northern Michigan is a systemic issue impacting parents, prospective parents, local employers, and child care providers. America’s child care system—long devalued and underfunded—has been unsustainable in Emmet County and across the country. Yet we know that quality, affordable, and reliable child care is essential for the economic stability of all families. This toolkit was created to support those who work in early childhood education and those interested in joining it. This toolkit provides practical resources on interviewing, salary scales, onboarding, and professional evaluation. Our goal is to equip early childhood professionals with tools that promote growth, transparency, and sustainability. Whether you are a current provider, a program leader, or someone exploring a career in early childhood, we hope this resource offers guidance, support, and inspiration as you help shape the future of early care and education in our communities. Launched in 2022 with support from the Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation, the Frey Foundation, and the NCMC Foundation, North Central’s Child Care Initiative (CCI) is a community-driven effort to build a sustainable, equitable early childhood system in Emmet County. Through broad engagement with families, child care providers, employers, and community leaders, the initiative has identified the challenges and the opportunities within the child care sector. Addressing the crisis requires innovative solutions, cross-sector collaboration, and a commitment to valuing child care as a foundational component of our social and economic infrastructure. From data collection and community input to innovative solutions, CCI is working to create a child care system where families can find and afford quality care, and professionals are compensated fairly for their vital work. A high-quality, accessible early care and education system supported through community connections. The Child Care Initiative at North Central Michigan College About This Toolkit Our Vision:Thank You Outstanding Partners The Child Care Initiative at North Central Michigan College would not be possible without the generous support and shared vision of our community partners. We extend our heartfelt thanks to the following sponsors for their commitment to creating a stronger, more sustainable early childhood system in Emmet County: Your leadership and investment are helping to build a future where all families have access to high-quality child care—and where early childhood professionals are valued, supported, and empowered. Thank you. Emmet County Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation The Petoskey Chamber of Commerce Women Who Care Frey Foundation Hestia Women’s Giving Circle North Central Michigan College Leadership Little Traverse Class of 2024 Harbor Cup 2024 Sharon SchappacherNext >