With three pathways to choose from – a Certificate, an Associate of Arts Degree or an Associate of Applied Science Degree – you can jump start your career in field of early education. Learn the theories and gain experience to begin a rewarding career working with children.
There are three programs within the academic program that give you options depending on your career goals. Learn more about the various programs by reviewing the academic maps.
Achieve your professional goals in the field of education. Here are job options, degrees required, and median salaries:
Find more information, including wages and education requirements, on Career Coach!
At WCJC, our mission is to educate the total person – and we hope that you, as a future educator, strive to educate the total person as well. That’s why our Department of Education/Early Childhood teaches several theories of child development. Children develop in different ways simultaneously – physically, cognitively, socially, and emotionally – and we prepare students with a comprehensive theoretical foundation. In addition, because children develop within a unique social-cultural context in a particular historical setting, we apply contextual theorists (Piaget, Maslow, Vygotsky, Bronfenbrenner, and Erikson) to the study of children.
We teach you a variety of theories to interpret children’s development within the context of the family, childcare setting, peer group, educational setting, and the larger community. You’ll analyze theories for their strengths and shortcomings from an objective, logical perspective. This belief aligns with WCJC’s mission to encourage the pursuit of knowledge, with the department’s mission to increase students’ knowledge about child development and best practices in Early Childhood Education, and with NAEYC Standards.
We equip teacher candidates with a scientific approach to evaluating and understanding children through observation, assessment, and interpretation of observable behavior and patterns. This approach aligns with the methods of Montessori, Gesell, Piaget, Parten, Ainsworth, and others and supports the WCJC mission to promote the development of the total person through the scholarly and creative activity as well as NAEYC Standard 3: Observing, documenting, and assessing to support young children and families.
Afterward, candidates apply observational data to the creation of developmentally appropriate environments and guidance (NAEYC Standard 3: Using Developmentally Effective Approaches to Connect with Children and Families). This follows WCJC’s mission to apply knowledge for the good of the community, and the department’s mission to create optimum children’s programs in the larger community. The associate degree offers students a broad foundation of general education courses in communication, math/science, humanities/fine arts, and social-behavioral science supporting their ability to use content knowledge to build meaningful curriculum (NAEYC Standard 2).
As an Associate degree student, you’ll work with families of children in the communities
where they live. You’ll develop strategies and skills to work with these families
(in their various forms) and community members. This supports the department’s mission
to facilitate the creation of optimum children’s programs in the larger community
and NAEYC Standard 2: Building family and community relationships. We’ll guide you
to incorporate a professional, yet nurturing attitude by observing the modeling of
instructors, respectfully participating in class and engaging in observational and
lab experiences in the community, in alignment with NAEYC Standard 7: Early Childhood
Field Experiences. The program does not have a lab school, so affiliations with child
care and educational programs within the community provide varied field experiences
for candidates who then practice professional conduct, guided observations, and reflective
teaching during a sequence of capstone experiences. To ensure diverse exposure, we
use a “content verification form” with a range of required categories to be visited.
This supports WCJC’s mission to provide opportunities for individual growth and expression,
the Department’s mission to support the fullest achievement of each student’s potential,
and NAEYC Standard 6: Becoming a professional.
Following WCJC’s mission to benefit the community and the program’s mission to provide
optimum early childhood programs for the larger community, we seek the advice of professionals
from the Early Childhood field who work in Wharton, Matagorda, and Fort Bend counties
through the Early Childhood Advisory Board. Each semester, feedback from the board
helps assure that the Early Childhood program accomplishes the college’s mission to
prepare graduates for entry-level positions, advancement in various occupations, and
for transfer to baccalaureate granting institutions. Additionally, this advances the
program’s mission to support the fullest achievement of each student’s potential.
Sandra McCarstle earned her Master of Education in Elementary Education and her Master of Arts in Developmental Education from Texas State University. With more than 20 years of experience in PK-12 education. Her doctoral research centers on self-efficacy and sense of belonging, with an emphasis on how these factors influence student persistence and achievement.
Office: Wharton Campus
Phone: 979-532-6340
Email: mccarstles@wcjc.edu
Amber Barbee has a Master of Arts degree in Education from the University of Houston, Victoria. Mrs. Barbee is Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified School Counselor and is the Director of Counseling and Disability Services for Wharton County Junior College. Ms. Barbee has been an educator, administrator, and director since 2000 and joined the Department of Education/Early Childhood as a faculty member in 2023.
Email: BarbeeA@wcjc.edu
Dana Gray has a Master's degree in Administration and Supervision and a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Early Childhood from The University of Houston-Victoria. Professor Gray has been an Early Childhood educator and administrator since 2000 and joined the Department of Education/Early Childhood at Wharton County Junior College as an adjunct instructor in 2009.
Email: Foytd@wcjc.edu
Barbara Lynn earned her Master of Arts degree in Child Development and Family Relationships from the University of Texas at Austin and her Principal Certification from the University of St. Thomas, Houston. She has served as a teacher in special education, pre-kindergarten, and kindergarten and as a college instructor at Wharton County Junior College, Alvin Community College, and the University of Houston Clear Lake.
Email: barbaral@wcjc.edu
Willie Mae Miles has a Master of Education degree in Guidance and Counseling from Delta State University in Mississippi. She holds a Bachelor's degree in English from the University of Mississippi. Professor Miles retired from Lamar Consolidated Independent School District after serving as an elementary special education teacher and behavior specialist. She joined the Department of Education/ Early Childhood as an adjunct instructor in 2012.
Email: milesw@wcjc.edu
Sharon Spillman holds both a Doctorate and a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction, with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education, from the University of Houston. She currently serves as Manager of Early Education Quality with the Gulf Coast Workforce Board–Workforce Solutions and brings over 30 years of experience in early childhood education. Dr. Spillman has experience teaching at the University of Houston College of Education and has served as an adjunct instructor in early childhood education at Wharton County Junior College since 2015.
E-mail: spillmans@wcjc.edu
Early Education A.A.S.
Education A.A.
Family Studies and Human Developoment A.A.
Paraprofessional Level 2 Certificate
Early Education Level 1 Certificate
NAEYC Accreditation Information
The Education and Early Childhood Development program provides the necessary academic requirements needed to satisfy state (Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services) credential requirements. The AAS Early Childhood Development Degree at Wharton County Junior College is accredited by the Commission on the Accreditation of Early Childhood Higher Education Programs of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, www.naeyc.org. The current accreditation term runs from July 2019 through July 2026.
Education Administrative Master Syllabi
Early Childhood Administrative Master Syllabi
Archived Administrative Master Syllabi
SCANS Matrix
All career and technical education opportunities at Wharton County Junior College
follow policies of nondiscrimination offered without regard to race, color, religion,
national origin, sex, age, or disability including those with limited English proficiency.
For information, see the Public Notice Regarding Career and Technical Education Programs.
*In addition to Wharton County Junior College Admission criteria, students must comply
with additional program specific admission criteria, where applicable.
Todas las oportunidades de formación profesional y técnica en Wharton County Junior
College se rigen por políticas de no discriminación y se ofrecen sin distinción de
raza, color, religión, origen nacional, sexo, edad o discapacidad, incluyendo a personas
con dominio limitado del inglés. Para más información, consulte el Aviso Público sobre Programas de Formación Profesional y Técnica.
*Además de los criterios de admisión de Wharton County Junior College, los estudiantes
deben cumplir con criterios de admisión adicionales específicos del programa, cuando
corresponda.
