On Saturday December 14th, Assemblymember Marc Berman (24th District), hosted an event entitled, The Foundation for All Future Learning: an Early Childhood Education Update. The event featured presentations and conversations with Assemblymember Kevin McCarty, Co-Chair of the Assembly Blue Ribbon Commission on Early Childhood Education and Chair of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance, and Dr. Deborah Stipek, Judy Koch Professor of Education in the Stanford University Graduate School of Education and the lead author of the Early Childhood Education segment of the project, Getting Down to Facts II.
The room was filled with San Mateo and Santa Clara County early learning advocates and school district officials who share a commitment to improving lives by increasing access to quality early learning opportunities. The speakers urged members of the audience to continue calling upon the state legislature and the governor to allocate funding for more slots, more teachers, and higher reimbursement rates to drive quality.
In 2020, Governor Newsom’s team will develop a master early childhood plan that builds upon the recommendations generated by the Assembly Blue Ribbon Commission and that includes goals and a timeframe for prioritizing and implementing various aspects of the plan. Assemblymember McCarty noted that the progress made on California ECE doesn’t have to be put on pause during the planning process, and noted that is especially important to seek funding while the economy is strong.
