November 25, 2024 • 27 mins
The Child Development Associate CDA credential, better known as the CDA, is the most widely recognized credential in early childhood education. It is an important part of career advancement in the field, but many talented teachers do not have the certification.
In this podcast, Sammantha Boyle, a curriculum manager at Procare Solutions, breaks down step-by-step what the CDA is and how to earn it.
She also describes how child care center directors and owners can support their staff as they work toward this goal and how the CDA Pathway from Bertelsen Education, a Procare Solutions company, can help!
Learn more about the CDA Pathway here!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:08):
Welcome to the Childcare Business Podcast,
brought to you by ProCareSolutions. This podcast is all
about giving childcare ,preschool, daycare, after
school , and other earlyeducation professionals. A fun
and upbeat way to learn aboutstrategies and inspiration you
can use to thrive. You'll hearfrom a variety of childcare
(00:29):
thought leaders, includingeducators, owners, and industry
experts on ways to innovate, tomeet the needs of the children
you serve. From practical tipsfor managing operations to
uplifting stories oftransformation and triumph,
this podcast will be chock fullof insights you can use to
fully realize the potential ofyour childcare business. Let's
(00:50):
jump in.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Hello everyone, and welcome to the Childcare
Business Podcast. My name isLeah Woodbury. I'm the head of
content here at ProCareSolutions, and we are so happy
to have you all join us today.
Um, today we are thrilled tohave Samantha Boyle with us.
She is a curriculum managerhere at ProCare Solutions. Um,
she's an expert on many things,has a lot of experience in ECE
(01:16):
, um, but today she's gonnaspecifically talk to us about
the child development associatecredential. So welcome,
Samantha.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
Thank you so much for having me. It's great to be
here.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Yeah. So we usually like to start these podcasts,
getting a little bit ofbackground on our guests . Um,
you've been part of the ECEworld in many forms, including,
I think it's an assistantdirector of a childcare center
in Florida. So tell us what ledyou down the ECE path.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
Sure. Yeah. Um, so my ECE experience really
started with my mom. She was adirector and started a program.
Oh, geez . She was working inpreschools when I was four or
five, so for a really longtime. And actually as, as a
young child, I swore I wouldnever work with little kids. I
(02:06):
had a mom who worked in ECE andI have a sister who is almost
eight years younger than me.
And so I was like, Nope , notdoing the little kid thing.
I've had enough. Um, so, youknow, kind of went through like
the normal thing. I went tocollege. I studied
anthropology. I , uh, worked onfilm sets, have a background in
film and video, and , uh, endedup moving back home. Uh, right
(02:30):
before I was about to have myson. And when I had him, I was
really looking for something Icould do where I could bring
him with me , uh, you know,didn't wanna leave him at home,
still wanted to work, but, youknow, things are , have to be a
little flexible when you have a, a small human with you all
the time. So I had anopportunity to come in on a
(02:52):
really part-time basis at a , achildcare center in Florida,
and I could bring my son withme, and I went, I was there for
about three, four months and Ijust absolutely fell in love
with it and ended up going frommy like two day a week
position, very part-time to ,uh, assistant director of the
(03:14):
program. I loved it. I taught ,um, all different age groups. I
think my personal love is withthe preschoolers that like
three to 5-year-old age rangeis really where I find my
happiness. But , um, I lovedoing it. And when I was an
assistant director, the partthat I think I connected with
(03:35):
the most was working with ourstaff, doing career
development, talking about, youknow, how can we really get to
where we wanna be and how canwe fill our childcare centers
with people who want to bethere, who love to be there? I
mean, how can we really pourinto them , um, and make sure
that they're happy doing whatthey're doing?
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Wow. So were you, were you surprised that you
liked it as much as you did?
Did you think it was gonna bemaybe a temporary thing and
then you got there and it justkind of shocked you how happy
you were?
Speaker 3 (04:06):
Oh, absolutely.
Yeah. So when we moved back ,um, my husband and I had a, a
cinematography business. We hadclosed it down to move back
home. And actually I had endedup going and working as a
manager at Starbucks, and Iloved working at Starbucks. It
was super fast paced . It ,there was like a little bit of
competitive edge there. Um, andso except for the fact that I
(04:28):
had to wake up at three 30 inthe morning, I loved that job,
. But when I, when Iwas pregnant with my son,
coffee became a trigger formorning sickness. And so I had
to leave because I could notwalk in the building without
getting sick. So that was kindof when like everything started
to change and I had to reallyfigure out what we were gonna
be doing. Um, so totally,absolutely thought it was gonna
(04:51):
be, you know, temporary. Thisis just until I can go back to
Starbucks. Um, but I neverended up going back. I just, I
think having, learning abouthow tiny humans , brains
develop while you have your ownat home and you get to watch it
all happen, it was justsomething that, like, for me,
(05:12):
it clicked. My brain loves it,my heart loves it. And then,
you know, I tell people my, myson was like my, you know, I
was learning while he wasgrowing. And my daughter, I
joke that she was just myexperiment at home, that I had
her and everything that she wasdoing, I was like, oh, okay,
I'm gonna, you know, write thisdown, make a, make a note about
this because this isdevelopmentally appropriate or
(05:33):
this isn't. And so I was alittle bit more informed , uh,
for better or worse
Speaker 2 (05:38):
. It kind of
sounds like it does tie in with
anthropology though. Like, likeyou could use that as your base
for a lot of the things thatyou were learning. So that's
pretty cool.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
Definitely that human development piece. Yeah.
All ties together.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
Yeah. Yeah. So let's shift to today , um, Samantha's
here to specifically talk aboutthe CDA. And this is a big
thing in ECE right now , um,getting credentialed, getting
that training. Um, childcarecenters are searching so hard
for employees who have thisfamilies want this. Um, can you
give us an overview of what theCDA is?
Speaker 3 (06:12):
Yeah, absolutely.
Um, so the CDA is the childdevelopment associate
credential. It is the mostrecognized credential in ECE or
early childhood. Um, and Ibelieve the, the phrase that
they use is, it's the next beststep or the first best step
when you go into working inECE. Um, it's really a
(06:33):
collection of on the job ,really practical experience,
connecting it with a moreformal education side of the
training. And so it's bringingthose two worlds together,
which really yields just theseincredibly fantastic results.
