Thanks for raising this topic. I’ll take the opportunity to uplift the UPK informational and communications materials Sarah mentioned at the beginning of the meeting, which are available here. The following items may be particularly helpful:
Translated versions of these resources (in 12 most common languages in CA) are available here
I think we need to raise teacher qualifications to ensure that our children receive curriculum and experiences that are high quality and connected to the Preschool Learning Foundations. We need to provide supports that allow our diverse staff to meet increased education standards. Following Head Start requirements with degreed teachers.
We are currently asking teachers to reflect, use data, create a curriculum and differentiate instruction that requires high-level skills that our children deserve. Along with higher expectations we need the pay to match. We also need to recognize the Child Development Permit as a credential and not less than if that is the route an educator chooses
No, it’s not.
I agree that building upon existing framework and infrastructure is necessary. However, I think it is necessary to investigate the social constructs by which many of these tools are rooted to ensure our systems do not continue to perpetuate inequities and disparities across cultural groups.
I agree there needs to be a way to grandfather in those with P-3 Credentials from other states, or those with advanced degrees into eligibility for the new P-3 Credential without having to enroll in a credential program with a university.
Raising teacher qualifications should not be correlated to being a better or more effective teacher.
Can we look at Vermont’s system, as Michelle Spence has suggested?
I would say the complicated formula does not specifically benefit kids apart from the attendance requirement - we know attendance is critical. I would say the complicated formula does not help to keep high quality teachers, it is more of an administrative burden - and, because of that, I would say it does not save us money in the long run.
Otokonda Ble speaking in the most simplest terms. “CCProviders won’t go back to school to get paid less. Years of experience should count.” At the end of the day, everyone has to pay the bills today, not in two years. If we make this mixed delivery system difficult for all those involved to see themselves in it, and benefiting from it, the concept will fail. Illinois has shown some ways to incorporate pathways for providers or those interested in gaining more education/experience and the center on child care employment folks have our state’s numbers to prove we need to clear the pathway to make an ECE career an esteemed and well-paid one. If the first five years are the most important for the healthiest start of California’s children, we must take action and remove barriers in place that hurt the adults choosing to care and educate our future leaders.
All the data shared in the presentations is clear - there are many benefits to children when they are enrolled in a bilingual program and when there is a language match between children and teachers. However, to expand bilingual programs, we need bilingual teachers. We have a teacher shortage in California, and the bilingual teacher shortage is even more dire. What supports can we provide our teachers so that they can move into bilingual programs (e.g., higher education courses in languages other than English, supports for teachers to obtain their bilingual authorizations, etc.)?
We are now moving into the presentation and discussion of Demographic Participation in High-Quality Preschool by Bruce Fuller. The focus question for this session is:
I don’t think the form for the public commenters is open. And there is no link to view the responses.
Re the T5 formula and attendance: Agreed.
Worth reminding ourselves: in TK-12, if a student is chronically absent, the school district doesn’t have money taken away each month from their budget. Instead, there is an annual calculation around average daily attendance and the school receives fairly consistent funding month over month.
About a month ago at the CAAASA, Cheryl Cotton from CDE presented on “Diversifying the CA Teacher Workforce” - she led the participants in a wonderful activity/discussion on how they themselves entered into the teaching profession…almost all of the attendees entered by way of a non- traditional credential program. The early learning and care workforce is far more diverse than the TK-12 system, many of which already have bachelor degrees, yet we seem to consider these individuals as not skilled as educators. The comments by Michelle Spence validate this practice and I believe Tony Jordan’s comments around CTC. Improving the quality of the system needs to explore the explicit policies that seemingly suggest that a credential makes for a better educator.
Written public comment on agenda item 1 has closed. Responses can be viewed here.
Written public comment on agenda item 2 will open around 4:15pm and stay open for one hour after the meeting ends (i.e., it will close around 5:30pm)
I wish I could read these maps as easy as Dr. Bruce Fuller is. 
Currently, in the Title 22 programs teachers only need 12 ECE units to be considered a teacher, in State Funded Title V programs teachers only need 24 units, yet the requirements of the work teachers are required to do requires additional teacher preparation. We are asking teachers to do work they are not prepared for. The requirements that we are asking of our Preschool Teachers are changing with additional demand in instruction and quality. We also cannot justify pay increases with such low qualifications
Will someone repeat/share the question just introduced?
Child Development Associate Credential (CDA) is a highly recognized credential that provide field experience, courses, observation, feedback within each of the 3 ECE course. They are federally designed courses and can be provided in different languages. Head Start uses it as the recognized credentials for Assistance Teacher. It is quite adopted in North East. I have not seen a whole lot of it after I moved to CA. Perhaps we can look into this as a potentially acceptable credential that actually support a successful start up for ECE workforce.
I think it was: “How can we build on existing infrastructure?”
The overall focus question for the session is: “Who is participating in high-quality preschool (Defined by statute as those meeting educational/Title 5 standards) and who is not?”