Workgroup #1: Revenue, Taxation, Proposition 98, and Sequencing/Priorities Water Cooler Conference: March 25th, 2009 Meetings: • September 29th, 2008 from 10 am to 2 pm • October 29th, 2008 from 9:30 am to 2 pm • December 16th, 2008 from 10 am to 3 pm • January 15th, 2009 from 10 am to 12 pm • February 18th, 2009 from 10 am to 3 pm Chairs: • Adonai Mack, Association of California School Administrators • Ted Lempert, Children Now Principles of Allocating New Revenue to Early Care and Education in California Quality AND Access: California children deserve to have full access to quality care in their youngest years. In order to ensure this, new revenue allocated to early care and education in California should be given to policies that both increase program quality and expand access for children not currently receiving care and education. There are large geographic areas and segments of the population in the state that have little to no access to existing ECE programs, making it imperative that we increase programs and services. In addition, for those children who are fortunate enough to have access to programs, they are often in low quality settings. This is especially true for infants and toddlers given the low reimbursement rate for these children and the high costs associated with their care. Given the dramatic need for both more and better education and care, programs that promote quality and access must be given high priority for any new revenue for early learning services. Children birth to five: The earliest years in a child’s life are crucial for future success in school and life. Given this, investment in early learning services needs to incorporate all children, birth to five. 1. Children birth to 3 face particularly acute access shortages, given the low reimbursement rate, which often falls short of covering the high costs associated with infant/toddler care. They also have a need for increased quality. 2. Preschool aged children have a dramatic need for increased access to programs and require a system to increase the quality of their care as well. 3. It is also a priority to connect these children with the K‐12 system, ensuring their readiness to learn in school. Water Cooler Workgroup Recommendations Ongoing Work of the Water Cooler Workgroups 1 System Building: In addition to balancing both quality and access, and the interests of both children 0 to 3 and children 3 and 4, a priority must be placed on investing in the system overall. To sustain a quality, comprehensive system for early learning, investments must be made in infrastructure for the future. This includes investments in: 1. Higher education and professional development, including increased compensation and benefits that will build a competent, diverse, early care and education workforce and result in improved recruitment and retention of quality teachers. 2. Facilities development to prepare for increasing access to programs. 3. Advisory structures that are adequately funded to coordinate across programs to promote continuity, increase quality, ensure access to our neediest children and families, and reduce inefficiency across varied programs and services. Water Cooler Workgroup Recommendations Ongoing Work of the Water Cooler Workgroups 2