CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed Convenes Panel on Early Childhood Education

Contact: Clara Potes-Fellow, (562) 951-4800, cpotes-fellow@calstate.edu
Evelyn Duarte (562) 951-4817 eduarte@calstate.edu

(March 1, 2006) – California State University's Chancellor Charles B. Reed will host a meeting of the state's top educational leaders to discuss the preparation of teachers for early childhood and pre-school programs, on March 3 in Sacramento.

The Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O' Connell, University of California President Robert Dynes and California Community Colleges Executive Vice Chancellor Steven Bruckman will join Chancellor Reed for the day.

"We will examine California's higher education capacity to respond to the growing demand for teacher preparation in early childcare and pre-school education," Chancellor Reed said. "I look forward to exploring opportunities to provide bachelor's and graduate degrees as well as teaching credentials in early childhood education."

Dr. Marcy Whitebook, will present a paper entitled Time to Revamp: Early Childhood Teacher Preparation Programs in California's Institutions of Higher Education. Dr. Karen Hill Scott will also speak about universal preschool and educator preparation.

Participants include faculty and deans of education, child development and teacher preparation programs of the California State University, University of California and California Community Colleges.

Other speakers include Kris Perry, executive director of Children and Families First Commission, Glen Thomas, executive director of California County Superintendents Educational Services Association, and Gary Reichard, executive vice chancellor of the California State University system.

The California State University is the largest system of senior higher education in the country, with 23 campuses, 405,000 students and 44,000 faculty and staff. Since the system was created in 1961, it has awarded about 2 million degrees, about 84,000 annually. The CSU is renowned for the quality of its teaching and for the job-ready graduates it produces. Its mission is to provide high-quality, affordable education to meet the ever-changing needs of the people of California. With its commitment to excellence, diversity and innovation, the CSU is the university system that is working for California. See www.calstate.edu