DEPARTMENT: Pre-K 4 SA
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Sarah Baray, Ph.D.
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT:
Teachers 4 Toddlers Program
SUMMARY:
This item requests board action to accept funds from the Beldon Family Foundation in an amount of $76,000.00 for continuation of the "Teachers 4 Toddlers Program (T4T Program)", which aims to address the critical shortage of highly skilled infant-toddler teachers in San Antonio.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Using a shared services model that has proven successful in other parts of the nation, Pre-K 4 SA and United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County are working with a coalition of San Antonio child care providers to leverage automation of services and economies of scale to build a sustainable business model that allows child care providers to invest in quality improvements. Developing and retaining skilled teachers is a key goal of the Shared Services Coalition. While Pre-K 4 SA offers free training, including a course that allows child care teachers to obtain a nationally-recognized teaching credential, providers are unable to cover costs associated with having teachers attend training or offer incentives to retain teachers once they are credentialed.
The "T4T Program" supports the goals of the Shared Services Coalition and builds on existing efforts by Pre-K 4 SA to increase the quality of child care in San Antonio. The program accomplishes this by addressing the critical shortage of highly skilled infant-toddler teachers in San Antonio through creating a career pathway that allows child care teachers to obtain teaching credentials and earn a stipend for serving as infant-toddler teachers in child care centers serving low-income children.
Pre-K 4 SA and the Beldon Family Foundation established the "T4T Program" through an MOU approved by the Pre-K 4 SA Board of Directors on January 28, 2020, and a $25,000 grant contribution from the Beldon Family Foundation. Under the MOU, Pre-K 4 SA is responsible for admin...
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