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 3- and 4-year-old children. Existing law requires the county board of supervisors and the county superintendent of schools to select members of a local planning council. Existing law requires a local planning council to conduct an assessment of child care needs in the county no less than once every 5 years. Of the moneys appropriated in the Budget Act of 2014, this bill would allocate certain of those moneys for purposes of professional development stipends, to be administered by local planning councils, for teachers in transitional kindergarten and teachers in the California state preschool program, as provided. By imposing a new duty on a local planning council, the bill would create a state-mandated local program. 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. Funds allocated by this bill would be applied toward the minimum funding requirements for school districts and community college districts imposed by Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution, as provided. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.