Career Hub
Each early childhood professional has a unique career pathway and goals for their career. Learn about the early childhood career pathways and explore how TECPDS can support your career advancement.
Educator | Administrator | Trainer | Coach
Getting Started
Get started by creating your free TECPDS account, then start entering information about your career. Your TECPDS account is your personal record of your unique career pathway, where you can document the education, credentials, professional development, and work experience throughout your career.
Toolkits
View our toolkits to see how TECPDS aligns with your program, including Texas Rising Star, Head Start, and RAPs!
Coming Soon: TECPDS Connect
Connect with your networks, other early childhood professionals, and career advancement organizations through TECPDS Connect. Coming soon on your TECPDS dashboard!
Educator
As an educator, TECPDS can help you track and advance your career pathway. In your current role, connect with your employer and share your career profile report to highlight accomplishments and meet requirements for programs such as Texas Rising Star. Then, start exploring professional development and career advancement resources to continue the journey on your career pathway.
Explore the Educator Career Pathway
The Educator Pathway is designed for those serving in roles that directly support young children in early childhood education classrooms, and those just beginning their early childhood careers. Typically identified as classroom teachers, assistants, or paraprofessionals, these individuals provide direct care and instruction to children ages 0-8. There are many ways to advance levels in the Educator Pathway – from attending and receiving a degree of higher education from an Associate’s or Bachelor’s program – to completing industry standard certifications such as the Child Development Associate (CDA) or a Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP). See our examples of how educators can navigate the career pathway and advance to different levels depending on their career goals.
Start Advancing on the Educator Career Pathway
Ready to advance your level on this career pathway? Complete free training offered on CLI Engage to learn about the Texas Core Competencies for Early Childhood Practitioners and Administrators. Earn training hours, increase your knowledge of the state’s guidelines, and advance beyond level 2 on the educator career pathway!
Coming Soon: Educator Learning Hub
Explore free professional development resources with a unique focus on competency, the skills and behaviors educators can use to help children develop and thrive. Coming soon on your TECPDS dashboard!
Administrator
As an administrator, TECPDS can help you track and advance your career pathway and support your staff to build their skills. To begin, create your TECPDS account, connect with your program, and build your personal career profile. Administrators have access to additional features to connect with your staff, generate reports to meet requirements for Texas Rising Star, and guide professional development for your team.
When you connect to your program on TECPDS, be sure to indicate your role so you can access additional features in your account!
Certificate Generation Tool
Create and share certificates (for free!) when you train your staff.
Trainer
As a trainer, TECPDS can help you track and advance your career pathway, support you, and build your skills. The first step is to create your FREE TECPDS account. All Registered Trainers will enter as a Level 1 Trainer. The traditional Trainer account associated with TECPDS requires the completion of a Texas Trainer application to determine your qualifications to provide trainings to child care providers across the state. There are opportunities for advancement with the Trainer Micro-credential Program.
Certificate Generation Tool
Quickly create certificates and sign-in sheets for all early childhood trainings (for free!)
Texas Trainer Registry
The Texas Trainer Registry is a statewide system that approves early childhood trainers and their trainings. Registered Trainers are approved to deliver training to Texas child care programs and have met qualifications in early childhood expertise, adult learning theories, and core competencies. To find a trainer or their trainings, visit the Search Trainers/Trainings page.
Apply to Be a Registered Trainer | Registered Trainer Renewals
Trainer Pathway
The Texas Trainer Registry offers an advancement pathway for those who specialize in delivering training to early childhood education professionals. Trainers may have a specific expertise in a specialized area such as literacy development, social-emotional behaviors, or more. The Trainer Pathway allows those who deliver professional development to see how they can advance their training skills and practices.
Coach and Mentor
As a coach, TECPDS can help you track and advance your career pathway and support the early childhood professionals you support in building their skills. Coaches and mentors are early childhood specialists who serve as coaches or mentors to provide direct support to teachers, assistants, and administrators who support children. To begin, create your TECPDS account and build your personal career profile.
Coming Soon: Coach and Mentor Learning Hub and Pathway
A new suite of resources for coaches and mentors is coming soon to TECPDS! Explore free professional development resources with a unique focus on coaching and mentoring competency, evidence-based coaching skills that you can continuously improve upon, and skills you can draw on in your ongoing work with teachers and administrators. Coming soon on your TECPDS dashboard!