On a typical day, about 400 kids from 8 to 18 come to A Place Called Home in south central Los Angeles after school.
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Mariana Dale
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LAist
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Topline:
California is pumping more than $4 billion into before-, after-, and summer school learning programs. The “expanded learning opportunities” funding, first announced in 2021, is intended to help every public school district offer additional hours of care and activities for every student in grades TK-6 by the time school starts in fall 2025.
Who gets the money: Schools where 75% or more of students are from low-income families, unhoused, in foster care or are learning English receive $2,750 per child. Districts with fewer high-needs students receive $2,052 per child through the program. An estimated 40% of school districts are eligible for the higher level of funding, according to a study from Partnerships for Children and Youth.
Hiring holdup: There’s a nationwide after-school educator workforce shortage. For example, the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District started Aug. 24 with a waiting list for its after-school program. “We have received funding to expand our programs,” said Director of Early Learning and Child Development Services Susan Samarge-Powell. "However, when I don't have applicants who are qualified to actually teach in the classrooms, it becomes an issue.”
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If Your After-School Program Has A Waitlist, Staffing Might Be To Blame
California is pumping more than $4 billion into before-, after-, and summer school learning programs.
The “expanded learning opportunities” funding, first announced in 2021, is intended to help every public school district offer additional hours of care and activities for every student in grades TK-6 by the time school starts in fall 2025.
“It's a real validation of the kind of work we've been doing for so long,” said Julee Brooks, CEO of Woodcraft Rangers, which provides after-school programs on more than 100 Los Angeles-area school campuses. “It’s also a recognition of how much student need has changed.”
After-school programs have long provided safety, food, and fun for kids while their parents work, but now programs are also filling gaps in access to the arts and mental health care. Many public districts see after-school programs as a key part of their pandemic learning recovery plan, but it’s unclear how much they may improve students’ academic skills.
“The intent is always wonderful,” said Susan Samarge-Powell, who helps oversee after-school programs in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District. “Then the reality sometimes is where it is most challenging.”
While the money increased access to programs, the level of funding remained relatively stagnant even as wages and other costs increased.
Find before and after-school care
There’s no one-stop shop for finding before- and after-school care. If your local school doesn’t have space or any recommendations, try your local child care resource and referral agency. Their staff can provide a free list of potential programs based on your family’s needs.
Schools where 75% or more of students are from low-income families, unhoused, in foster care or are learning English receive $2,750 per child.
Districts with fewer high-needs students receive $2,052 per child through the program.
An estimated 40% of school districts are eligible for the higher level of funding.
Districts can use the money in a variety of ways as long as it contributes toward providing nine hours of in-person learning per day during the school year and during at least 30 non-school days. Examples of allowable uses include hiring tutors, literacy coaches, and paying for off-campus programs.
A Place Called Home Math and Science Coordinator Alethea Redclay helps a group of students work on their homework. "My goal is to have them love learning," Redclay said. "It doesn't matter what it is, whether it's dance, or music, or math or science or anything, I just want them to do critical thinking and love learning."
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Mariana Dale
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LAist
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The funding came with an acknowledgement that some school districts don’t have the resources to offer expanded after-school care.
“The Administration encourages schools to consider partnering with community-based providers to quickly scale up capacity,” per the 2022-2023 budget.
Woodcraft Rangers started seven new school partnerships this fall and has been able to expand some of its more popular and expensive programs — like mariachi — at other campuses.
“It's a shift from scarcity to abundance,” CEO Brooks said. “It's a wonderful shift, right? But it's still going to take a little time.”
Wanted: After-school educators
The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District offers an in-house before- and after-school program for elementary school students and also partners with the city and the local Boys & Girls Club.
“We have a variety of needs and they can't all be served at the same place at the same time with the same people,” Samarge-Powell said.
The district received an estimated $4.26 million through the expanded learning opportunity program during the 2022-2023 school year, but isn’t yet able to accommodate every family who wants care.
Weeks before the most recent school year started, community and public relations officer Gail Pinsker asked media outlets to spread the word about before- and after-school job openings.
“We have a critical need and families on waiting lists because we do not have enough staff,” Pinsker wrote in an email.
The district was able to fully staff its existing vacancies, but dozens of families were still waiting for a spot in after-school care when the new school year started on Aug. 24.
Samarge-Powell estimated she could easily fill another classroom at every school site that offers after-school care — if she could hire enough staff.
“It's never been a position that's been ... overflowing with applicants,” Samarge-Powell said. adding that it’s become particularly difficult since the start of the pandemic.
Low pay is a problem
One challenge is that many of the district’s before- and after-school positions positions are part-time and pay between $15,000 and $41,000 a year. Full-time roles might require working a split shift between the morning and after-school programs. SMMUSD also requires a valid teacher permit and associate's degree in child development or another related field.
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After-School Programs Need Staff, But The Applications Aren't Rolling In
Though state policies allow the district to hire staff with fewer qualifications, Samarge-Powell said that’s not an option.
“That's just not a place we were willing to go right now,” Samarge-Powell said. “Primarily because that's not fair to the kids.”
There are also free- and low-cost programs outside of the public school system.
On any given weekday afternoon, about 400 kids from ages 8 to 18 show up at A Place Called Home’s South L.A. campus.
Bachata is one of dozens of classes, including art, music, theater, offered at A Place Called Home.
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Mariana Dale
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LAist
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“We're not a school, but we are a wonderful partner to schools,” said Chief Program Officer Jewel Delegall. “We want to be able to do what schools can't do.”
Classes include dance, art, soccer, music audio recording, theater, and gardening. The nonprofit also convenes peer support groups, offers therapy, and helps with homework.
“Here’s more fun than school,” said 10- year-old- Emmanuel, who likes to play basketball, soccer, football, and volleyball.
The offerings shift with the kids’ interests. For example, the recent addition of a half-dozen guitar classes.
“If there's anything we've learned it’s if a young person doesn't particularly like something, they won't come,” said Bernyce Talley, associate director of arts and creative expression. “We want to embrace them with full arms and say come on in and hang out with us.”
