March 18, 2016
“I am in Washington DC at NAEYC headquarters,” Dr. Moore wrote his Facebook friends, “celebrating the life of JD Andrews.
“He was one on my mentors. Thanks to God for his leadership in the growth and the development of the field of early education.”
Andrews died Dec. 21, 2016 in California. He had lived and worked for decades in Washington D.C., where for decades he was a life force behind the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
He is credited with developing the teacher education programs that were launched as the federal Head Start early childhood education initiative took root. This is a period that also saw the launch of Dr. Moore’s career as a early childhood educator and advocate.
“JD had a very interesting life,” Dr. Moore wrote after he returned to Charlottte. “He empowered many people to reach out and become more they could imagine for the sake of young children.”
After Andrews retired from the NAEYC, he created a foundation. More on his life is on the foundation’s website. His obituary from the Washington Post is here.
“JD’s life touched so many different people in multiple circles and groups,” wrote Dr. Marilyn Smith, former NAEYC executive director and chief operating officer of the Foundation.