You know, you can learn all dayabout theory, but if you don't
(06:53):
know what applying that theoryis, like, there's still a bit
of a disconnect and the otherway around too. So when we take
both those sides and put themtogether, which is what the CDA
does, we really make sure thatthe teachers who have this
credential leave with somereally practical knowledge of
how to apply that theory intheir classrooms.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Okay. And before we, we get into the nitty gritty,
the step-by-step, what it is ,um, let's dig in about why this
certification stands out amongall the other certifications
out there , um, both forcenters and for the employee
who's earning it. So can we,can we start with how the
employee benefits from this,this training?
Speaker 3 (07:35):
Yeah, for sure. So I kind of already talked about
how we're taking like thetheory and the practical side
and putting them together.
Mm-Hmm . . Um ,so really you're getting like
two sides of an education atone time. Um, but beyond that
even, it's something that isgonna help you advance your
career. Like I said, it's superwell recognized. It's actually
internationally recognized now.
(07:56):
So, oh , um, when you go toapply for a position, most
people in early childhood aregonna know the CDA, recognize
it and understand how much workwent into getting that
certificate. So advancingcareers, you know, some , uh,
centers, some childcarecenters, some accreditations
require CDAs from their leadteachers, especially in hire .
(08:21):
Um , so things like Head Start, you're gonna be able to meet
those job requirements ifyou're applying at a center ,
uh, where that's required. Italso is just a way to really
say like, Hey, I am here forearly childhood. This is what I
wanna do. This is my career,this is where I wanna be. Um,
like I said, it's not, and it'snot a short process. There's
(08:43):
definitely work that goes intoit. So, you know, it's not
something that somebody whoisn't serious about working in
this field is gonna do and thenjust kind of piece out. Um ,
gotcha . And then you said likeparents , right? Parents know
and recognize the CDA as well,and it gives them a bit of a
peace of mind when they go intoa classroom knowing that
they're, the teacher who iswith their students has this
(09:06):
really practical knowledge andunderstanding of what
development and observation andall of those things that the
CDA covers, well , that'shappening in their classroom,
right? Mm-Hmm..
And I think from a personalstandpoint, it's just a great
way to increase your confidenceoverall. Like, you know, when
you're talking about going intoECE, someone like me who I had
(09:28):
no background in childhood inany or teaching or anything
like that, to be able to comein and feel like I could say
like, Hey, I've done this work.
I've really put that time in,I've learned things and now I
have something to show for it.
I think it's just a really goodway to feel like you have, you
know, some really goodgrounding underneath you.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
And that has, like, that has to set your resume
apart from other applicants,right? I mean Mm-Hmm .
the percentage ofpeople who have it, that's
surely gonna move 'em to thetop, top of the pile, I would
think.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
Yeah, absolutely.
You know, when I was doinghires the CDA speaks volumes,
so, you know, they may have a,a certification that is maybe a
little less recognizable. Andnot to say that that is not a
wonderful and amazing thingMm-Hmm , , but I
think with how widelyrecognized the CDA is, it
definitely , uh, is a, what'sthe word I'm looking for? It's
(10:25):
definitely something to be seenon a resume. It's, it's
noticeable when that comesacross your desk.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
And you talked about that , you know, that families
are gonna love knowing theirchildren, they're getting a
teacher with this level oftraining. How, how else can a
center benefit from havingtheir teachers be CDA
credentialed?
Speaker 3 (10:45):
Sure. So on a , on a really high level, you're
talking about having , uh, justteachers in your center who are
really equipped for so manydifferent types of situations.
Mm-Hmm. , youknow, the CDA covers so much,
they're learning so much , um,that you really are , can be
confident that you haveteachers who are able to
(11:08):
handle, you know, if there's abehavioral challenge in their
classroom, that they're gonnaknow what to do with that if
they have an emergency happenin their classroom, which I've
been there, right? Like yeah .
That they can handle, that theyknow what to do. Um, all of
those things are covered underthe CDA. So I think there's a
certain piece of mind from likea director standpoint as a
whole, knowing that you havethat level of credentialed
(11:30):
teacher in your classroom on amore like , oh, sorry, go
ahead. Oh,
Speaker 2 (11:33):
No. And, and using that in marketing too, I would
think, right?
Speaker 3 (11:37):
Oh, for sure.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
Okay. I'm sorry, did I cut you off? Did you wanna
finish your thought before Ijust start jumping in there,
?
Speaker 3 (11:44):
No, you're good. I was gonna say on a , on a , on
a more minute level, uhhuh ,some states require a certain
amount of credentials perstudents . And so this is also
something that for most statesis gonna cover that
requirement. For example, Iworked in Florida for many
years. We had to have so manystaff credentials per students,
and so CDAs were our way ofmaking sure that we were
(12:06):
hitting those numbers for ourstaff credentials. Um , it's
just one of the ways, but it isanother way that, you know, the
whole center benefits fromhaving , uh, teachers who have
CDAs.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
Okay. So let's move on to getting a CDA. It sounds
like there's a few steps. Canyou, can you walk us through
each one?
Speaker 3 (12:24):
Sure. So the CDA has four main parts and then an
application. Um, so theapplication is generally pretty
easy. You can do it online,which we love. Um, so that's
when people normally see thatfee that comes with the CDA,
that's when that would, youknow, they would pay that. Um,
and then other than that, theapplication's quite easy. So
that's kind of an easy checkmark on the list of things that
(12:45):
you've gotta do. The next partwould be your training. Um, so
this is training andexperience. You have to have
both. So there's a requirementfor number of hours you've
spent working with children ina particular age group. Um , I
believe that's 480 hours withinthe last three years. Um, and
then the training piece is 120hours of training taken within
(13:10):
the last five years. So there'sa little bit of, you know ,
wiggle room if you're not ableto sit down and do the whole
thing at once. But it is reallybeneficial to find somewhere
where you can get a program forthe CDA that's laid out
specifically for it. So manyplaces with professional
development like us have a pa abundle, a package that you can
(13:34):
purchase that is strictly forthe CDA and make sure that you
cover all of thoserequirements.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
So how long does it , um, one , let me jump in
quick there. How long does ittake most people to get the
CDA? I mean, I know everybody'sdifferent and it takes people,
people's lives get in the way,, but is there a typical
time period it takes to get itdone?
