“A significant step for teachers”

Teachers’ input was very important,” says Corps participant Da’Monica Robinson. At a recent hearing on the California Department of Education’s draft early learning foundations (see Early learning “foundations”), Robinson says, “we could make (policymakers) understand the process of learning for (preschool-age) children.”

The California Child Development Corps was one of the organizations invited to give early feedback on CDE’s “foundations,” which cover language and literacy, math, social-emotional development, and English language learners.

“It is extremely important for teachers to be included in these meetings,” agrees Yu-Fong Wang, a teacher at UC Berkeley’s Early Childhood Education Program. “I think decision-makers assume researchers are better informed about children than teachers. (This) was a significant step for teachers.” Wang has been active with the Corps for two years in advocacy campaigns and training workshops.

Making key points

“I focused on the needs of minority children,” says Robinson, “and whether all children would be able to meet these new standards. I’m hoping the preschool foundations will meet the needs of all children and that every child will succeed.” Robinson is a teacher at Oakland’s Harriet Tubman Early Childhood Education Center and has been active in the Corps for almost three years, participating in advocacy events in Sacramento and recently at the Corps workshops at the CAEYC conference in March.

Wang advocated for increased teacher training on social-emotional development. “Teachers need to be self-reflective in order to provide an appropriate, nurturing environment for children. How we can support and train teachers is far more important to me than setting social-emotional standards for children.”

Next steps

Robinson plans to stay active on this issue by attending upcoming public hearings (see Announcements below). Teachers need to remind policymakers that preschoolers “also need to run around, hide things in (shoe boxes) and think it’s funny, and call things by the wrong name,” she says. “We need to remember to let them be kids, too.”

Announcements

• Apr & May CDE hearings: Give teacher feedback at CDE hearings on the preschool learning foundations!
  
  
• May Legislative visits: The Corps will partner on shared goals with CAEYC in targeted legislative visits.
  
  

For more information, contact:

• Alameda: Marva Lyons, 510-521-3997, HappyMarva43734@cs.com and Margaret Costello-Chevis, 510-226-9414, mohavecomm@aol.com
• Butte: Paulette Fox, 530-876-8907, pjfx@strangecode.com
• Contra Costa: Stephanie Ratto, 925-689-5151 x204, lsratto@earthlink.net
• Humboldt: Polly Ramos, 707-825-0834, supercluck75@hotmail.com
• Los Angeles: Catherine Scott, 562-572-9939
• Marin: Sandra Estes, 510-233-1106
• Nevada: Barbara Price-Tison, 530-265-0778, pricetison@hughes.net
• Orange: Sue Miller, 714-744-2774, sue.miller@sbcglobal.net
• Placer: Gayle Kelley, 530-823-6218, gakids@inreach.com
• Riverside: Tamara Dobson, 951-340-3186
• San Diego: Katy Kenshur, 760-436-3725, kenshur@aol.com
• San Francisco: Valentina Feldman, 415-861-5361, val_fel@msn.com
• San Mateo: Silvia Espinoza, 650-359-4675, grandmascch@aol.com
• Santa Barbara: Christine Fleenor, 805-478-3237
• Solano: June Regis, 707-439-0876, aljuregis@aol.com
• Stanislaus: Pam Reeder, 209-544-9225

If your county is not listed above, contact Sara Hicks-Kilday at cares@caccwrc.org, 415-808-7327. For spanish, contact Teresa Calle-Streicker, 415-808-4126.