Introducing new EdSource newsletter on early education - by Lillian Mongeau
Subscriptions are now available to Eyes on the Early Years, EdSource’s new free, monthly newsletter on issues facing children from infancy through 3rd grade. The first issue features stories about the state and federal movements to create universal public preschool, a proposed federal funding increase for Head Start and more. Check out the ... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit the Edsource
The California Department of Education officially opened the grant application process Tuesday for a $250 million state fund for career and college readiness programs, signaling the start of a fierce competition among education leaders seeking to forge stronger student connections between the classroom and the workplace.
The California Career Pathways Trust, a one-time grant fund, aims to broaden the reach of existing programs while forging new partnerships and initiatives that provide students with rigorous academic instruction linked to workplace experience in high-earning, high-skilled careers.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson described the grant as a “dream come true” during a media teleconference. Torlakson said programs linking academics with careers have already produced student success on a small scale but that this new state grant is poised to replicate those achievements throughout the state.
Senate President pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, who successfully lobbied to have the fund included in the 2013-2014 budget, joined Torlakson for the announcement. He called the funding “an unprecedented investment” and noted that it’s more than double the proposed federal spending President Barack Obama has identified for similar efforts.
“The economy is growing (statewide),” he said, “but there are not enough educated and trained