Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Michael P. Callagy, County Executive Officer
Justin W. Mates, Deputy County Executive
Subject: Measure K: Increase the Number of Credentialed Early Childhood Educators in San Mateo County
RECOMMENDATION:
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Measure K: Adopt a resolution authorizing the President of the Board of Supervisors to execute agreements to increase the number of credentialed early childhood educators in San Mateo County with:
A) Institute for Human and Social Development for the term of February 25, 2025 to June 30, 2027 in an amount not to exceed $3,315,000, and two options to extend the agreement for one year for each option, in an amount not to exceed $1,000,000 for the first option, if exercised, and an amount not to exceed an additional $1,000,000 for the second option, if exercised, at the sole discretion of the County Executive or designee; and
B) Upward Scholars for the term of February 25, 2025 to June 30, 2027 in an amount not to exceed $650,000, and two options to extend the agreement for one year for each option, in an amount not to exceed $294,000 for the first option, if exercised, and an amount not to exceed an additional $308,700 for the second option, if exercised, at the sole discretion of the County Executive or designee; and
C) San Mateo County Office of Education for the term of February 25, 2025 to June 30, 2027 in an amount not to exceed $530,062, and two options to extend the agreement for one year for each option, in an amount not to exceed an additional $219,138 for the first option, if exercised, and an amount not to exceed an additional $219,138 for the second option, if exercised, at the sole discretion of the County Executive or designee.
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BACKGROUND:
San Mateo County faces a shortage of credentialed early childhood education (ECE) teachers. The Fund the Future Report (2024) of the Commission on the Status of Women identified a deficit of as many as 2,829 childcare workers in San Mateo County. In addition, “The Early Care and Education Workforce of San Mateo County” report (October 2024)conducted by the Berkeley Center for the Study of Child Care Employment Center which surveyed 364 childcare center directors, teachers and assistant teachers working at 130 childcare centers, states that 93% of the surveyed childcare centers have difficulty finding qualified candidates to fill teacher and assistant teacher positions. Since teacher credentials are necessary to work at early childhood education centers, a shortage of credentialed ECE teachers can negatively impact both the quality and quantity of available childcare in the county and can exacerbate other sector challenges such as high costs and insufficient capacity. Conversely, investments in the ECE workforce have the potential to amplify positive impacts on children and childcare countywide.
To address this issue, in June 2024, the Board of Supervisors allocated $1,500,000 in Measure K funds annually over three years, with the option to extend the funding for an additional two years, to increase the number of credentialed ECE educators in the county.
After researching and engaging with stakeholders, providers, and experts on the structural barriers to (and opportunities for) increasing the ECE workforce, in October 2024, the County Executive's Office developed and issued a request for proposals (RFP) to increase the number of credentialed early childhood educators in San Mateo County, with an emphasis on countywide services and culturally and linguistically appropriate programming. Four proposals were submitted in response to the RFP. A panel of early childhood education experts evaluated all the proposals. To achieve the goals of the RFP, the panel recommended contracting with three of the proposers: the Institute for Human and Social Development (known as “Izzi”), Upward Scholars, and the San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE).
DISCUSSION:
Each of the credential types that allow a person to work in an early childhood education setting (associate teacher, teacher, master teacher, site supervisor) require an array of varying levels of coursework, in-classroom experience, exams and other requirements such as CPR training. Satisfying these requires substantial investments of time and expense, including the opportunity cost of forgoing paid work while obtaining the credential. Through engagement with stakeholders as part of the development of the RFP, County staff learned that the requirements serve as significant barriers for many who might otherwise enter (or ascend within) the ECE workforce.
In particular, many of those interested in pursuing this work are often working parents and/or come from immigrant or other historically underserved communities and have to pursue a credential while working full time and/or taking care of their own children. Obstacles to starting and completing credentials include a lack of awareness about the complexities of the credentialing process, formal community college enrollment requirements, opportunity cost of attending school, and ongoing commitment to multiple years of study. Because of limited availability of required coursework in languages other than English, English language learners face additional hurdles.
Together, the three proposed contractors will provide a “pipeline” for new and advancing ECE credentialed staff who might not otherwise be able to obtain their credential. Over the initial term of three years, the contractors will serve 275 current and aspiring early childhood educators, recruited countywide. Of those students, over 100 are expected to complete credential requirements, obtain state permits and be working in San Mateo County childcare programs. The remaining students will be in the “pipeline” moving toward completion and taking positions with San Mateo County childcare centers in future years. To participate in these programs, individuals must be county residents and/or working at an ECE provider in the county, and if they are receiving stipends or tuition support, must pledge to work in a San Mateo County ECE Center for at least 1 year following completing of the program.
Institute for Human and Social Development (Izzi):
Izzi is a non-profit ECE agency in San Mateo County serving over 700 children and families. Izzi operates 10 childcare centers located in South San Francisco, Daly City, Redwood City, Menlo Park, East Palo Alto, and Half Moon Bay. Izzy is the largest provider of state subsidized childcare and the sole grantee for Head Start and Early Head Start programs in San Mateo County. Over 70% of the Izzi families speak Spanish.
The proposed contract will enable Izzi to continue and expand its Child Development Associate (CDA) certificate training program. The CDA certificate qualifies holders to apply for an Associate Teacher permit. Beginning as a pilot in 2022, the CDA program provides the necessary coursework (in English and Spanish), academic supports, classroom training, and permit application support for the CDA certificate.
