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THE TECTA Advantage

The TECTA Advantage

There are many reasons to choose a career in child care. As an educator you get to work daily with young children during their early years, the most pivotal time of their growth and development. This is why academic preparation and ongoing professional development are needed to keep up with, not just the development of children, but the requirements for each branch of the child care field.

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How TECTA Works

TECTA is a statewide system of professional development that provides Tennessee educators with training, tuition assistance, and technical assistance for every aspect of their career.

TECTA aims to meet early childhood professionals exactly where they currently are in their careers, whether they are just beginning or have been caring for children for many years.

Our system is designed as a “career lattice,” a strategy that offers a variety of opportunities for each person’s career path. Movements may be vertical, but also horizontal or diagonal depending on what fits within each individual’s ideal work/life balance.

High school students completing ECEC I and II with a grade of ‘B’ or above can apply to use these classes as an equivalency to the 30-hour TECTA Orientation, receive a Certificate of Completion, and become eligible for college tuition support from TECTA.

This means that you are eligible for tuition support from TECTA for college coursework in the field of Early Childhood Education beginning your first semester at any of the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) community colleges and four-year universities.

To apply, send a completed TECTA Center-Based Orientation/ECE Careers I & II Application with a copy of your high school transcript to:

Attn: Ms. Lisa Walsh

Tennessee Early Childhood Training Alliance

Tennessee State University

3500 John A. Merritt Blvd, Box 9500

Nashville, TN 37209

Fax: 615-277-1686

For more information, contact Lisa Walsh at lwalsh@tnstate.edu or 615-277-1687.

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