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>> SCULLEY: THAT WILL BE THE SECOND PART.
LET ME JUST START BY SAYING OUR PRE-K FOUR SA ADOPTED BUDGET IS $47.3 MILLION AND THIS IS FUNDED BY 1/8 CENT SAILS TAX THAT WAS VOTER APPROVED IN 2012.
AS BACKGROUND, IN 2011, THE SA 2020 COMMUNITY PROCESS RECOGNIZED EDUCATION ACHIEVEMENT AS ONE OF THE PRIORITIES OF WHAT WE WANTED TO DO FOR THE YEAR 2020.
A BRAIN POWER TASK FORCE WAS COMMENCED.
THEY SPENT NEARLY A YEAR STUDYING BEST PRACTICES AND BEST OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE OUTCOMES FOR EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT.
THE BRAIN POWER TASK FORCE, WHICH YOU MAY RECALL WAS COCHAIRED BY RETIRED GENERAL JOE ROBLES, RETIRED CEO OF USAA AND CHARLES BUTT, CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF H-E-B.
AND THEY STUDIED EFFECTIVE WAYS TO IMPROVE EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT AND RECOMMENDED THAT FOR CHILDREN TO SUCCEED IN SAN ANTONIO AND BE ABLE TO OBTAIN 21ST CENTURY JOBS, THAT WE NEEDED TO IMPROVE OUR EDUCATION.
AT THAT POINT AT THE REQUEST OF THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL, CITY STAFF DEVELOPED AN EIGHT-YEAR BUSINESS PLAN FOR PRE-K FOUR SA, AND THAT WAS ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL IN AUGUST OF 2012 AND AT THAT POINT THE CITY COUNCIL SET THE ELECTION OF NOVEMBER OF 2012 TO CONSIDER PRE-K FOUR SA.
SO OUR RESIDENTS IN NOVEMBER APPROVED THE 1/8 CENT FUNDING FOR THE PROGRAM, AND AFTER NINE MONTHS, WE STOOD THE PROGRAM UP AT THE FIRST TWO CENTERS.
THE BUSINESS PLAN WAS TO PUT IN PLACE THE FIRST TWO CENTERS, NORTH AND SOUTH, AND RAMP UP THE PROGRAM IN YEAR 2.
WE ADDED THE EAST AND WEST CENTERS.
IN YEAR 3, WE WENT TO FULL CAPACITY, WHICH IS 500 FOUR-YEAR-OLDS IN EACH OF THE FOUR SCHOOLS, AND THEN IN THE FOURTH YEAR, WE BEGAN THE GRANT PROGRAM; THAT IS GRANTS AVAILABLE THROUGH A COMPETITIVE PROCESS TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS, TO CHARTER SCHOOLS AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS TO FURTHER PREK EDUCATION FOR FOUR-YEAR-OLDS THROUGHOUT SAN ANTONIO.
AS YOU KNOW, THE BUSINESS MODEL INCLUDES FIVE COMPONENTS, AND SARA'S GOING TO TALK ABOUT THOSE TODAY AND ALL THE ACHIEVEMENTS.
YESTERDAY WE HAD A PRE-K FOUR SA BOARD MEETING RIGHT HERE IN THIS ROOM AND HAD AN UPDATE ON MUCH OF WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
IT'S SO IMPRESSIVE, AND I HAVE TO SAY, OF ALL THE THINGS I'VE
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HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO WORK ON OVER THE PAST DOZEN YEARS, THIS CERTAINLY IS A HIGHLIGHT, BECAUSE WE ARE PREPARING THE CHILDREN OF SAN ANTONIO AS OUR FUTURE WORKERS, IN BOTH THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS.WE HEARD FROM A PARENT THAT'S LEADING OUR PARENT-INVOLVEMENT PROGRAM, AND IT WAS A TRUE TESTIMONIAL.
SOME OF WHAT THEY'RE SEEING, BECAUSE NOT ONLY ARE WE EDUCATING FOUR-YEAR-OLDS, BUT ALSO HELPING PARENTS BECOME ADVOCATES FOR THEIR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION AS PART OF THIS PROCESS.
SO THE FIVE COMPONENTS OF THE PROGRAM INCLUDE THE EDUCATION CENTERS, FAMILY ENGAGEMENT.
YOU'LL HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT TODAY.
SO IN EXCHANGE FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS PROVIDING AND CERTIFYING STUDENTS IN OUR PROGRAM, WE ARE PROVIDING TRAINING FOR THEIR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS.
SO IT IS A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS, AND WE HAVE EIGHT PARTICIPATING SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN OUR PROGRAM.
I MENTIONED THE COMPETITIVE GRANTS.
THAT'S THE FOURTH ITEM, AND THEN COMMUNITY OUTREACH, AND WE'LL HEAR MORE ABOUT THAT TODAY.
PRE-K FOUR SA ISGOV NERNED BY STATUTE, THE MAYOR APPOINTING A CHAIR AND COUNCILMEMBERS HAVING REPRESENTATIVES.
COUNCILMAN SHAW, YOUR NEW REPRESENTATIVE ATTENDED THE MEETING YESTERDAY, ALTHOUGH HE DOESN'T TAKE HIS OFFICIAL PLACE ON THE BOARD UNTIL THE NEXT MEETING, BUT...
-- I MENTIONED THAT WE PARTNER WITH THE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS, AND SARAH'S GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT THIS AFTERNOON.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDINGS WITH EACH OF OUR EIGHT PARTICIPATING SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
WE NEGOTIATED THOSE BEFORE -- OR IN THAT FIRST YEAR OF STANDING UP THE PROGRAM.