Speaker 3 (13:56):
I would say that most , uh, most do it in about
a year. Okay. When you purchasethose bundles, typically you
have access for a year. So thetraining piece, most people
finish within a year, and Ialways say it's really, really
beneficial to do the other twoparts that you can while you're
doing the training. Okay. Um ,so those are kind of the next
(14:17):
two parts that we'll talkabout, which are the portfolio.
And the portfolio is a physicalor digital collection of
artifacts that you've collectedwhile you're doing your
training and competencystatements that you write. And
which ties into the third part,which is your verification
visit , um, which includes anobservation. So a PD specialist
(14:41):
from the Council forProfessional Recognition there,
who gives the CDA credentialout. Uh, they would send a PD
specialist, they'd come andobserve you in the, the
classroom , um, and they workwith you. You have a little
meeting with them, they look atyour portfolio and you talk
about, you know, how overallyour classroom's looking and
(15:01):
what does that look like andwhat are maybe some changes you
can make. And what , even ifthere are changes in that that
you talk about with them, thatdoesn't necessarily mean you're
not going to get your CDA. It'sjust an opportunity to hear a
different point of view fromsomeone, which is always a
really valuable thing, I think.
Um, and a lot of PD specialistswere early educators, so it's
(15:23):
really like a sharing ofknowledge between experts,
right? You've, you are anexpert in your classroom, but
sometimes it's great to have aanother set of eyes come in and
say, Hey, I loved how you didthis. Here's another idea of
how you could do that. OrHere's how we could like, you
know, make that transition alittle bit easier. You know,
those , sometimes those smallthings make all the difference.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
Oh, yeah. Those little tips of something you've
never even thought to consider.
Yeah,
Speaker 3 (15:49):
Right. Exactly. So then the last part of the CDA
is your exam, which is aphysical exam. Okay . Um, so
you go, you book a time, youtake your exam, and after that,
all of that information thathas now been collected goes
back to the Council forProfessional Recognition. Okay
. And they make a decision on,on your CDA certificate, so it
(16:09):
would come directly from them.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
Oh, okay. And what are the biggest hurdles for a
childcare center employee whois working toward this
certification?
Speaker 3 (16:19):
Sure. Yeah. I would say there's probably two. Okay
. Um , and they're, I mean,they're probably the ones you'd
guess, right? Time and money. Yes. So yes , the CDA,
the cost for the CDA typicallyis in two parts. The first cost
is gonna be the training costs. So you're paying for that
bundle or those courses,however you're managing to
collect those certifiededucation units or CEUs for
(16:44):
that training. Um, and then youalso have to pay the
application fee to the councilfor professional recognition.
And that covers things likeyour exam that covers the
professional developmentspecialist who's coming out and
doing the observation, allthose things. Mm-Hmm.
. So the moneypiece is kind of the first
hurdle. And there are some waysaround this . Many states have
(17:04):
scholarships you can use.
Sometimes the centers willcover it for the teachers.
Again, if it's like they needthat for a licensing, you know,
need, they will help pay forthat cost. Um, and the second
one is time. Like I said, that120 hours of training is a lot
of training to do, especiallyif you only have a year to do
(17:24):
it. Mm-Hmm. . Uh,so finding the times where we
can support staff who areworking towards their CDA and
helping them find, you know,how can we be able to fill a
spot in your classroom for 25minutes or 30 minutes so that
you can come in and worktowards a course here and
(17:47):
there. Those little bits oftime, time, those little chunks
go a long way towards helpingwith that. But, you know, the,
the ability to pay the cost andthen also find the time to take
those courses, those areprobably the two biggest
hurdles we see.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Do you think that people look at those things
right away and they just say,oh, it's, it's too much. I
can't do it. People who would,who would do great at it and
could do it, but it's just kindof a daunting prospect. Do you
, do you hear that very often?
Speaker 3 (18:18):
Oh, for sure. Yeah.
Okay . I mean , uh, one of thebig things that I hear when
we're talking about the CDAs, Ijust don't have the time. Uh, I
think there's that, it's sohard already to find time
outside your classroom, and somany educators are going from
working with students all day,40 hours a week to home where
they're still responsible for,you know, their families and
(18:40):
they have things they have todo and they get home. And so
finding ways to help thoseeducators find extra time in
their day or meet them wherethey're at and give them
opportunities to fulfill thoseneeds while maybe they can't
sit down and be in front of acomputer , uh, is also
something that I think, youknow, professional development
(19:01):
companies and organizations cando more of to help fill that
gap a little bit.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
And this, this touches on the next thing. You,
you talked about, you know,carving out some time , um,
that directors and centerowners can do that to support
their employees as they workthrough the process. Is there
anything else as far as asupport system or anything else
that can be done to help thempush through this and, and
achieve that goal?
Speaker 3 (19:28):
Yeah, so when we were, when , when we, when I
was working in a centerYeah . Um, it was so helpful to
have people who had been thereand done the CDA before to kind
of help mentor you through theprocess. Okay . One of the
things that we've found is thatthere's not a ton of support in
(19:49):
the process of actually goingthrough the CDA. And so if
there are people who can, youknow, lend a little bit of
wisdom or even just likeencouragement through the
process, if you have staffgoing through this, celebrate
them as they hit thosemilestones. Don't wait till the
very end, you know, the , theend is great, it's fun. You get
(20:09):
a certificate, you can say, Ican add this to my resume. All
those things. But mm-Hmm .
it is a longprocess. You know, most states
require anywhere from, youknow, 10 to 30 hours a year,
and then all of a sudden you'rebeing asked to do 120 hours in
a year, and it's a lot. So ,mm-Hmm.
encouragement goes a long way.