With a total of $3,317,714 in funding over three years, Izzi will facilitate CDA credential coursework for 64 students, which includes covering course tuition, providing academic stipends, paid internships, and support with technology including adding a new Mandarin language track to their CDA program. It is expected that 55 of the students will take the classes in English or Spanish and 9 students will be in Mandarin. To reach the Chinese speaking community and provide culturally appropriate support to students, Izzi is sub-contracting with Unitedly, a non-profit focused on supporting early care and education providers in the San Mateo County Asian community. Izzi will also collaborate with other community partners, such as San Mateo County Office of Education, 4Cs child care resource and referral agencies, local schools, childcare centers, parenting and family support groups, ethnic community-based organizations, job placement and community agencies, to ensure a comprehensive recruitment effort.
While the CDA program began as an internal training program to address Izzi’s workforce needs, through this grant, Izzi will expand the reach of the program to include placements (both for paid internships and permanent placements) at ECE providers across the county, with the goal of placing 80% of graduates at non-Izzi sites by the end of the three-year term.
In addition to providing support to students working toward their Associate Teacher credential, Izzi will also support ECE students seeking Bachelor of Arts degrees (needed for higher credential levels) through a partnership with EDvance College, a regionally accredited non-profit higher education institution located in San Francisco. EDvance College will provide scholarships for the classes required to advance from an Associate Teacher to a Teacher or Site Director credential and help 67 students graduate, with as little debt as possible, with a Bachelor of Arts degree, 25 of whom will be transferring from the Izzi CDA credential program. Students in the EDvance bachelor degree program are required to be employed at an ECE center in the county for at least 15 hours per week while enrolled.
Upward Scholars:
Upward Scholars in a non-profit organization based in Redwood City supporting adult immigrant students with the transition from the Sequoia and San Mateo Adult Schools to the San Mateo County Community Colleges. One of the Upward Scholars career tracks is TeacherUp, which prepares students for jobs in early childhood education by providing academic and wrap around supports.
With a total of $650,000 funding over three years, the TeacherUp program will provide support services to a total of 54 students. The funding will cover books and course materials, academic stipends, funded internships, transportation support, childcare and student recognition events.
When students have completed their academic requirements for an Assistant Teacher credential, Upward Scholars assists with applications for childcare jobs. The Upward Scholars staff connect students with childcare employers, assist with resume updates, help draft cover letters, and conduct mock interviews.
San Mateo County Office of Education:
In early 2024, the San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE) began piloting an early childhood education career pathways navigator program with funding from Measure K, First 5, the Silicon Valley Community Foundation and other donors. The program created a summer ECE internship program for high school aged youth, funded a cohort of early childhood students at Skyline College and provided information regarding the multiple pathways to becoming a credential early childhood educator to over 100 people. SMCOE staff also assisted immigrants by evaluating their ECE transcripts from foreign countries against the state permit required courses.
With $530,062 in funding over three years, SMCOE will continue the ECE navigator program. Their work will include promoting ECE careers, supporting ECE internships for high school aged students, providing general information and support to people interested in the field of ECE including job placement, and communicating early childhood education course needs to the community colleges. In addition, SMCOE will continue to provide scholarships to ECE students with funding received from the State and look for opportunities to fund additional cohorts at Skyline and other community colleges.
PERFORMANCE MEASURE:
|
|
# Students Enrolled in ECE Classes |
# Credentials Obtained* |
# Placements in ECE Workforce |
|
Izzi |
131 |
101 |
89 |
|
Upward Scholars |
54 |
13 |
19 |
|
SMCOE |
90 |
84 |
108 |
|
Total** |
275 |
198 |
216 |
*Associate Teacher, Teacher, New Site Supervisor
**SMCOE will help navigate students to numerous pathways, including Izzi and Upward Scholars, therefore the total numbers are not unduplicated.
Contractor-specific and additional annual performance measures are outlined in each agreement. Performance measures will be submitted via quarterly and annual reports to the County for review and discussion. The County’s option to extend contracts beyond the initial three-year period will depend on performance and available funding.
While the contractors are supporting distinct education pathways and, in some cases, targeting outreach to differing communities, their work will have many commonalities and possible overlap. To address this, the contractors will work together on outreach and marketing plans as well as supporting individuals to get internship hours and jobs in ECE centers in San Mateo County. They will also convene throughout the term of the agreements to share best practices, coordinate services, review success stories and discuss areas for improvement. These meetings will be coordinated by SMCOE.
EQUITY IMPACT:
These agreements will promote ECE education, launch and advance ECE careers, provide qualified ECE teachers for San Mateo County childcare centers and improve the quality and quantity of childcare in San Mateo County. The new and current teachers served by the contractors will include youth, immigrant adult learners, low-income residents and members of Spanish, English and Chinese speaking communities.
The contractors will ensure a wide variety of language and cultural needs are met; for example, SMCOE can provide Language Line On-Demand Interpretation and Translation Services, and all three contractors will leverage trusted community partners to help recruit/outreach to potential and existing ECE students, thus improving the workforce and quality of childcare across all county communities.
The contractors will advance equity within the ECE workforce and will also build more equitable early learning for the children and families served by the newly credentialed Assistant Teachers, Teachers and Site Supervisors.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The initial term of the agreement is from February 25, 2025 to June 30, 2027 for a cumulative amount not to exceed $4,500,000. The County will have the sole option to extend the term of the agreements for up to two (2) additional one (1) year terms: (i) from July 1, 2027 to June 30, 2028, and (ii) from July 1, 2028 to June 30, 2029. If the County elects to exercise all of its options, the cumulative amount will not exceed $7,536,038.
The agreements will be funded through Measure K funds. The Measure K funds are included in the FY 2024-25 Adopted Budget.
There is no Net County Cost associated with approving this recommendation.