California Community College Early Childhood Educators



A position statement of theCalifornia Community Colleges Early Childhood Educators in Response to the California Early Learning Quality Improvement System Advisory Committee Request for InputAdopted September 22, 2010California Community College Early Childhood Educators (CCCECE) and California’s Early Learning Advisory Council (ELAC) share the common goal of the development of a high quality, comprehensive system of early childhood education and care that ensures statewide coordination and collaboration among the wide array of early childhood programs and services in the State.??CCCECE has diligently participated in the public comment at meetings and through written communications. We continue to have serious concerns with aspects of the proposed system particularly in the area of workforce development.The main points of opposition are:ELAC Proposal: “Community based agencies, county offices of education, resource and referral agencies, and others with expertise in a given subject area provide educational experiences. When needed, IHEs will partner with community agencies that wish to provide educational experiences, including core courses or supplemental experiences for credit, in order to extend access to constituencies in the ECE community. Local colleges and universities will contract with community agencies to do so, and the community agencies need to meet IHE standards for course content, assessment, and personnel qualifications.”CCCECE Position: Subject area educational experiences such as core courses and supplemental experiences for credit should be offered by California Community Colleges. Using alternative providers would be a costly and unnecessary. State funding should be used to strengthen the already existing educational system. There is no data that support that using alternate providers is needed or would be beneficial to the workforce. “Preparing Teachers of Young Children: The Current State of Knowledge, and a Blueprint for the Future;” and the “California Early Care and Workforce Report.” cite no evidence of a need to create “alternate providers” outside of the higher education system.? (Center for the Study of Early Childhood Workforce and Water Cooler Recommendations) Using an alternative training program that does not provide early care and education teachers with college units does not increase the likelihood of degree completion at the community college level and it does not prepare the workforce for transfer to the CSU/UC level which has been indicated as a value of the state and for economic recovery.ELAC Position: The committee continues to comment and act on an unfounded claim that California community colleges do not offer course delivery in a variety of formats. CCCECE Position: California community colleges currently offer courses in a variety of formats and at a variety of locations including but not limited to, face-2-face, daytime, evenings, online, weekend, intensive, on campus, on location, at community agencies and at many other locations. Although with the State budget crises, some of these offerings have been reduced. Funding in support of this legislation should be used to continue and increase the variety of course formats offered by the existing system. This is further emphasized in Chancellor Scott’s letter to State Superintendent Jack O’Connell and copied to the ELQIS Advisory Committee in his statement that “California’s community colleges bring tremendous capacity, creativity, and rigor to early childhood teacher preparation. We also supply flexibility and community access—with many early childhood classes taught online, in the evening and in off-campus community settings—through community partnerships that increase student access and diversify our early childhood workforce. Our campuses have extensive support services that serve the needs of diverse populations, including students acquiring English as a second language.”ELAC Proposal: “Developing and implementing Early Care and Education/Child Development degrees (Associate, Bachelors, Masters) and Credential* for ECE workforce from birth?3rd grade statewide to ensure professionalization of the field and parity with K? 12 educators. *The ECE Credential is intended to be unique to the skills and competencies of the ECE field and may or may not include a 5th year course of study. Recommend 3 specialization options for ECE Credential: Infant/Toddler, Preschool/Kindergarten, and 1st – 3rd Grade.”CCCECE Position: Degree development is clearly an academic and professional matter (AB1725). Numerous California community colleges have degrees in child development, or the equivalent already. In addition the Curriculum Alignment Project (CAP) has develop courses that have clearly identified Student Learning Outcomes and Competencies. Community college Child Development/Early Childhood faculty are forerunners in the development of career pathways and transfer degrees. Any development of Early Care and Education/Child Development degrees is clearly the purview of the faculty.ELAC Position: During the California Early Learning Quality Improvement System Advisory Committee on 8/26/10 the committee continued to portray the community college system as unwilling to work with them and as having too many cumbersome processes to be utilized without also using alternative CECE Position: CCCECE and other faculty representatives have clearly indicated our willingness to work with the project. In addition many of the stated goals of the ELAC proposal are either in place or in the process of development. Furthermore, in Chancellor Scott’s letter to State Superintendent Jack O’Connell and copied to ELQIS Advisory Committee, he clearly states “Our cost-effective, high quality ECE programs provide an excellent infrastructure to meet the needs and challenges of a rapidly changing society and stand ready to work with you in your committee’s important undertaking”ELAC Position: In the meeting on 8/26/10, comments were made that gave the appearance of a lack of understanding of the supporting documents provided and the documents that were provided to ELAC by subject matter CECE Position: The ELAC committee members clearly did not read the documents they have been provided by the field nor have they read the documents the committee posted and attached as background. Thus, making them unqualified to vote on or create a system of workforce development. Chancellor Scott’s letter also stated “In 2000, the National Academy of Sciences, after an extensive review of the research and literature on early childhood pedagogy, recommended that early childhood teachers have a bachelor’s degree with a specialized curriculum in early childhood education. The evidence clearly correlated years of formal education with ECE teacher competence and with improved child outcomes.”CCCECE Proposal: We propose that ELQIS Advisory Committee work directly with CCCECE to discuss workforce preparation and formats of delivery that may be needed. In addition, we want any use of alternate providers stricken from the project. State funding for workforce development should be used to support existing infrastructure and expand it. The workforce should be afforded the opportunity to obtain essential education and credits toward degree completion. California’s youngest children deserve teachers and care givers with degrees based on sound developmental principles, student learning outcomes and competencies.California Community College Early Childhood EducatorsPresident – Kathi CliffTreasurer – Kathleen BimberSecretary – Kate Williams BrowneVP Program Development – Darlene Jackson, Rebecca GreenVP Membership – Darrylon EvansVP Public Policy – Dianna Chiabotti, Sondra MoeVP Public Relations – Patty DilkoFor more information contact: President Kathi Cliff @ (323) 241-5000; VP Public Policy, North – Dianna Chiabotti @ (707) 259-8932; or VP Public Policy, South Sondra Moe @ (562) 463-7493 ................
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