Bill Giving Transitional Kindergarten Teachers 2 More Years of Classes Advances

California legislators last week advanced a bill that would give transitional kindergarten teachers more time to earn teaching credentials.

The state Assembly’s Education Committee unanimously approved Assembly Bill 1555 on March 31 and sent the bill to be reviewed by the Assembly Appropriations Committee in the coming weeks.

The bill, introduced by Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva (D-Fullerton) in February, would give those who teach transitional kindergarten classes—which is the first year of a two-year kindergarten program that serves as a bridge between preschool and kindergarten—two more years to earn their teaching qualifications.

To qualify to teach transitional kindergarten, one must either complete 24 units in early childhood education, earn a child development teacher permit or early childhood education specialist credential, or prove they have adequate experience teaching preschool-age children.

Such requirements are a part of the $2.7 billion universal transitional kindergarten plan unveiled by Gov. Gavin Newsom in the 2021–22 state budget (pdf). The state plans on offering transitional kindergarten classes to all four-year-olds across the state by the 2025-26 school year.

Currently, such teachers have until Aug. 1 to earn such credentials.

But teachers are having a difficult time completing their required credential work, especially since many are also teaching full time, Quirk-Silva said at the Assembly Education Committee hearing March 31.

“This [bill] would allow additional time to get these units [completed] … and would extend requirements by two years,” she said. “Just imagine taking three hours or four hours of coursework a week plus the homework [on top of a full-time teaching job]. … This would … ease the burden for already overworked teachers and make sure we are able to retain our current valued teacher workforce.”

At the hearing, only one education organization—the Association of California Administrators—supported the bill, and there was no one present opposing the bill.

Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance), the committee chair, supported the bill at the hearing, saying he thought the bill would help ensure there are enough teachers to fill classrooms by 2025.

“This bill is addressing the very important issue of making sure that we’re going to have enough [transitional kindergarten] teachers … with the programs to roll out,” he said. “I’m happy to support the bill.”

If passed, the law would apply to all transitional kindergarten teachers hired after July 1, 2015.