California Senate Bill SB837 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: SB 837AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JULY 2, 2014 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 18, 2014 AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 28, 2014 AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 22, 2014 AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 2, 2014 INTRODUCED BY Senator Steinberg JANUARY 6, 2014 An act relating to early childhood education. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 837, as amended, Steinberg. Early childhood education: professional development. Existing law authorizes a school district or charter school to maintain a transitional kindergarten program and defines transitional kindergarten as the first year of a 2-year kindergarten program that uses a modified kindergarten curriculum that is age and developmentally appropriate. Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to administer all California state preschool programs. Existing law requires those programs to include part-day age and developmentally appropriate programs designed to facilitate the transition to kindergarten for three- and four-year-old children. Of the moneys appropriated in the  2014 Annual Budget Act,   Budget Act of 2014,  this bill would allocate certain of those moneys for purposes of professional development for teachers in transitional kindergarten and teachers in the California state preschool  programs,   program,  as provided. The bill would require the State Department of Education to consult with various entities, including the California Community Colleges, for purposes of administering the above provisions. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. (a) Of the moneys appropriated in Item 6110-196-0001 of the Budget Act of 2014, the sum of fifteen million dollars ($15,000,000) shall be allocated to the  department   State Department of Education  to be used to fund professional development for teachers. The funds shall be allocated as follows: (1) (A) First priority shall be for professional development for transitional kindergarten teachers. (B) For purposes of this paragraph, professional development shall include, but shall not be limited to, all of the following: (i) Stipends for teachers to complete at least 24 units in early childhood education or childhood development, or a combination of both, pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (g) of Section 48000  of the Education Code  . (ii) Strengthening teacher knowledge of the California Preschool Learning Foundations, as developed by the department. (2) Second priority shall be for professional development for teachers in the California state preschool program, pursuant to Article 7 (commencing with Section 8235) of Chapter 2 of Part 6 of Division 1 of Title 1  of the Education Code  . (b) Of the moneys appropriated in Item 6110-196-0001 of the Budget Act of 2014, the sum of ten million dollars ($10,000,000) shall be allocated to the  department   State Department of Education  to be used for other professional development projects, not described in subdivision (a), for transitional kindergarten and California state preschool program teachers, as determined by the department. (c) The  department   State Department of Education  shall consult with the California Community Colleges,  the California State University, resource   and referral programs,  the California Children and Families Commission, school administrators, and teachers in administering this section.