Tell them they're doing a goodjob, cheer them on as they go,
(20:30):
help them, you know, help themthrough those struggles or
those times where they're like,oh , this is too much. I don't
think I can do it. You know,just having people in your
corner goes such a long wayduring a hard and long process.
Speaker 2 (20:46):
Yes, yes. No doubt.
So this brings us to the CDApathway, which you mentioned
before. Um, how does this work?
Speaker 3 (20:56):
Sure. So one of the things that we have strived to
do at ProCare is with theProCare professional
development, we will have a CDApathway laid out. We talked
about those bundles. So this isour version of the , that Uhhuh
. So when youcome to do your CDA with us,
instead of having one reallylong CDA course, we have
(21:19):
actually taken that and we'vebroken it down into 10 pathway
courses. And this is kind ofthe bread and butter of the CDA
course for us. We, we talkedabout how there's not a lot of
support in some places we finda lot of people who are doing
this on their own or they'retrying to get a job in ECE, and
this is like, they are tryingto take this big first step to
(21:39):
meet those requirements. And sothey don't have people right
there to kind of go, Ooh , thisis what I did when I did mine,
or I can help you, or Here'swhere you go next. So we built
that into our pathway. So whenyou begin your CDA with us, you
have an introduction course.
That introduction course walksyou through what the CDA is,
how it benefits you, and thenwhat to expect from the whole
(22:02):
process. It also sets you up bytelling you things like what
materials do you need tocollect right now? Um, and so
each of our Pathway courses, wehave our intro course at the
end, we have a capstone coursethat gives you all your next
steps, where to go, how to getthere because you transition
from your training then todoing things on the CDA council
(22:23):
website. Okay . And so we kindof coach and walk them through
that process in that course.
And the eight courses in themiddle are courses on each
subject area that's required ofyour training. So each one
covers that subject area, butalso gives them information on
what they need to collect fortheir portfolio. So they can do
(22:44):
that during those classes. They, uh, we talk about the
competency statement, so theyknow what's coming in terms of
what to write for, that theycan kind of be thinking about
it as they're taking thosecourses. And then it gives them
some practical advice andthings like how to find where
this is in your requiredmaterial book. Uh, here's
(23:04):
things to look for or stand outwith, and then gives them
exactly what courses they needto take to fulfill the
requirement for that subjectarea. So we're really
handholding and walking youthrough it so that at every
step of the way you feel likeyou know exactly what's coming
next and you're confident ingetting it done and moving on
to the next piece.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
Okay. Great. Well, that was everything that I had.
Is there anything I didn't askthat I should have or that you
think people should know aboutthe CDA in general or the
pathway specifically?
Speaker 3 (23:38):
I mean, I am really passionate about this Uhhuh ,
the CDA Pathway project waskind of my, my baby. I tell
people it's my third child . Um, I did my CDA and
it was really a turning pointfor me gaining all of this
knowledge and understanding somuch more about early
childhood. Um, but I feltreally kind of disjointed and a
(23:59):
little confused about theprocess as I was going through
it. Um , because of that, Iended up having to do some
stuff twice and the process.
And so when I set out to makethis pathway that was really a
personal piece of it for me wasthat we really wanted everyone
who takes it to feel supportedthroughout the process, even if
(24:20):
they don't have a physicalperson to do that, that they
know they can reach out to usanytime they have access to
both my email and the emails ofour instructors. So if they
have questions about thecourse, we're there for them.
Um, and we give them resourcesoutside of just us to like, to
the CDA council and things likethat. So really for me, I think
(24:42):
just saying like, this is, I ,this is my great love. I love
the CDA, I think that it's so,such a wonderful stepping stone
for early educators, and it'ssomething that I really hope we
at, you know, ProCareprofessional development have
helped to make more accessiblefor teachers and early
(25:02):
educators everywhere. You know,one of the things that I'm
really, really proud of thatwe've done is that we have
courses that count towards ourCDA that are in podcast form.
They can earn their CEOs bylistening to a podcast and
going to take a short quiz. Andfor me that, again, really
personal, my mom used to drivean hour each way to her center,
(25:25):
and she always used to say shewished that she could have some
of her professional developmentshe could do while she was
driving, but we also should notbe on our phones,
taking professionaldevelopment courses in the car.
Um, and so we set out to, youknow, again, really meet the
educators where they're at. Soif you have, you know, baseball
practice and you're with yourkids at baseball practice, but
(25:47):
you have to be there, but youdon't necessarily have to
participate, you can belistening to that podcaster if
you're driving in your car,things like that. Um, it's not
gonna get you through the wholeprocess, but it'll get you a
good amount of the way there.
And , um, you know, thosethings I think we're really
working hard to do. And mymessage to everybody listening
is just, if you have thingsthat you want, things you're
(26:08):
looking for, please let usknow, because we rely on the
early educators out there, the,the boots on the ground, so to
speak. Tell us what they'relooking for, what's happening
in ECE, what do you wanna seenext so that we can, we can
again meet you where you areand, and give you guys what you
are looking for.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
Well, thank you so much, Samantha, for all this,
this is really goodinformation. Um, could you
share where , um, listeners canfind out more about ProCare
Professional Developmentwebsite? Any, any info you
have?
Speaker 3 (26:38):
Absolutely. So right now, they can go to burleson
education.com and that's gonnabe where our professional
development is hosted as oftoday. Um , okay . In the
future, we'll have a redirectthere. They'll be able to
access it through the ProCarewebsite. Um, so coming soon
still in the process, but we'regetting there.
Speaker 2 (26:57):
All right . Well, thanks again for your time and
thank you to all of ourlisteners. Um, thank you for
the vital work that you doevery day . For those of you
who are in ECE, especiallycoming from a working mom, we
couldn't do it without you. Um,please stay tuned for our next
podcast , um, that will be inDecember. Um, and we'll see you
(27:17):
next time. Thanks. Bye.
Speaker 1 (27:21):
Thank you for listening to this episode of
the Childcare Business Podcast.
To get more insights on ways tosucceed in your childcare
business, make sure to hitsubscribe in your podcast app
so you never miss an episode.