AS I'VE SAID, WITHIN NINE MONTHS OF THE ELECTION, WE OPENED OUR FIRST TWO SCHOOLS.
ACTUALLY BUILT THOSE AND STAFFED THEM IN THOSE EARLY MONTHS, AND THEN RAMPED UP THE PROGRAM OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS.
WE ALSO HAVE -- AND SARAH WILL TALK ABOUT INDEPENDENT EVALUATION OF OUR PROGRAM SO THAT WE UNDERSTAND AND THE PERFORMANCE METRICS ARE REVIEWED BY AN OUTSIDE ORGANIZATION TO TELL US ABOUT THE PROGRESS THAT WE'RE MAKING.
LET ME JUST SAY THEN AFTER SARAH PRESENTS ON THE BUDGET TODAY AND -- AND THE TIMING OF THIS IS THAT THE BUDGET HAS ALREADY BEEN ADOPTED BY THE PRE-K FOUR SA BOARD OF DIRECTORS, AND PETER ZANONI WHO WORKED VERY HARD IN THE EARLY YEARS WITH A TEAM OF STAFF AND/OR I ATTEND ALL THE BOARD MEETINGS, BECAUSE IT IS A PARTNERSHIP WITH PRE-K FOUR SA, ALL OF THE EMPLOYEES ARE CITY EMPLOYEES, SO SARAH ACTUALLY HAS TWO BOSSES IN THE SENSE THAT SHE WORKS FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND THE GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE IS THAT THE PREK BOARD OF DIRECTORS OVERSEES THE PROGRAM AND MAKES IMPROVEMENTS.
THE COUNCIL'S ROLE IS TO ADOPT THE BUDGET ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
AND SO THAT'S THE PRESENTATION TODAY.
FOLLOWING SARAH'S PRESENTATION, MELODY WOOLSEY IS HERE AND SHE'S GOING TO PROVIDE A PRESENTATION.
WE HAVE AS A CITY BEEN A RECIPIENT OF HEAD START DOLLARS FOR MANY YEARS AND HAVE CONTRACTS WITH OTHER OUTSIDE AGENCIES TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO THREE-YEAR-OLDS AND FOUR-YEAR-OLDS.
IT'S A DIFFERENT TYPE OF PROGRAM WITH DIFFERENT EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP AND MELODY WILL TALK ABOUT THAT TODAY.
THEY ARE TWO VERY DISTINCT AND DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROGRAMS. IN 2011, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING HEAD START FOR MANY YEARS, THE OFFICE OF HEAD START MOVED TOWARD A DECENTRALIZED APPROACH.
ORIGINAL LISA HAD RECEIVED ALL -- ORIGINALLY SAN ANTONIO HAD RECEIVED ALL OF THE MONEY AND THEN PROVIDED THROUGH AGENCIES THE SERVICES.
NOW IT IS DECENTRALIZED AND SO THERE ARE MULTIPLE PROVIDERS PROVIDING HEAD START SERVICES.
SO WE'LL TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT TODAY.
THEY HAVE IMPROVED THE LEADERSHIP AND THE TEACHERS' QUALIFICATIONS IN THE HEAD START PROGRAM, BUT IT IS NOT AT THE LEVEL OF THE PRE-K FOUR SA PROGRAM, SO WE'LL PROVIDE YOU WITH DISTINCTIONS ON THAT TODAY.
WE PROVIDE A MULTITUDE OF EDUCATIONAL SERVICES THROUGH BOTH OF THESE PROGRAMS. HEAD START AS WELL AS PRE-K FOUR SA, BUT IN SUM, LET ME SAY THAT OUR GOAL IS TO BEST PREPARE YOUNG LEARNERS SO THAT BY THE TIME THEY ENTER KINDERGARTEN, THEY ARE PREPARED TO LEARN AND HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXCEL IN THEIR EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE.
SO WITH THAT, LET ME INTRODUCE
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DR. SARAH BARAY.SHE'S BEEN ON BOARD NOW TWO YEARS AS OUR CE.
ZERO, AND WE'RE EXCITED WITH THE ENERGY, ENTHUSIASM AND INNOVATION THAT SHE HAS BROUGHT TO THE PROGRAM AS WELL AS THE IMMENSELY TALENTED STAFF THAT ARE WORKING TO HELP EDUCATE OUR FOUR-YEAR-OLDS AT OUR PREK CENTERS.
SARAH? THANK YOU, CITY MANAGER SCULLEY AND GOOD AFTERNOON TO MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
IT IS MY PLEASURE TO BE HERE TO TALK ABOUT MY FAVORITE TOPIC, WHICH IS PRE-K FOUR SA, BUT I ALSO WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU BECAUSE YOU APPOINT THE BOARD MEMBERS THAT SERVE ON THE PRE-K FOUR SA BOARD OF DIRECTORS, AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU, IT WAS -- IS THE BEST BOARD OF THE WORLD.
ONE OF MY FIRST QUESTIONS WAS TELL ME ABOUT THIS BOARD BECAUSE I'VE WORKED WITH LOTS OF SCHOOL BOARDS, AND SO I WAS DELIGHTED TO FIND OUT THAT WE HAVE SUCH TALENT ON OUR BOARD AND IT MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD.
AND THEN TO WORK WITH CITY MANAGER SCULLEY AND DEPUTY CITY MANAGER ZANONI ON THIS PROBABILITY WHICH REALLY IS -- PROJECT WHICH REALLY IS A TREMENDOUS ASSET TO SAN ANTONIO BUT REALLY TO THE STATE AND THE NATION AND IT'S REALLY MY HONOR TO LEAD THIS PROGRAM.
BEGIN BY TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE BUDGET OF PRE-K FOUR SA AND HOW WE ARE IN EXISTENCE.
