Black teachers: How to recruit them and make them stay
Lessons in higher education: What California can learn
Keeping California public university options open
Superintendents: Well-paid and walking away
The debt to degree connection
College in prison: How earning a degree can lead to a new life
Experts widely agree that high-quality early childhood education yields long-term academic benefits.
But what happens when children miss out on this opportunity? The California Department of Education recently released data showing a 2.6% decline in K-12 enrollment, the largest drop in 20-plus years. More than a third was in kindergarten — a critical year for learning and child development, particularly literacy and oral language development.
Research indicates that kindergarten is a period of tremendous cognitive growth. Although kindergarten isn’t mandatory in California, many students, particularly English learners, greatly benefit from the additional time to listen, speak and cultivate language skills throughout the day.
The pandemic has only further exposed long-standing systemic inequities in education with resulting disparities in opportunity and academic achievement. Even prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, early learning gaps were especially prevalent with low-income families. Statistically, low-income families are less likely to enroll their children in kindergarten, putting many at a disadvantage compared with their peers when they begin the first grade.
This is largely a reflection of an education system that doesn’t adequately meet the needs of working-class families. Those English learners who did not connect, or connected minimally, during this year of distance learning need a renewed commitment that school will be a place full of rich language, wonderment and engagement in literacy and learning.
Equity challenges faced by English learners have made it imperative to double down on effective practices in the classroom, and not just focus on interventions and foundational skills. It is critical that we are mindful not to replicate approaches that are too narrow and have historically underserved our “high-priority” children.
Here are four essential elements of an equity-focused approach that will address the needs of California’s culturally and linguistically diverse children:
With the new funds the governor is providing to districts, we can imagine our preschool and kindergarten through 12th grade classrooms full of books, resource materials for inquiry and time for teacher collaboration to develop the language and literacy-rich lessons that tap into the imagination and curiosity of our students.
Now is the time to make sure that last year’s lost time does not predict a widening of gaps but provides the opportunity for educators and English learners to reach greater levels of engagement and achievement.
•••
Martha Hernandez is the executive director of Californians Together, a coalition of advocacy organizations focused on promoting equitable educational policy and practice for English learners. Anya Hurwitz is the executive director of SEAL (Sobrato Early Academic Language), an educational nonprofit focused on early learning and elementary education whose mission is that all dual language learners and English learners in California learn, thrive and lead.
The opinions in this commentary are those of the authors. If you would like to submit a commentary, please review our guidelines and contact us.
A grassroots campaign recalled two members of the Orange Unified School District in an election that cost more than half a million dollars.
Legislation that would remove one of the last tests teachers are required to take to earn a credential in California passed the Senate Education Committee.
Part-time instructors, many who work for decades off the tenure track and at a lower pay rate, have been called “apprentices to nowhere.”
A bill to mandate use of the method will not advance in the Legislature this year in the face of teachers union opposition.
Comments (1)
Comments Policy
We welcome your comments. All comments are moderated for civility, relevance and other considerations. Click here for EdSource's Comments Policy.
Carmen Hartounian 3 years ago3 years ago
Very well stated. Agreed 100 percent.