And if you want even morechildcare , business tips,
tricks, and strategies, headover to our resource
center@procaresoftware.com.
(27:41):
Until next time.
Welcome to the Childcare Business Podcast,
brought to you by ProCareSolutions. This podcast is all
about giving childcare ,preschool, daycare, after
school , and other earlyeducation professionals. A fun
and upbeat way to learn aboutstrategies and inspiration you
can use to thrive. You'll hearfrom a variety of childcare
(00:29):
thought leaders, includingeducators, owners, and industry
experts on ways to innovate, tomeet the needs of the children
you serve. From practical tipsfor managing operations to
uplifting stories oftransformation and triumph,
this podcast will be chock fullof insights you can use to
fully realize the potential ofyour childcare business. Let's
(00:50):
jump in.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Hello everyone, and welcome to the Childcare
Business Podcast. My name isLeah Woodbury. I'm the head of
content here at ProCareSolutions, and we are so happy
to have you all join us today.
Um, today we are thrilled tohave Samantha Boyle with us.
She is a curriculum managerhere at ProCare Solutions. Um,
she's an expert on many things,has a lot of experience in ECE
(01:16):
, um, but today she's gonnaspecifically talk to us about
the child development associatecredential. So welcome,
Samantha.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
Thank you so much for having me. It's great to be
here.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Yeah. So we usually like to start these podcasts,
getting a little bit ofbackground on our guests . Um,
you've been part of the ECEworld in many forms, including,
I think it's an assistantdirector of a childcare center
in Florida. So tell us what ledyou down the ECE path.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
Sure. Yeah. Um, so my ECE experience really
started with my mom. She was adirector and started a program.
Oh, geez . She was working inpreschools when I was four or
five, so for a really longtime. And actually as, as a
young child, I swore I wouldnever work with little kids. I
(02:06):
had a mom who worked in ECE andI have a sister who is almost
eight years younger than me.
And so I was like, Nope , notdoing the little kid thing.
I've had enough. Um, so, youknow, kind of went through like
the normal thing. I went tocollege. I studied
anthropology. I , uh, worked onfilm sets, have a background in
film and video, and , uh, endedup moving back home. Uh, right
(02:30):
before I was about to have myson. And when I had him, I was
really looking for something Icould do where I could bring
him with me , uh, you know,didn't wanna leave him at home,
still wanted to work, but, youknow, things are , have to be a
little flexible when you have a, a small human with you all
the time. So I had anopportunity to come in on a
(02:52):
really part-time basis at a , achildcare center in Florida,
and I could bring my son withme, and I went, I was there for
about three, four months and Ijust absolutely fell in love
with it and ended up going frommy like two day a week
position, very part-time to ,uh, assistant director of the
(03:14):
program. I loved it. I taught ,um, all different age groups. I
think my personal love is withthe preschoolers that like
three to 5-year-old age rangeis really where I find my
happiness. But , um, I lovedoing it. And when I was an
assistant director, the partthat I think I connected with
(03:35):
the most was working with ourstaff, doing career
development, talking about, youknow, how can we really get to
where we wanna be and how canwe fill our childcare centers
with people who want to bethere, who love to be there? I
mean, how can we really pourinto them , um, and make sure
that they're happy doing whatthey're doing?
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Wow. So were you, were you surprised that you
liked it as much as you did?
Did you think it was gonna bemaybe a temporary thing and
then you got there and it justkind of shocked you how happy
you were?
Speaker 3 (04:06):
Oh, absolutely.
Yeah. So when we moved back ,um, my husband and I had a, a
cinematography business. We hadclosed it down to move back
home. And actually I had endedup going and working as a
manager at Starbucks, and Iloved working at Starbucks. It
was super fast paced . It ,there was like a little bit of
competitive edge there. Um, andso except for the fact that I
(04:28):
had to wake up at three 30 inthe morning, I loved that job,
coffee became a trigger formorning sickness. And so I had
to leave because I could notwalk in the building without
getting sick. So that was kindof when like everything started
to change and I had to reallyfigure out what we were gonna
be doing. Um, so totally,absolutely thought it was gonna
(04:51):
be, you know, temporary. Thisis just until I can go back to
Starbucks. Um, but I neverended up going back. I just, I
think having, learning abouthow tiny humans , brains
develop while you have your ownat home and you get to watch it
all happen, it was justsomething that, like, for me,
(05:12):
it clicked. My brain loves it,my heart loves it. And then,
you know, I tell people my, myson was like my, you know, I
was learning while he wasgrowing. And my daughter, I
joke that she was just myexperiment at home, that I had
her and everything that she wasdoing, I was like, oh, okay,
I'm gonna, you know, write thisdown, make a, make a note about
this because this isdevelopmentally appropriate or
(05:33):
this isn't. And so I was alittle bit more informed , uh,
for better or worse
Speaker 2 (05:38):
anthropology though. Like, likeyou could use that as your base
for a lot of the things thatyou were learning. So that's
pretty cool.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
Definitely that human development piece. Yeah.
All ties together.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
Yeah. Yeah. So let's shift to today , um, Samantha's
here to specifically talk aboutthe CDA. And this is a big
thing in ECE right now , um,getting credentialed, getting
that training. Um, childcarecenters are searching so hard
for employees who have thisfamilies want this. Um, can you
give us an overview of what theCDA is?
Speaker 3 (06:12):
Yeah, absolutely.
Um, so the CDA is the childdevelopment associate
credential. It is the mostrecognized credential in ECE or
early childhood. Um, and Ibelieve the, the phrase that
they use is, it's the next beststep or the first best step
when you go into working inECE. Um, it's really a
(06:33):
collection of on the job ,really practical experience,
connecting it with a moreformal education side of the
training. And so it's bringingthose two worlds together,
which really yields just theseincredibly fantastic results.
You know, you can learn all dayabout theory, but if you don't
(06:53):
know what applying that theoryis, like, there's still a bit
of a disconnect and the otherway around too. So when we take
both those sides and put themtogether, which is what the CDA
does, we really make sure thatthe teachers who have this
credential leave with somereally practical knowledge of
how to apply that theory intheir classrooms.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Okay. And before we, we get into the nitty gritty,
the step-by-step, what it is ,um, let's dig in about why this
certification stands out amongall the other certifications
out there , um, both forcenters and for the employee
who's earning it. So can we,can we start with how the
employee benefits from this,this training?