SO AS THE CITY MANAGER MENTIONED, WE WERE APPROVED IN 2012 BY THE CITIZENS OF SAN ANTONIO, AND THAT WAS ALLOWABLE UNDER THE BETTER JOBS ACT, WHICH IS A STATE STATUTE THAT ALLOWS CITIES TO OPERATE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS THAT HELP TO IMPROVE -- AUDIO] -- OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS HAS THE ABILITY TO ACCEPT GRANTS AND LOANS, ADOPT OUR BUDGET AND EMPLOY THE NECESSARY PERSONNEL THROUGH THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
AS THE CITY MANAGER MENTIONED ALSO, YOU APPOINT OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS AS WELL AS ADOPT -- APPROVE THE BUDGET THAT'S ADOPTED BY THE BOARD.
PRE-K FOUR SA IS A FULLY SELF-SUPPORTING ENDEAVOR.
WE DO NOT RECEIVE ANY FUNDS FROM THE GENERAL CITY FUNDS.
WE ARE FUNDED PRIMARILY THROUGH A 1/8 CENT SALES TAX THAT IS DEDICATED TO PRE-K FOUR SA AND THE SALES TAX IS COLLECTED AS THE OTHER SALES TAX ARE COLLECTED AND REMITTED TO THE CORPORATION MONTHLY.
OUR FISCAL YEAR IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT FROM THE CITY.
WE ARE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE EIGHT SCHOOL DISTRICTS LISTED HERE ON THE POWERPOINT SLIDE.
THESE ARE -- THIS COVERS THE MAJORITY OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT DISTRICTS -- THE STUDENTS SERVED IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, BUT WE ARE -- OUR SERVICES ACTUALLY EXTEND ALL ACROSS THE CITY, BECAUSE EVEN IF FAMILIES ARE NOT LIVING IN A PARTNER DISTRICT, THEIR CHILDREN ARE ELIGIBLE TO ATTEND PRE-K FOUR SA BECAUSE THEY ARE CITIZENS OF SAN ANTONIO.
WE ALSO WORK WITH ALL EDUCATORS, EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO TO HELP IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION ACROSS THE CITY.
IT'S ONE OF THE REALLY OUTSTANDING FEATURES OF PRE-K FOUR SA IT'S A COMPREHENSIVE REACH, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT OUR FOUR EDUCATION STUDENTS AND THE 2,000 STUDENTS WE SERVE THERE.
WE REALLY ARE ADDRESSING ALL ASPECTS OF THE EARLY LEARNING CONTINUUM.
OUR ORIGINAL BUDGET MODEL WAS HERE, THIS WAS THIS IDEA IN THE BEGINNING WE WOULD HAVE A RAMP-UP PHASE WHERE WE STARTED WITH 700 STUDENTS AROUND ADDED MORE STUDENTS EACH YEAR.
IN OUR SECOND YEAR WE OPENED TWO MORE CENTERS AND THEY ALSO RAMPED UP.
YEAR 4 WAS OUR FIRST YEAR AT FULL CAPACITY OF 2,000 STUDENTS AND OUR BUDGET WAS DESIGNED THE SAME WAY, SO WE WOULD HAVE A RESERVE FUND AS WE RAMPED UP, AND THEN WE WOULD BEGIN SPENDING THAT DOWN IN OUR LATER YEARS.
OUR VISION FOR PRE-K FOUR SA, AS I SAID IT'S A WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE AND OUR VISION IS TO CHANGE THE EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE TRAJECTORY IN SAN ANTONIO IN ONE GENERATION.
ONE GENERATION MAY SOUND LIKE A LONG TIME, BUT ANY OF YOU HAVE CHILDREN KNOW 20 YEARS IS A GENERATION AND THAT GOES VERY QUICKLY.
IT'S ALSO THE MARKER THAT'S USED IN ALL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMS IN EDUCATION.
IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT IMPROVING LITERACY RATES OR EDUCATION SYSTEM, WE LOOK AT DOING THAT IN A GENERATION.
SO WE'RE WELL UNDER WAY TO DOING THAT.
OUR MISSION IS TO REALLY DEVELOPING A HIGH-QUALITY WORKFORCE FOR OUR WORLD CLASS CITY, SO, AGAIN, WE'RE DIFFERENT THAN MANY.
THERE ARE MANY, MANY CITIES THAT ARE RUNNING PREK PROGRAMS OR EARLY LEARNING PROGRAMS ACROSS THE NATION.
SAN ANTONIO'S IS UNIQUE IN THAT WE LEAD WITH QUALITY.
MOST OF THE PROGRAMS THINK ABOUT ACCESS AND GIVING ACCESS -- MORE ACCESS TO CHILDREN TO HAVE PREK.
BUT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO RIGHTLY SAID QUALITY IS WHAT MATTERS MOST, AND THE RESEARCH BEARS THAT OUT.
I THINK THIS IS THE BRAIN POWER
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TASK FORCE WAS REALLY RIGHT WHEN THEY DID THEIR STUDY BEFORE OPENING THIS UP, BECAUSE ACCESS TO MEDIOCRE PREK ISN'T GOING TO CHANGE MUCH OF ANYTHING.BUT ACCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY PREK IS TRANSFORMATIONAL.
SO PRE-K FOUR SA LEADS WITH QUALITY.
OUR EDUCATION CENTERS ARE ABOUT SHOWING WHAT QUALITY LOOKS LIKE AND SHOWING OTHER PROGRAMS TO INCREASE THEIR QUALITY AS WELL.
AGAIN, WE WORK IN COLLABORATION WITH OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS WHICH IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
I'M A PUBLIC EDUCATOR BY CAREER, AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO ME THAT WE CONTINUE TO HELP OUR TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO IMPROVE AND SERVE THE STUDENTS, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THE MAJORITY OF OUR CHILDREN GO.
