Month: December 2020

Will Newsom Mend the Gaps in State’s New Plan for Early Learning?

Here’s my latest op-ed published today in CalMatters: Will Newsom mend the gaps in state’s new plan for early learning?

California’s just released Master Plan for Early Learning and Care is smartly timed to be in line for funding, should a Biden-Harris administration secure additional resources for their ambitious caregiving initiative.

State policymakers need to address four serious gaps in the plan to ensure access to affordable care for all of California’s working families and fair compensation for the early care workforce.

Early Childhood Education Bill Package Announced

California Assemblymember Kevin McCarty held a press conference this morning with Senate and Assembly colleagues to announce a bill package, taking action on Governor Newsom’s Master Plan for Early Learning and Care released last week.

Here’s the list of the announced bills and priorities:

• AB 22 (Asm. McCarty): Universal Transitional Kindergarten – Expands UTK to all 4-year-olds.

• SB 50 (Senator Limón): The California Early Learning and Care Program establishes a coherent framework of whole-child services for children 0-6.

• Tiered Funding Rate Reform: Address inadequate funding for child care system and need to pay fair wages for a high quality early education. Legislation and Budget action to follow.

• AB 92 (Asm. Reyes): Preschool & Childcare & development services: family fees-Alleviates burden of family fees for low-income families.

• Preschool Expulsion Ban (Asm. Rubio): Prohibits suspensions and expulsions in subsidized early learning programs.

• Mandatory Kindergarten (Senator Rubio): Makes kindergarten compulsory.