Hopes are high for additional investment in quality early learning opportunities for California families.
Early learning has long been a priority issue for many California senators and assembly members, and Governor-elect Gavin Newsom made early learning investment a key element of his campaign.
Last week Assembly member Kevin McCarty, D-Sacramento, took advantage of this high-opportunity environment to introduce three pieces of legislation:
Assembly Bill 123 (AB123) would expand the state’s existing preschool program by about 50 percent to serve roughly 250,000 low-income kids. It would include 4 year-olds living in attendance areas where 70% or more of the children are enrolled in free or reduced-lunch programs, and expand access to preschool for 3 year-olds who live in poverty;
Assembly Bill 124 (AB124) would place a $500 million bond on the 2020 ballot to pay for new preschool classrooms;
Assembly Bill 125 (AB125) would raise salaries for teachers at state-subsidized preschools and offer financial incentives for ongoing professional development and for those achieving higher quality standards of care.
San Mateo County’s Assembly member Marc Berman is a co-sponsor of the legislation.
The legislation details are still being developed– Good2Know Network will provide updates as they become available.
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