AND THEY'RE REALLY ESSENTIAL, I THINK THEIR FOUNDATIONAL ASPECT TO OUR DEMOCRACY.
AND JUST BRIEFLY WHY EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND WHY SO MANY CITIES ARE FOCUSED ON IT? EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION AND -- IN EDUCATION AND TRUTHFULLY IS THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS A HUGE BODY OF RESEARCH TO SUPPORT IT.
AND I LIKE HIGH QUALITY EARLY EDUCATION TO -- IF WE THINK ABOUT EDUCATION AS A SKY SCRAPER AND YOU CAN BUILD YOUR EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONAL SKY SCRAPER IN THE SOIL JUST UNDERNEATH THE SURFACE AND YOU CAN STAND UP A SKY SCRAPER THERE.
BUT AS YOU ADD LAYERS TO THAT SKY SCRAPER, OR AS THAT SKY SCRAPER FACES STRONG WINDS OR OTHER FORCES, IT CAN TOPPLE OVER.
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION IS LIKE DRIVING YOUR SKY SCRAPER INTO THE BEDROCK.
IT HELPS CHILDREN TO HAVE A STRONG FOUNDATION THAT ESSENTIALLY, IF THEY ARE ON TRACK FROM PREK TO THIRD GRADE, THEY'RE ALMOST INDESTRUCTIBLE IN TERMS OF THEIR EDUCATIONAL CAREER.
AND PRE-K FOUR SA FOCUSES ALL THE WAY FROM -- -- THEY HAVE IDENTIFIED THAT HIGH QUALITY EARLY LEARNING PRODUCES A 7 TO 10% RETURN ON INVESTMENT.
AND IF YOU START EVEN BEFORE PREK, YOU CAN GET UP TO A 13% RETURN ON INVESTMENT.
THERE IS NO OTHER INVESTMENT IN EDUCATION THAT HAS THAT KIND OF RETURN ON INVESTMENT.
SO AT PREK FOUR SA WE -- AGAIN, OUR EDUCATION CENTERS SERVE 200Y TRAINED TEACHERS, WE HAVE A RESEARCH-BASED CURRICULUM.
THIS IS THE BEST OF THE BEST, AND I SAY THAT HAVING BEEN A RESEARCH PROFESSOR BEFORE THIS STUDYING SCHOOLS ALL OVER THE WORLD.
WHEN I SAY PREK FOUR SA'S CENTERS, I WAS BLOWN AWAY.
I HAD NOT SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT, AND ONE OF THE COUNCILMEMBERS RECENTLY ASKED ME HOW IT WOULD COMPARE WORLDWIDE.
I'D PUT IT UP AGAINST ANY EARLY LEARNING PROGRAM IN THE WORLD.
AND THE REASON THAT I LEFT A FULL TENURE PROFESSOR POSITION TO COME HERE, BECAUSE I WANTED TO BE PART OF SOMETHING THAT HAD SUCH POWER AND THE ABILITY TO TRANSFORM.
THE SIDE BENEFIT WAS, I GOT TO LIVE IN SAN ANTONIO, WHICH I DIDN'T KNOW HOW GREAT THAT WAS UNTIL I GOT HERE.
WE ALSO HAVE A STRONG PARENT OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM.
THIS IS A PIECE THAT WE'VE REALLY WORKED HARD ON OVER THE LAST YEAR.
WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT IN OUR NEXT PRESENTATION, BUT IT'S BASED IN THE IDEA THAT FAMILIES ARE LEADERS AND ADVOCATES FOR THEIR CHILDREN, AND IF WE EQUIP THEM WITH THOSE SKILLS AND THE KNOWLEDGE, THEY CAN DO THAT ALL THE WAY UP THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM AND THEY, TOO, CAN HELP TO IMPROVE WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR UPPER GRADES.
WE HAVE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COACHES, SO WE ARE -- PREK FOUR SA EDUCATION CENTERS SERVE AS DEMONSTRATION SITES, SO WE HAVE LOTS OF EDUCATORS COMING INTO THOSE SITES, SEEING WHAT'S HAPPENING THERE.
OUR TEACHERS ARE DEMONSTRATING SHOWING WHAT THEY DO AND WHY THEY DO THAT.
WE ALSO ARE WORKING ON WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT WITH EARLY LEARNING TEACHERS, SO WE PROVIDE TRAINING, NOT JUST TO TEACHERS IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, BUT ALSO TEACHERS IN THE EARLY LEARNING CENTERS ACROSS THE CITY TO HELP IMPROVE THEIR INSTRUCTIONAL QUALITY.
AND THEN WE'RE WORKING ON PREK FOR ALIGNMENT THROUGH PROFESSIONAL LEARNING, HELPING OUR TEACHERS AND PROFESSIONALS LEARN WHAT DOES HIGH QUALITY LOOK LIKE ALL THE WAY UP TO THIRD GRADE.
WE'RE DOING DATA SHARING AND IN FACT WE DEVELOPED A PROGRAM THAT'S FREE OF CHARGE TO HELP EARLY LEARNING TEACHERS GET THIS IMPORTANT CREDENTIAL THAT HELPS THEM TO REACH ACCREDITATION STATUS.
AND JUST SINCE 2018, YOU CAN SEE THE NUMBERS UP THERE, JUST SINCE JANUARY, WE'VE HAD 990 EDUCATORS IN OUR PROGRAM, 10,000 TRAINING HOURS, 140 CAMPUSES HAVE BEEN INVOLVED AND WE'VE AWARDED 50 CEAS, SO JUST IN THE FIRST FEW MONTHS WE'VE BEEN BUSY.
