Julie Bullard is a professor and director of the Early Childhood Education program at the University of Montana-Western.nbsp; During her thirty years in the early childhood field she has been a preschool and elementary teacher, child care director, Head Start administrator, and a teacher of adults receiving CDArsquo;s, associate degrees, and bachelorrsquo;s degrees in early childhood.nbsp; Julie has had a passion for the importance of the early learning environment since completing coursework in architecture over thirty years ago.nbsp; She also has a special interest in curricular standards and is involved on several state and national committees to develop and implement high standards… using play-based curriculum.nbsp; She is active on the National Association for Young Children (NAEYC) professional development panel and is a national reviewer of early childhood higher education programs.nbsp; She also serves on an oversight committee for NAEYC/NCATE accreditation.nbsp; Julie was recently appointed to serve on an NAEYC committee to revise the national early childhood higher education standards.nbsp; She serves on the National Association for Early Childhood Teacher Education (NAECTE) national board and is also on the NCATEnbsp; Board of Examiners. nbsp;She has been involved in the development of the Montana early childhood knowledge base, infant-toddler guidelines, preschool guidelines, kindergarten standards, and early childhood and elementary higher education standards.nbsp;nbsp; Julie received her doctorate from Montana State University.nbsp;nbsp;