Budget Fight Over Early Childhood Education Shaping Up in California Max Pringle Monday, January 1, 0001 | Sacramento, CA Listen / Update RequiredTo play audio, update browser or Flash plugin. Max Pringle / Capital Public Radio Busloads of education advocates arrived at the state Capitol Thursday with a message. They want more spending on early childhood education. Advocates say when basic socialization is addressed earlier, children can focus more on learning as they get older. “There’s no fear,” says Zandra Hawes a childcare provider from Long Beach. “They don’t feel jittery and afraid to learn because you’ve been teaching them how to socialize already. They know how to make friends and they already understand their alphabet and their numbers” In his last two State of the Union addresses, President Obama advocated for “pre-k” education. Legislative Democratic leaders are pushing for universal early education for four-year-olds. But, the Brown administration says “pre-k” is not included in the Governor’s budget proposal. Related StoriesSacramento City schools superintendent discusses vaccine mandate for the districtOctober 21, 2021Superintendent Jorge Aguilar called the vaccine requirement “a path forward to keeping our schools open.” The mandate takes effect Nov. 30, seven months before the state requirement begins.California education leaders discuss Black student disparitiesOctober 15, 2021The state superintendent, other officials look at challenges, solutions to creating equity for all students and families.Sacramento City Unified Parents Frustrated With District’s Independent Study ProgramSeptember 13, 2021Roughly 1,600 students at Sacramento City Unified schools have chosen to continue learning at home through the pandemic. But most of the kids remain without teacher assignments, and parents say the district has left many questions unanswered.California To Require Teachers, Staff Be Vaccinated Or Tested For COVID-19August 11, 2021California will require that all teachers and school staff be vaccinated or tested weekly for COVID-19, becoming the first state to impose such measures ahead of the new school year.Sacramento City Teacher’s Use Of N-Word Sparks Debate About Anti-Racist TrainingJuly 15, 2021A Sacramento City school teacher was recorded using racial slurs in the classroom. But one question from organizers still lingers: In a district that has mandatory anti-bias training for teachers, how could this incident happen? Follow us for more stories like this CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you. As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today. Donate Today