WE ALSO GIVE COMPETITIVE GRANTS 3.4 MILLION ANNUALLY.
THIS IS REALLY FOCUSED ON INCREASING THE QUALITY AND ACCESS ACROSS THE CITY.
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THE OTHER IMPORTANT THING THAT COMES OUT OF OUR COMPETITIVE GRANTS PROGRAM IS HELPING OUR DISTRICTS AND OUR OTHER PROVIDERS UNDERSTAND WHAT MATTERS IN QUALITY.SO IF YOU -- IN OUR FIRST ROUND OF GRANTS, SOME OF OUR PROGRAMS WERE REALLY FOCUSED ON WHAT I CALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLES, THOSE THINGS THAT ARE VISUALLY REALLY EXCITING, LIKE IPADS AND OTHER KINDS OF UNIQUE PROGRAMS. AND THOSE THINGS ARE GREAT, BUT THEY ACTUALLY DON'T MATTER IF YOU DON'T HAVE HIGH-QUALITY TEACHERS AND SAFE FACILITIES AND A GOOD CURRICULUM.
SO WE'VE REALLY HELPED THROUGH OUR GRANTS TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT MATTERS MOST.
IF YOU HAVE LIMITED FUNDS, WHERE SHOULD YOU PUT THEM TO GET THE MOST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK, AND THAT'S BEEN REALLY, REALLY HELPFUL.
AND, AGAIN, THIS IS A WAY WE'RE MOVING QUALITY ACROSS THE CITY.
THE OTHER GREAT THING ABOUT PREK FOUR SA IS WE INVEST IN DISTRICTS.
SO OUR PARTNER DISTRICTS, THEY -- THE CHILDREN THAT ENROLL IN PREK FOUR SA ARE ACTUALLY DULY ENROLLED, THEY'RE ENROLLED WITH OUR DISTRICTS AND ENROLLED WITH US.
IN EXCHANGE FOR US PROVIDING AN EXTENDED DAY OF EDUCATION, FOOD, TRANSPORTATION, EVERYTHING, WE ASK THE DISTRICTS TO GIVE US A PORTION OF THE ADA THAT THEY RECEIVE FROM THE STATE FOR QUALIFYING STUDENTS.
SO WE ASK FOR ABOUT $3,200 OF THAT.
OUR DISTRICTS ACTUALLY GET ABOUT $4,000 PER STUDENT, WHICH MEANS THEY'RE RETAINING $600 PER STUDENT THAT WE HOPE THEY'RE INVESTING INTO THEIR OWN EARLY LEARNING PROGRAMS. AND IN THIS WAY, SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE MAKING MONEY BY ENROLLING CHILDREN FOR PREK FOUR SA.
IN ADDITION TO THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THAT THEY GET FREE OF CHARGE AND SOME OF THE OTHER WORK THAT WE'RE DOING TO SUPPORT THEM, SO AS YOU CAN SEE WITH OUR LARGEST DISTRICTS, NEISD ACTUALLY BENEFITS TO THE TUNE OF $1.3 MILLION ANNUALLY THROUGH GRANTS, THROUGH RETENTION OF ADA, AND THROUGH THE OTHER SERVICES THEY GET FROM PREK FOUR SA.
AND -- I'M VERY HAPPY TO SEE AGAIN THIS WAS A BRILLIANT PIECE OF THE ARCHITECTURE OF PREK FOUR SA.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS, WE HAVE MANY, AND I -- I ALWAYS FEEL BAD STANDING UP HERE TALKING ABOUT IT, BECAUSE I DON'T FEEL LIKE I DID ANY OF IT, I JUST SHOWED UP WITH THIS GREAT PROGRAM.
WE WERE AWARDED LAST YEAR WITH H-E-B EXCELLENCE AND EDUCATION AWARD.
THE H-E-B EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION AWARD ARE THE OSCARS OF EDUCATION AWARDS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
THEY'RE SPONSORED BY CHARLES BUTT AND THEY ARE A BIG, BIG DEAL.
AND LAST YEAR WAS OUR FIRST YEAR TO BE ELIGIBLE AND WE WON THE AWARD FOR EARLY LEARNING CENTERS.
WE ALSO YESTERDAY FOUND OUT THAT THREE OF OUR CENTERS HAVE BEEN ACCREDITED THROUGH NACI, WHICH IS THE GOLD STANDARD OF AK ACCREDITATION IN THE COUNTRY.
OUR FOURTH CENTER, THE EAST CENTER, IS GOING THROUGH A NACI AK KREAD DAITION THIS FALL.
WE HAD A CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP THIS YEAR AND SO DECIDED NOT TO PUT THAT PRESSURE ON THE CENTER WHILE THEY WERE ALSO TRANSITIONING THERE.
WE FULLY ANTICIPATE THEY WILL BE AK CRED DATED IN THE FALL WHICH IS A HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT.
AND IF YOU HEARD SOME SCREAMING YESTERDAY, IT WAS THE SOUTH CENTER YESTERDAY AFTERNOON GETTING THEIR LETTER FROM NACI SAYING THAT THEY HAD BEEN ACCREDITED.
WE'RE ALSO A RESEARCH SITE FOR MANY PROGRAMS THAT ARE WORKING THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY LOOKING AT HIGH-QUALITY EARLY LEARNING BECAUSE EVERYONE WANTS TO FIGURE OIT WHAT SAN ANTONIO IS -- OUT WHAT SAN ANTONIO IS DOING.
THEN WE HAVE OUR -- WHERE ARE WE? OUR RESULTS.
SO THIS IS OUR PENCIL GRAPHIC THAT YOU MAY HAVE SEEN BEFORE.
