UMass Boston

Building political power: Alicia Pugh

Alicia's Story: 

For more than 20 years, Alicia Pugh has been a steady, solutions-driven presence in Maryland’s early education community. She began her career in 2005 as a family child care provider—following in the footsteps of her mother—and later opened her own child care center. Along the way she earned multiple degrees, from an associate’s in early childhood to a master’s in teaching, all while raising two sons and building a program grounded in strong relationships, school readiness, and family partnership.

But despite her deep experience, Pugh didn’t initially see herself as a leader. “I helped people,” she said. “I mentored other providers. But I didn’t see myself as someone who could advocate or change policy.” That mindset began to shift when a colleague encouraged her to apply to the Maryland Early Childhood Leadership Education Program (MECLP) at the Shriver Center at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County—a cohort-based leadership program that includes the 14-week Leading for Change entrepreneurial leadership course.

Pugh enrolled in December 2024. By the time she neared completion one year later, she had not only redefined her own leadership identity—she had also become a powerful advocate for improving Maryland’s child care systems.

From Classroom Leader to Systems Advocate

Each Leading for Change participant designs and implements a Change Project using lessons from the program’s relational-entrepreneurial leadership curriculum. Pugh’s project, boldly titled “Make Childcare Great Again,” focused on two challenges providers across Maryland routinely face:

• A strained child care workforce without competitive wages or benefits
• Persistent difficulties with the state’s CCS scholarship portal, which created administrative burdens and delayed payments for providers

“I wanted to make changes that would support the workforce,” Pugh said. “We need strong teachers who actually love working with children—and systems that support them, not stress them.”

In working on her project, Pugh quickly found herself stepping into new leadership spaces. With skills and confidence strengthened by Leading for Change—particularly in inquiry-driven problem solving, coalition-building, and entrepreneurial thinking—she began participating in a Maryland philanthropy leadership initiative focused on the child care workforce. There, she helped gather provider perspectives, analyze patterns, and propose solutions for statewide workforce challenges.

Her work drew attention. She and fellow members of the workforce circle met directly with senior leaders in Maryland’s state department of education and Baltimore County municipal officials. 

What began as a dinner meeting to share providers’ challenges became a sustained partnership. Pugh was invited to join MSDE’s Tiger Team, a task force charged with improving the CCS portal.

“They listened,” she said. “They didn’t just take notes—they made space for me to be part of the solution.”

Her advocacy also earned recognition from Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott for her contributions to improving the child care workforce.

A Transformative Leadership Mindset Shift

Relational-entrepreneurial leadership—measured by confidence, agency, and capacity to mobilize others—is a core outcome of Leading for Change. Research shows that participants often begin the program unsure of their leadership identity, but finish with a strong sense of their own ability to influence change. Pugh’s experience reflects this trajectory exactly.

She recalls a moment when she realized just how much her perspective had shifted. In the past, when providers faced problems—such as delayed payments—she would feel frustrated but unsure how to respond. Now, she approaches system issues with calm, inquiry, and collaborative problem-solving.

“Instead of reacting, I ask, ‘What’s really going on? Who do we need to talk to? How do we get this fixed?’” she said. “If something isn’t right, speak up. Try to get the change made.”

That confidence translated into new academic aspirations as well. Inspired by the program and her emerging identity as a systems-level leader, Pugh applied to a doctoral program in educational leadership and was accepted. She postponed her start date briefly so she could mentor a teacher in her pre-K expansion classroom—another example of her commitment to strengthening the workforce from within.

“I Want Providers to Feel Safe, Seen, and Supported”

Across all her roles—pre-K teacher, center director, mentor, advocate, and doctoral candidate—Pugh’s purpose remains constant: ensuring that child care providers feel valued and supported.

“I want my providers to feel safe, be seen, be supported,” she said. “I want a better system for everybody.”

Reflecting on her experience, Pugh says she enthusiastically recommends the program to others. It opened doors, expanded her network, strengthened her skills, and helped her discover a leadership voice she didn’t realize she had.

About Leading for Change

Leading for Change is currently offered for free to licensed early educators in Massachusetts in partnership with the MA Department of Early Education and Care through its statewide network of Professional Development Centers. Leading for Change is also offered to early educators in Maryland through the Maryland Early Childhood Leadership Education Program at the Shriver Center at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, in Pennsylvania through the Pennsylvania Key, and in Hawaiʻi at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

This institute is part of the College of Education and Human Development.