Early childhood is an environment of systems at many different levels. You have administrative systems, classroom systems, teaching systems, parent engagement systems, etc.... you get the point. With so many things going on at once, how can you know when one or more are becoming ineffective before they fall completely apart? When you have a system (pun intended) in place to trigger you when a breakdown occurs, it's much easier to address them.

Think about your home for a second. For your own safety, it is recommended that smoke detectors are placed on each floor and outside of all bedrooms. In case of a fire, that alarm is supposed to sound. Many of us install those alarms and rarely think about them until the battery beeps. Even then, that beep may happen for days or weeks before we take action. Why is that? It's dangerous to assume that the device will continue to function properly without proper maintenance, yet we take our chances despite the possible danger.

Beyond changing the batteries, most alarms now have a test button. We can check it at anytime and take necessary action before it ever has to, or fails to, alert us that it needs attention. The systems in our programs are not much different. We can implement tests at any time, yet we wait for the occasional beeps that eventually become an ongoing alarm signaling a breakdown that either leads to panic or destruction.

Something we should consider when developing systems is: what it will look like when the system stops working. How do you know when policies and procedures have been abandoned, when they no longer work, and when they need to be updated and/ or replaced? How will you be proactive and test them to ensure they're implemented appropriately?

Here are three things you can do to ensure your systems remain in tact:

1. Respond to broken policies and procedures immediately.
2. Schedule time to review them at regular intervals.
3. Have clear protocols in place to help get back on track if you fall off.