THIS IS FROM OUR EXTERNAL EVALUATION.
AND WHAT THIS SHOWS IS THAT STUDENTS COME INTO PREK FOUR SA WELL BELOW THE NATIONAL NORM IN COGNITION, LITERACY AND MATH.
THEY WHREEF PREK FOUR SA FAR EXCEEDING THE NATIONAL NORM, WHICH MEANS THEY'RE NOT JUST READY FOR KINDERGARTEN, THEY'RE MORE THAN READY.
THIS SPEAKS TO THE HIGH QUALITY OF OUR TEACHERS AND THE WORK THEY DO.
ONE ANOMALY ON THERE IS OUR MATH SCORES.
WE DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A ONE-YEAR BLIP AND IF IT IS, WE'RE GOING TO SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH OUR THREE-YEAR-OLDS IN MATHEMATICS TO SEE IF WE CAN SPREAD THAT AREN'T.
HERE IS THE FINANCIAL FORECAST.
SO YOU SEE THE ACTUAL NUMBERS FOR FY '14 THROUGH '18 AND OUR FY '19 BUDGET, THE BEGINNING FUND BALANCE WE HAD WAS $6.8 MILLION.
WE ANTICIPATE $43 MILLION IN REVENUES AND WE ANTICIPATE $47.3 MILLION IN EXPENDITURES, WHICH WILL LEAVE US WITH A FUND BALANCE OF 2.5 MILLION.
AND THEN IN THE OUTGOING YEARS, YOU WILL SEE WE ARE SPENDING DOWN THE FUND BALANCE BECAUSE WE WILL BE UP FOR VOTE IN 2020, AND IT'S SET SUCH THAT IF WE ARE APPROVED, WE WILL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE ON WITHOUT MISSING A BEAT.
SO WE'VE DONE THAT VERY PURPOSELY.
THE BUDGET DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, WE HAD A PLANNING RETREAT WITH OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS IN JANUARY.
WE LOOKED AT OUR STRATEGIC PLAN AND TALKED ABOUT OUR BUDGET AND WHAT THINGS WE ARE PRIORITIZING, AND THEN WE HAD A BUDGET WORK
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SESSION AT THE END OF FEBRUARY AND BETWEEN FEBRUARY AND APRIL, WORKED TO DEVELOP THE BUDGET, WHICH WAS ADOPTED BY OR BOARD ON THE THIRD.WE'RE HERE TODAY TO PRESENT TO YOU AND THEN YOU'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO APPROVE THE BUDGET, IS IT MAY 17TH, I THINK, IS THE ACTUAL DATE THAT IT'S GOING TO BE ON.
THE MAJORITY OF OUR REVENUE COMES FROM THE SALES TAX.
WE ANTICIPATE GETTING 36.4 MILLION THIS YEAR BS BUT WE ALSO GET REVENUE FROM -- WE HAVE A GRANT WITH THE USDA FOOD AND MEAL SERVICES, WE GET REIMBURSED FOR THAT.
WE HAVE SLIDING SCALE TUITION, SO WE ARE ACTUALLY -- IN ADDITION TO STUDENTS FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, WE ALSO HAVE A SMALL NUMBER OF SLOTS RESERVED FOR THOSE FAMILIES THAT DON'T QUITE QUALIFY BECAUSE THEY MAKE A LITTLE BIT TOO MUCH MONEY.
IT'S REALLY TARGETED THOSE, WHAT WE CALL THE WORKING POOR, THEY'RE JUST ABOVE THAT INCOME THRESHOLD SO THEY DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THE STATE PREK BUT THEY DON'T MAKE ENOUGH MONEY TO AFFORD HIGH QUALITY PREK.
YOU CAN SEE THE PLANNED USE OF THE FUND BALANCE IN THERE AS WELL AS OUR STATE LOCAL MATCH.
THAT'S WHAT WE GET FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN RETURN.
THAT'S THE PART OF THEIR STATE FUNDING THAT WE'RE ABLE TO GET.
OUR EXPENDITURES, ABOUT HALF, A LITTLE OVER HALF OF OUR EXPENDITURES GO FOR OUR EDUCATION CENTERS, AND THAT INCLUDES EVERYTHING FROM TRANSPORTATION TO FOOD TO THE PARENT ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM TO EXTENDED DAY TO THE TEACHERS, THE TRAINING THAT THEY HAVE, ALL OF THAT IS IN THAT 52%.
YOU CAN SEE WE HAVE FACILITIES AND LEASES ALSO.
WE OWN ONE OF OUR BUILDINGS, WHICH IS THE EAST CENTER.
WE BUILT THAT OURSELVES, THE OTHER THREE BUILDINGS ARE LEASED.
WE HAVE $.8 MILLION THAT WE SPEND ON ENROLLMENT, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT'S PART OF GETTING FOLKS OUT THERE DOING SOME OUTREACH HELPING FAMILIES TO KNOW AND WALKING THEM THROUGH THE PROCESS.
ONE OF THE REASONS THAT FAMILIES DON'T ACCESS PREK PROGRAMS THEY'RE INTIMIDATED BY ENROLLMENT PROCESSES, SO WE TRY OUR VERY BEST TO MAKE SURE WE TRY AND HOLD THEIR HAND ALL THE WAY THROUGH THAT.
