Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
Newsom Proposes Making Transitional Kindergarten Available To All 4-Year-Olds
Transitional kindergarten teacher Heidi Ardin speaks with one of her students at Harding Elementary in Sylmar on April 13, 2021, the first day of L.A. Unified School District's transition to "hybrid" instruction since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
(
Kyle Stokes
/
LAist
)
Gov. Gavin Newsom plans to use part of the state’s $75.7 billion budget surplus to create an early education program for every four-year-old child in the state.
“We are looking to transform, not go back to where we were, but to transform our educational system,” Newsom said during a Wednesday press conference at a Monterey County elementary school.
Newsom proposed spending $2.7 billion to expand transitional kindergarten, known as TK, an optional early education program for children not quite old enough for regular kindergarten.
Right now the public school program only serves about 100,000 kids annually and about 20% of the state’s four-year-olds are enrolled, according to the National Institute for Early Education at Rutgers University.
Support for LAist comes from
Only students who turn five between September and December of the current school year may presently enroll in transitional kindergarten, although some school districts, including LAUSD, provide the program for younger students.
Before parents get too excited about the prospect of free child care, this new program could be only three hours long at some schools.
“We need to provide more wraparound services,” Newsom said. “We need to do more in the classroom to recognize the issues outside the classroom.”
On Sunday, the governor said he wants to add child care subsidies for 100,000 low-income families.
Steve Barnett, senior co-director of the National Institute For Early Education at Rutgers University, said he welcomed the governor’s proposal, in part because transitional kindergarten receives more funding per student than the state’s preschool program.
“It is best placed to provide the highest quality program,” Barnett said. “To me that’s the starting point. You pick the one that's best funded and now let's build that into what it should be.”
The current transitional kindergarten program notches just three of the institute’s 10 quality standards for early childhood education. For example, the program falls short on staff-to-student ratios, since there can be up to 33 four-year-olds in one classroom
Support for LAist comes from
Newsom said an additional $740 million would reduce the ratios to one teacher for every 12 students.
The governor is expected to release more education funding details on Friday with the May state budget revision.
What questions do you have about universal preschool and transitional kindergarten? What was your family’s experience with TK? I’d love to hear from you in the box below.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
After rising for years, the number of residential installations in the city of Los Angeles began to drop in 2023. The city isn’t subject to recent changes in state incentives, but other factors may be contributing to the decline. -
The L.A. City Council approved the venue change Wednesday, which organizers say will save $12 million in infrastructure costs.
-
Taxes on the sale of some newer apartment buildings would be lowered under a plan by Sacramento lawmakers to partially rein in city Measure ULA.
-
The union representing the restaurant's workers announced Tuesday that The Pantry will welcome back patrons after suddenly shutting down six months ago.
-
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake.
-
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
Best of LAist