Speaker 3 (07:35):
Yeah, for sure. So I kind of already talked about
how we're taking like thetheory and the practical side
and putting them together.
Mm-Hmm .
two sides of an education atone time. Um, but beyond that
even, it's something that isgonna help you advance your
career. Like I said, it's superwell recognized. It's actually
internationally recognized now.
(07:56):
So, oh , um, when you go toapply for a position, most
people in early childhood aregonna know the CDA, recognize
it and understand how much workwent into getting that
certificate. So advancingcareers, you know, some , uh,
centers, some childcarecenters, some accreditations
require CDAs from their leadteachers, especially in hire .
(08:21):
Um , so things like Head Start, you're gonna be able to meet
those job requirements ifyou're applying at a center ,
uh, where that's required. Italso is just a way to really
say like, Hey, I am here forearly childhood. This is what I
wanna do. This is my career,this is where I wanna be. Um,
like I said, it's not, and it'snot a short process. There's
(08:43):
definitely work that goes intoit. So, you know, it's not
something that somebody whoisn't serious about working in
this field is gonna do and thenjust kind of piece out. Um ,
gotcha . And then you said likeparents , right? Parents know
and recognize the CDA as well,and it gives them a bit of a
peace of mind when they go intoa classroom knowing that
they're, the teacher who iswith their students has this
(09:06):
really practical knowledge andunderstanding of what
development and observation andall of those things that the
CDA covers, well , that'shappening in their classroom,
right? Mm-Hmm.
And I think from a personalstandpoint, it's just a great
way to increase your confidenceoverall. Like, you know, when
you're talking about going intoECE, someone like me who I had
(09:28):
no background in childhood inany or teaching or anything
like that, to be able to comein and feel like I could say
like, Hey, I've done this work.
I've really put that time in,I've learned things and now I
have something to show for it.
I think it's just a really goodway to feel like you have, you
know, some really goodgrounding underneath you.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
And that has, like, that has to set your resume
apart from other applicants,right? I mean Mm-Hmm .
surely gonna move 'em to thetop, top of the pile, I would
think.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
Yeah, absolutely.
You know, when I was doinghires the CDA speaks volumes,
so, you know, they may have a,a certification that is maybe a
little less recognizable. Andnot to say that that is not a
wonderful and amazing thingMm-Hmm ,
think with how widelyrecognized the CDA is, it
definitely , uh, is a, what'sthe word I'm looking for? It's
(10:25):
definitely something to be seenon a resume. It's, it's
noticeable when that comesacross your desk.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
And you talked about that , you know, that families
are gonna love knowing theirchildren, they're getting a
teacher with this level oftraining. How, how else can a
center benefit from havingtheir teachers be CDA
credentialed?
Speaker 3 (10:45):
Sure. So on a , on a really high level, you're
talking about having , uh, justteachers in your center who are
really equipped for so manydifferent types of situations.
Mm-Hmm.
they're learning so much , um,that you really are , can be
confident that you haveteachers who are able to
(11:08):
handle, you know, if there's abehavioral challenge in their
classroom, that they're gonnaknow what to do with that if
they have an emergency happenin their classroom, which I've
been there, right? Like yeah .
That they can handle, that theyknow what to do. Um, all of
those things are covered underthe CDA. So I think there's a
certain piece of mind from likea director standpoint as a
whole, knowing that you havethat level of credentialed
(11:30):
teacher in your classroom on amore like , oh, sorry, go
ahead. Oh,
Speaker 2 (11:33):
No. And, and using that in marketing too, I would
think, right?
Speaker 3 (11:37):
Oh, for sure.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
Okay. I'm sorry, did I cut you off? Did you wanna
finish your thought before Ijust start jumping in there,
Speaker 3 (11:44):
No, you're good. I was gonna say on a , on a , on
a more minute level, uhhuh ,some states require a certain
amount of credentials perstudents . And so this is also
something that for most statesis gonna cover that
requirement. For example, Iworked in Florida for many
years. We had to have so manystaff credentials per students,
and so CDAs were our way ofmaking sure that we were
(12:06):
hitting those numbers for ourstaff credentials. Um , it's
just one of the ways, but it isanother way that, you know, the
whole center benefits fromhaving , uh, teachers who have
CDAs.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
Okay. So let's move on to getting a CDA. It sounds
like there's a few steps. Canyou, can you walk us through
each one?
Speaker 3 (12:24):
Sure. So the CDA has four main parts and then an
application. Um, so theapplication is generally pretty
easy. You can do it online,which we love. Um, so that's
when people normally see thatfee that comes with the CDA,
that's when that would, youknow, they would pay that. Um,
and then other than that, theapplication's quite easy. So
that's kind of an easy checkmark on the list of things that
(12:45):
you've gotta do. The next partwould be your training. Um, so
this is training andexperience. You have to have
both. So there's a requirementfor number of hours you've
spent working with children ina particular age group. Um , I
believe that's 480 hours withinthe last three years. Um, and
then the training piece is 120hours of training taken within
(13:10):
the last five years. So there'sa little bit of, you know ,
wiggle room if you're not ableto sit down and do the whole
thing at once. But it is reallybeneficial to find somewhere
where you can get a program forthe CDA that's laid out
specifically for it. So manyplaces with professional
development like us have a pa abundle, a package that you can
(13:34):
purchase that is strictly forthe CDA and make sure that you
cover all of thoserequirements.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
So how long does it , um, one , let me jump in
quick there. How long does ittake most people to get the
CDA? I mean, I know everybody'sdifferent and it takes people,
people's lives get in the way,
time period it takes to get itdone?
Speaker 3 (13:56):
I would say that most , uh, most do it in about
a year. Okay. When you purchasethose bundles, typically you
have access for a year. So thetraining piece, most people
finish within a year, and Ialways say it's really, really
beneficial to do the other twoparts that you can while you're
doing the training. Okay. Um ,so those are kind of the next
(14:17):
two parts that we'll talkabout, which are the portfolio.