WE PROVIDE $4.3 MILLION IN COMPETITIVE GRANTS AND HAVE SOME COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT INCLUDING DEDICATED PROFESSIONAL LEARNING SPECIALIST WHO HELP THE CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTERS IMPROVE THEIR PROGRAMS. WE HAVE A PUBLIC RELATIONS AND MARKETING CAMPAIGN THAT GOES NOT JUST FOR ENROLLMENT BUT FOR ALSO HELPING PARENTS UNDERSTAND THE BENEFITS OF EARLY LEARNING WHETHER IT'S AT PREK FOUR SA OR IN OTHER PROGRAMS. YOU -- CAN SEE WE -- WHAT IS THE EXTERNAL PROFESSIONAL LEARNING WITH OUR PARTNERS.
ADMINISTRATION COSTS ARE AT 1.7 MILLION.
THAT'S OUR ENTIRE CORPORATE OFFICE AND THEN OTHER, THE $2 MILLION IS WE -- THERE ARE FEES FOR COLLECTING SALES TAX, WE PAY A FEE TO THE CITY TO REIMBURSE FOR SOME OF THE SERVICES WE USE THAT HUMAN RESOURCES, THE BUDGET DEPARTMENT, AND SO WE REIMBURSE THE CITY FOR THOSE COSTS.
GOING THROUGH THIS, THIS IS WHAT OUR EDUCATION CENTERS ARE $26.4 MILLION OF THE BUDGET.
THAT COVERS THE SALARIES, THE MEAL, CLASSROOM SUPPLIES, CURRICULUM INSTRUCTION, FAMILY ENGAGEMENT.
AND WE ALSO HAVE OTHER CONTRACTS LIKE SPEECH THERAPY, INSURANCE, THOSE KIND OF CONTRACTS THAT WE NEED TO PROVIDE IN ORDER TO OPERATE AS A LICENSED CHILDCARE FACILITY.
TRANSPORTATION, CONVENIENT LOCATIONS FOR FAMILIES TO DROP THEIR CHILDREN OFF AT A DEPOT, TO TRANSPORT THEM TO SCHOOL.
WE HAVE BUSES THAT ARE EQUIPPED WITH SAFETY EQUIPMENT FOR FOUR-YEAR-OLDS.
MOST SCHOOL BUSES ARE NOT EQUIPPED THAT WAY.
WE RUN MORNING AND AFTERNOON ROUTES AND WE HAVE ABOUT 15% RIDERSHIP AMONG OUR STUDENTS.
THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE WITHOUT TRANSPORTATION, OUR PROGRAM WOULD NOT BE ACCESSIBLE TO ALL OF OUR FAMILIES WHO DON'T ALWAYS HAVE RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION.
WE ALSO HAVE FACILITIES, LEASES AND MAINTENANCE WHICH IS $7.9 MILLION.
THIS COVERS EVERYTHING FROM OUR CUSTODIAL SERVICES AND MAINTENANCE SERVICES, OUR LEASE PAYMENTS, DEBT SERVICE, JANITORIAL SUPPLIES, UTILITY AND A BUILDING MAINTENANCE CHARGE THAT WE SHARE PART OF THAT WITH THE CITY.
OUR COMPETITIVE GRANTS, AS I SAID, 4.3 MILLION IS IN THE FUNDING, DIRECT FUNDING, AND 500,000 IS FOR SUPPORT STAFF AND OVERHEAD, INCLUDING THOSE THAT ARE HELPING ANALYZE THE EVALUATIONS OF THE GRANT PROGRAM.
AND WHAT DIFFERENCE IT'S MAKING IN THE SCHOOLS.
OUR PERSONNEL COMPLIMENT, WE HAVE 287 TEACHING STAFF, WHICH INCLUDES TEACHERS, ASSISTANT TEACHERS, PART-TIME AND FULL-TIME TEACHER AIDES.
WE HAVE OTHER CENTER STAFF WHO HELP WITH, YOU KNOW, THE RECEPTION, THE ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT STAFF, FACILITIES AND MAINTENANCE IS THERE.
PROFESSIONAL INNOVATION AND -- PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND
[00:30:01]
PROGRAM INNOVATION OR PROGRAM LEARNING SPECIALISTS AND THAT GROUP THAT WORKS EXTERNALLY.OUR ADMINISTRATION HAS A TOTAL OF 15 POSITIONS IN IT.
IN TERMS OF A NET CHANGE, WE ARE ADDING ONE POSITION FROM LAST YEAR.
WE'VE DONE A LOT OF REORGANIZING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE EFFECTIVE USE OF OUR STAFF, AND ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES AT THE HIGHEST QUALITY LEVEL, BUT WE'RE VERY DILIGENT ABOUT WHETHER IT'S USEFUL OR NOT.
AN EXAMPLE IS THAT WE'VE BUILT IN SOME MASTER TEACHER POSITIONS THAT CAN BE USED WHEN SOMEBODY GOES OUT ON EXTENDED LEAVE, SO THAT WE HAVE A MASTER TEACHER AVAILABLE TO FILL IN FOR THERE THAT WASN'T INITIALLY BUILT IN.
BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PROVIDE THE HIGHEST QUALITY TO OUR STUDENTS.
>> I CHOSE PREK FOUR SA BECAUSE I WAS VERY IMPRESSED BY THE PROGRAM AND IT WAS A NEW PROGRAM COMING OUT, AND I THOUGHT WHY NOT? AND THEN WITH MY OLDEST, WHEN THEY FIRST OPENED UP.
WITH MY YOUNGEST, I WAS LIKE THERE'S NO OTHER PLACE SHE NEEDS TO BE.
>> PRESCHOOL OFFERS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR CHILDREN TO LEARN THEIR LETTERS AND THEIR NUMBERS AND THEIR SHAPES AND BEGIN TO SOUND OUT WORDS AND UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF READING AND UNDERSTAND THAT MATH IS AROUND -- ALL AROUND US AND SCIENCE AS WELL, AND HOW TO INTEGRATE THOSE SKILLS THROUGHOUT THEIR DAILY ROUTINE.
