Caroline Falco Fernandes Valpassos

Open Mind to Educational Processes

Childhood education has been in my life since I was 15 years old, in 1998, when I decided to begin my studies to be a teacher. I have been learning about how to teach children and how to teach them in the Brazilian context. Afterward, I continued my studies and allowed, little by little, my career to progress. 

During all these periods, I had an opportunity to develop academic and professional research. I have been dedicated to analyzing and comparing possibilities of increased educational and childhood process, since access as quality, over several elements, such as poverty, policy evaluation, and structuring of education systems. I participated in international events in this area, like Comparative and International Education Society (CIES). 

Professional experiences consolidated the theoretical and research framework that I built during these 20 years. I emphasize working as a consultant for the Ministry of Education, developing a comparative analysis about evidence-based parenting programs, and formulating a strategy to implement this concept in all kindergarten schools in Brazil. After that, I was a consultant to the Ministry of Social Development. On that occasion, a Permanent Education proposal for professionals, around 14000, was developed for the national Early Childhood Program, related to the National Child Benefit Program, the social cash transfer program (Bolsa Familia). There is a national plan, systematized and coordinated by me, with several actors collaborating. UNESCO managed both consulting.

Currently, I work at an international school in Brazil as a pedagogical coordinator of EYFS and Elementary. Among my assignments, I'm observing instructional practices, training teachers and staff in a variety of programs (IEYC, IPC, Reading & Writing Workshop, Wilson Fundations, Engage New York, DRDP assessment Tool, Art in Action), facilitating the design and implementation of new tools, content specific scope, and sequence, meeting with school administrators, helping to identify and monitor chosen curriculum and how it aligns to state standards; developing and delivering professional development; collecting and maintains monthly data for reporting to various stakeholders and for school board reports; meeting with leads, administration, collaborating teachers, students, and parents.

In 2020, in the pandemic moment, we developed and conducted a Remote Learning Program recognized by the community as the best one around here. It allows us to double the number of students in the school in 2021 and be recognized by My FieldWork Education in IEYC and IPC Curriculum in 2021. 

After all these experiences, I am focusing on new opportunities abroad.

I graduated in Pedagogy and developed my Master's degree in educational policy, assessment systems, and educational quality. After two years of applying my knowledge, I began my Doctorate at the University of São Paulo (USP). In that opportunity, I did an internship in Barcelona, Spain, at the University Autonomy of Barcelona (UAB).