And the portfolio is a physicalor digital collection of
artifacts that you've collectedwhile you're doing your
training and competencystatements that you write. And
which ties into the third part,which is your verification
visit , um, which includes anobservation. So a PD specialist
(14:41):
from the Council forProfessional Recognition there,
who gives the CDA credentialout. Uh, they would send a PD
specialist, they'd come andobserve you in the, the
classroom , um, and they workwith you. You have a little
meeting with them, they look atyour portfolio and you talk
about, you know, how overallyour classroom's looking and
(15:01):
what does that look like andwhat are maybe some changes you
can make. And what , even ifthere are changes in that that
you talk about with them, thatdoesn't necessarily mean you're
not going to get your CDA. It'sjust an opportunity to hear a
different point of view fromsomeone, which is always a
really valuable thing, I think.
Um, and a lot of PD specialistswere early educators, so it's
(15:23):
really like a sharing ofknowledge between experts,
right? You've, you are anexpert in your classroom, but
sometimes it's great to have aanother set of eyes come in and
say, Hey, I loved how you didthis. Here's another idea of
how you could do that. OrHere's how we could like, you
know, make that transition alittle bit easier. You know,
those , sometimes those smallthings make all the difference.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
Oh, yeah. Those little tips of something you've
never even thought to consider.
Yeah,
Speaker 3 (15:49):
Right. Exactly. So then the last part of the CDA
is your exam, which is aphysical exam. Okay . Um, so
you go, you book a time, youtake your exam, and after that,
all of that information thathas now been collected goes
back to the Council forProfessional Recognition. Okay
. And they make a decision on,on your CDA certificate, so it
(16:09):
would come directly from them.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
Oh, okay. And what are the biggest hurdles for a
childcare center employee whois working toward this
certification?
Speaker 3 (16:19):
Sure. Yeah. I would say there's probably two. Okay
. Um , and they're, I mean,they're probably the ones you'd
guess, right? Time and money
the cost for the CDA typicallyis in two parts. The first cost
is gonna be the training costs. So you're paying for that
bundle or those courses,however you're managing to
collect those certifiededucation units or CEUs for
(16:44):
that training. Um, and then youalso have to pay the
application fee to the councilfor professional recognition.
And that covers things likeyour exam that covers the
professional developmentspecialist who's coming out and
doing the observation, allthose things. Mm-Hmm.
hurdle. And there are some waysaround this . Many states have
(17:04):
scholarships you can use.
Sometimes the centers willcover it for the teachers.
Again, if it's like they needthat for a licensing, you know,
need, they will help pay forthat cost. Um, and the second
one is time. Like I said, that120 hours of training is a lot
of training to do, especiallyif you only have a year to do
(17:24):
it. Mm-Hmm.
can support staff who areworking towards their CDA and
helping them find, you know,how can we be able to fill a
spot in your classroom for 25minutes or 30 minutes so that
you can come in and worktowards a course here and
(17:47):
there. Those little bits oftime, time, those little chunks
go a long way towards helpingwith that. But, you know, the,
the ability to pay the cost andthen also find the time to take
those courses, those areprobably the two biggest
hurdles we see.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Do you think that people look at those things
right away and they just say,oh, it's, it's too much. I
can't do it. People who would,who would do great at it and
could do it, but it's just kindof a daunting prospect. Do you
, do you hear that very often?
Speaker 3 (18:18):
Oh, for sure. Yeah.
Okay . I mean , uh, one of thebig things that I hear when
we're talking about the CDAs, Ijust don't have the time. Uh, I
think there's that, it's sohard already to find time
outside your classroom, and somany educators are going from
working with students all day,40 hours a week to home where
they're still responsible for,you know, their families and
(18:40):
they have things they have todo and they get home. And so
finding ways to help thoseeducators find extra time in
their day or meet them wherethey're at and give them
opportunities to fulfill thoseneeds while maybe they can't
sit down and be in front of acomputer , uh, is also
something that I think, youknow, professional development
(19:01):
companies and organizations cando more of to help fill that
gap a little bit.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
And this, this touches on the next thing. You,
you talked about, you know,carving out some time , um,
that directors and centerowners can do that to support
their employees as they workthrough the process. Is there
anything else as far as asupport system or anything else
that can be done to help thempush through this and, and
achieve that goal?
Speaker 3 (19:28):
Yeah, so when we were, when , when we, when I
have people who had been thereand done the CDA before to kind
of help mentor you through theprocess. Okay . One of the
things that we've found is thatthere's not a ton of support in
(19:49):
the process of actually goingthrough the CDA. And so if
there are people who can, youknow, lend a little bit of
wisdom or even just likeencouragement through the
process, if you have staffgoing through this, celebrate
them as they hit thosemilestones. Don't wait till the
very end, you know, the , theend is great, it's fun. You get
(20:09):
a certificate, you can say, Ican add this to my resume. All
those things. But mm-Hmm .
require anywhere from, youknow, 10 to 30 hours a year,
and then all of a sudden you'rebeing asked to do 120 hours in
a year, and it's a lot. So ,mm-Hmm.
encouragement goes a long way.
Tell them they're doing a goodjob, cheer them on as they go,
(20:30):
help them, you know, help themthrough those struggles or
those times where they're like,oh , this is too much. I don't
think I can do it. You know,just having people in your
corner goes such a long wayduring a hard and long process.
Speaker 2 (20:46):
Yes, yes. No doubt.
So this brings us to the CDApathway, which you mentioned
before. Um, how does this work?
Speaker 3 (20:56):
Sure. So one of the things that we have strived to
do at ProCare is with theProCare professional
development, we will have a CDApathway laid out. We talked
about those bundles. So this isour version of the , that Uhhuh
instead of having one reallylong CDA course, we have
(21:19):
actually taken that and we'vebroken it down into 10 pathway
courses. And this is kind ofthe bread and butter of the CDA
course for us. We, we talkedabout how there's not a lot of
support in some places we finda lot of people who are doing
this on their own or they'retrying to get a job in ECE, and
this is like, they are tryingto take this big first step to
(21:39):
meet those requirements. And sothey don't have people right
there to kind of go, Ooh , thisis what I did when I did mine,
or I can help you, or Here'swhere you go next. So we built
that into our pathway. So whenyou begin your CDA with us, you
have an introduction course.
