March/April 2005 - see PDF version  (22k, 3 pages)

CCDAA’s 63rd Annual Conference was held in San Jose CA from March 9th – 11th 2005. Child Development Division Consultants presented workshops on different technical topics with help from program/agency administrators throughout the state. CCDAA thanks CDD and program/agency administrators for their presentations on technical assistance to Conference attendees. The Conference was financially very successful and well attended. Thanks to Dee Tucker and Carol Thompson, Conference Co-Chairs, and their committee who did an excellent job of putting on our Annual Conference.

At Conference Pat Dorman, the publisher of On the Capitol Doorstep, was honored for her years of service to the child development field. Since Pat is retiring, On the Capitol Doorstep publishing duties will be taken over by Alex Cooke. Alex is the current editor. As many of you know, On the Capitol Doorstep tracks and explains current child development bills and issues as they wind their way through the CA Legislature.

At conference CCDAA’s new web site design was presented. It is more colorful and user friendly. The new web site has the ability to present more information in a more colorful fashion. Daniel Tet of “iecomputing” was contracted with to design and develop the new site.

CCDAA is set to sponsor a bill on Training Days where Child Development Staff could have training opportunities without children in attendance on site. This bill does not yet have an author. Without an author (a legislator to carry the bill) the sponsored idea cannot move forward. Tim Fitzharris, CCDAA’s Advocate, is still shopping for an author who might give attention and “authorship” to this idea. There is the possibility that this idea could be attached to an existing child development bill.

At Conference State Board fleshed out the components wanted in the School Readiness Bill that Assemblymember Mullin is currently carrying for CCDAA. The bill is number AB927. If passed and signed into law by the Governor, this bill will re-name State Preschools and Centers to School Readiness Programs.

This will hopefully negate the impression that some center-based programs are childcare and not instructional in content. Assemblymember Mullin was a 30-year educator teaching at the high school level before becoming an Assemblymember. Mullin was honored/thanked at CCDAA’s President’s Reception held at the San Jose Children’s Discovery Museum on Thursday evening of Conference Week. The honor/thank you was two fold- 1) to thank Mullin for carrying CCDAA’s legislation last year that renamed Family Child Care Home Networks to Family Child Care Home Education Networks and 2) to thank Mullin for carrying this year’s CCDAA legislation on School Readiness.

At Conference, Michael Jett- Director of Child Development Division (CDD) spoke about Education Superintendent Jack O’Connell’s support of the Preschool for All movement is CA. If funded and implemented, this movement would allow enrollment spaces for all CA Pre-K children during the school year immediately before their kindergarten year. The Division is very supportive of this concept and will work for implementation once given direction. Michael also spoke about the Program Quality Standards, their importance and their origin. Quality Standards came from Desire Results; the child evaluative system currently in force for all CDD funded programs. The standards ensure program quality and alignment with and support the desired results for children and families. Michael announced that his supervisor, Sue Stickel- Deputy CA State Superintendent for Curriculum-, will attend and speak at CCDAA’s June Statewide Meeting to be held in San Diego on June 10, 2005.

At Conference, Greg Hudson- Southern Field Services Administrator in CDD spoke about the Error Rate Study for AP and Best Practices. Since October 2004 many CDD have visited Alternative Payment (AP) Programs to discern the number of errors in parent income computation and child enrollment/attendance accounting.

CCDAA has been invited to briefing and question/answer meeting on the Error Rate Study Report scheduled for Friday April 15, 2005 in Sacramento. Renee Herzfeld, past CCDAA State President and Northern Section’s Public Policy Advisor, will represent CCDAA at this meeting. The Error Rate Study Report is scheduled for transmittal to the CA Legislature soon. As of this writing (April 13, 2005) there is not a definite date for transmittal as yet.

State Board had hired an Executive Search Company, Moira La Mountain and Associates, to aid CCDAA in the search for an Executive Director (ED). The target hire date for CCDAA’s first ever ED is July 1, 2005.

Bruce Ramet, State President