Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Preschool Programs topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Teachers and parents urge board to save full‑inclusion preschool and create credential pathways
Summary
At public comment multiple preschool teachers and parents urged the board to avoid cuts to full‑inclusion preschool programs (V and Mila), requested transparency and a task force, and asked the district to pursue emergency TK credentials and internships so preschool teachers can move into TK roles without resigning.
Several teachers and parents used the public‑comment period at the Feb. 26 board meeting to press the district for more support and transparency around the future of preschool programs and staff layoffs.
Judith, a teacher at V, described the full‑inclusion preschool model (students with IEPs integrated into classrooms) and the benefits of early intervention, reading aloud a parent letter that described a former student’s progress as evidence of the program’s impact. She and other speakers said cutting the program would harm classroom stability and student outcomes and urged the board to form a task force of parents, educators, program directors and board members to improve enrollment and hold the district accountable for outreach and marketing.
Harley Sers, another V teacher, emphasized that V and Mila are different programs — V operates a full‑inclusion preschool required by law for ages 3–5, while Mila does not — and asked the board to consider program differences rather than relying solely on seniority for any layoff decisions.
Timmy Overmeer, lead teacher at Vonte Learning Academy, urged short‑term and long‑term credentialing solutions: declare an emergency TK credential to allow many preschool educators to teach TK now, and expand internship pathways (e.g., with Cal State Long Beach) so current employees can obtain credentials without resigning from PVPUSD. He said local teachers include staff with master’s degrees and decades of experience whose retention would be critical to maintain program quality.
Superintendent Dr. Serrano responded in the superintendent’s report that the district recognizes the March 15 notification process (statutory deadline for potential employment changes), reiterated that a March 15 notice is not an automatic layoff, and said staff are working with preschool directors on marketing materials (videos, flyers and banners) and outreach to boost enrollment; Dr. Serrano said banners were at the print shop and social media posts were planned.
Several union representatives and PTA and CSEA leaders later said a petition to form a task force had collected more than 760 signatures and urged continued collaboration and transparency from the district.