That introduction course walksyou through what the CDA is,
how it benefits you, and thenwhat to expect from the whole
(22:02):
process. It also sets you up bytelling you things like what
materials do you need tocollect right now? Um, and so
each of our Pathway courses, wehave our intro course at the
end, we have a capstone coursethat gives you all your next
steps, where to go, how to getthere because you transition
from your training then todoing things on the CDA council
(22:23):
website. Okay . And so we kindof coach and walk them through
that process in that course.
And the eight courses in themiddle are courses on each
subject area that's required ofyour training. So each one
covers that subject area, butalso gives them information on
what they need to collect fortheir portfolio. So they can do
(22:44):
that during those classes. They, uh, we talk about the
competency statement, so theyknow what's coming in terms of
what to write for, that theycan kind of be thinking about
it as they're taking thosecourses. And then it gives them
some practical advice andthings like how to find where
this is in your requiredmaterial book. Uh, here's
(23:04):
things to look for or stand outwith, and then gives them
exactly what courses they needto take to fulfill the
requirement for that subjectarea. So we're really
handholding and walking youthrough it so that at every
step of the way you feel likeyou know exactly what's coming
next and you're confident ingetting it done and moving on
to the next piece.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
Okay. Great. Well, that was everything that I had.
Is there anything I didn't askthat I should have or that you
think people should know aboutthe CDA in general or the
pathway specifically?
Speaker 3 (23:38):
I mean, I am really passionate about this Uhhuh ,
the CDA Pathway project waskind of my, my baby. I tell
people it's my third child
it was really a turning pointfor me gaining all of this
knowledge and understanding somuch more about early
childhood. Um, but I feltreally kind of disjointed and a
(23:59):
little confused about theprocess as I was going through
it. Um , because of that, Iended up having to do some
stuff twice and the process.
And so when I set out to makethis pathway that was really a
personal piece of it for me wasthat we really wanted everyone
who takes it to feel supportedthroughout the process, even if
(24:20):
they don't have a physicalperson to do that, that they
know they can reach out to usanytime they have access to
both my email and the emails ofour instructors. So if they
have questions about thecourse, we're there for them.
Um, and we give them resourcesoutside of just us to like, to
the CDA council and things likethat. So really for me, I think
(24:42):
just saying like, this is, I ,this is my great love. I love
the CDA, I think that it's so,such a wonderful stepping stone
for early educators, and it'ssomething that I really hope we
at, you know, ProCareprofessional development have
helped to make more accessiblefor teachers and early
(25:02):
educators everywhere. You know,one of the things that I'm
really, really proud of thatwe've done is that we have
courses that count towards ourCDA that are in podcast form.
They can earn their CEOs bylistening to a podcast and
going to take a short quiz. Andfor me that, again, really
personal, my mom used to drivean hour each way to her center,
(25:25):
and she always used to say shewished that she could have some
of her professional developmentshe could do while she was
driving, but we also should notbe on our phones,
Um, and so we set out to, youknow, again, really meet the
educators where they're at. Soif you have, you know, baseball
practice and you're with yourkids at baseball practice, but
(25:47):
you have to be there, but youdon't necessarily have to
participate, you can belistening to that podcaster if
you're driving in your car,things like that. Um, it's not
gonna get you through the wholeprocess, but it'll get you a
good amount of the way there.
And , um, you know, thosethings I think we're really
working hard to do. And mymessage to everybody listening
is just, if you have thingsthat you want, things you're
(26:08):
looking for, please let usknow, because we rely on the
early educators out there, the,the boots on the ground, so to
speak. Tell us what they'relooking for, what's happening
in ECE, what do you wanna seenext so that we can, we can
again meet you where you areand, and give you guys what you
are looking for.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
Well, thank you so much, Samantha, for all this,
this is really goodinformation. Um, could you
share where , um, listeners canfind out more about ProCare
Professional Developmentwebsite? Any, any info you
have?
Speaker 3 (26:38):
Absolutely. So right now, they can go to burleson
education.com and that's gonnabe where our professional
development is hosted as oftoday. Um , okay . In the
future, we'll have a redirectthere. They'll be able to
access it through the ProCarewebsite. Um, so coming soon
still in the process, but we'regetting there.
Speaker 2 (26:57):
All right . Well, thanks again for your time and
thank you to all of ourlisteners. Um, thank you for
the vital work that you doevery day . For those of you
who are in ECE, especiallycoming from a working mom, we
couldn't do it without you. Um,please stay tuned for our next
podcast , um, that will be inDecember. Um, and we'll see you
(27:17):
next time. Thanks. Bye.
Speaker 1 (27:21):
Thank you for listening to this episode of
the Childcare Business Podcast.
To get more insights on ways tosucceed in your childcare
business, make sure to hitsubscribe in your podcast app
so you never miss an episode.
And if you want even morechildcare , business tips,
tricks, and strategies, headover to our resource
center@procaresoftware.com.
(27:41):
Until next time.
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On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Cardiac Cowboys
The heart was always off-limits to surgeons. Cutting into it spelled instant death for the patient. That is, until a ragtag group of doctors scattered across the Midwest and Texas decided to throw out the rule book. Working in makeshift laboratories and home garages, using medical devices made from scavenged machine parts and beer tubes, these men and women invented the field of open heart surgery. Odds are, someone you know is alive because of them. So why has history left them behind? Presented by Chris Pine, CARDIAC COWBOYS tells the gripping true story behind the birth of heart surgery, and the young, Greatest Generation doctors who made it happen. For years, they competed and feuded, racing to be the first, the best, and the most prolific. Some appeared on the cover of Time Magazine, operated on kings and advised presidents. Others ended up disgraced, penniless, and convicted of felonies. Together, they ignited a revolution in medicine, and changed the world.