WE'RE ABLE TO USE EVERY MINUTE, FROM THE MINUTE THEY WALK IN THE DOOR TO THE MINUTE THEY LEAVE IS A LEARNING OPPORTUNITY.
WE'RE TEACHING CHILDREN TO DEVELOP EXECUTIVE FUNCTION SKILLS, SO NOT ONLY ARE THEY READY ACADEMICALLY FOR SCHOOL, BUT THEY'RE ALSO READY WITH BEING ABLE TO EXPRESS EMOTIONS, BEING ABLE TO MAKE A PLAN AND FOLLOW THROUGH.
THOSE ARE SKILLS THAT TAKE CHILDREN THROUGH LIFETIME.
IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT PREPARING THEM THROUGH THE NEXT GRADE, IT'S ABOUT PREPARING THEM FOR LIFE.
I'M VERY -- I'M VERY IN AWE OF THE WHOLE PROGRAM.
>> PREK FOUR SA, EARLY INSPIRATION, FUTURE SUCCESS.
>> I ALWAYS SAY A SEEING IS BELIEVING PROGRAM, SO I WANTED TO LET SOME OF YOU SEE THAT.
I KNOW SEVERAL OF YOU HAVE BEEN OUT TO THE CENTERS.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE INVITATION IS ALWAYS OPEN, WE LOVE HAVING FOLKS COME OUT AND SEE WHAT WE'RE DOING, SO ANY TIME THAT YOU ARE INTERESTED IN COMING OUT, PLEASE LET US KNOW.
AND WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO PAUSE AND IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE BUDGET BEFORE I MOVE INTO THE SECOND PRESENTATION? MAIRS THANK YOU, SARAH.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, SARAH.
THE SECOND BRIEFING IS ON HEAD START.
WHY DON'T WE GO AHEAD AND PAUSE AND TAKE SOME QUESTIONS.
I'LL FILE PREK FOUR SA UNDER NOTHING GOOD COMES EASY.
TO THIS DAY, THERE ARE CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE CONFRONTING, BUT YOU, SARAH, YOUR PREDECESSOR, THE BOARD, THE STAFF, THE TEACHERS HAVE DONE A REALLY AMAZING JOB, AND I WOULD SAY THAT WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM OTHER COMMUNITIES IS THAT PREK FOUR SA IS ALSO A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE FOR US AS OTHER CITIES LOOK TO FILL IN GAPS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD ED EDUCATION IN PARTICULAR, BUT THE TALENT PIPELINE IN GENERAL, WE HAVE A PROGRAM THAT'S PROVEN TO WORK AND THAT PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO REPLICATE WITH LIMITED SUCCESS.
ONE OF THEM IS REGARD WITH THE FUND BALANCE THAT'S PROGRAMMED TO BE SPENT DOWN.
I'M A LITTLE UNCLEAR ON THE BUDGET ITSELF WHAT THAT IS FOR, IS THAT DEBT SERVICE THAT'S BEING RETIRED, WHAT IS THAT?
>> THE ORIGINAL BUSINESS MODEL HAD THAT BUILT IN, UNDERSTANDING THAT IN THE FIRST YEARS WE WOULD COLLECT ABOUT $35 MILLION IN SALES TAX WAS THE ESTIMATE.
WE WOULDN'T NEED THAT ALL IN THE BEGINNING, BUT AS WE LAUNCHED OUR COMPETITIVE GRANTS PROGRAM AND EXPANDED OUR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING PROGRAM, THERE WOULD BE INCREASING EXPENSES AS WE BROUGHT ON TWO MORE CENTERS, SO IT WAS BUILT INTO THAT MODEL.
AND I KNOW THAT THE CITY MANAGER CAN SPEAK TO THAT, SINCE SHE DESIGNED IT, BUT ALSO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO RUN THE PROGRAM GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE ANTICIPATED COLLECTING.
>> SCULLEY: THE ONLY THING I'D ADD IS THAT IT WAS BY DESIGN.
SO IN THE EARLY YEARS, WE KNEW THAT OPENING THE FIRST TWO SCHOOLS IN YEAR 1, WE HAD A FUND BALANCE, SO WE USED THAT THEN FOR THE LATER YEARS IN THE PROGRAM AS EXPENSES INCREASED.
SO IT WAS DESIGNED IN THIS WAY SO THAT WE'D BE ABLE TO DRAW DOWN ON THOSE FUNDS FOR OPERATING PURPOSES, NOT FOR CAPITOL.
AND SO IN OUR EIGHT YEAR -- OUR EIGHTH YEAR OF THE BUDGET, WHICH WOULD BE THE RENEWAL YEAR,
[00:35:01]
WE'RE.THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD, AND WE'RE OBVIOUSLY VERY -- IN AUDIO] -- YEAR 2, 3 AND 4 OF THE PROGRAM OVERALL AND WHERE STUDENTS ARE ENTERING AND WHERE THEY'RE COMING OUT IN TERMS OF PERFORMANCE AGAINST THEIR PEERS.
I'M JUST CURIOUS OF WHAT PEOPLE ARE TELLING YOU AS IT RELATES TO THE PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS ENTERING, AND WHY WE'RE SEEING A DIFFERENCE IN THE STUDENTS ENROLLING BEFORE THEY GET TO PREK.
IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S BEEN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SYSTEM OVERALL.
>> THAT'S ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE ARE ALSO LOOKING AT, AND WE HOPE THAT IS THE CASE.
BECAUSE I -- AGAIN, WITH PREK FOUR SA, WITH FOCUSING ON THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION, IT'S ALREADY HAVING AN EFFECT ACROSS THE CITY.
THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO EVALUATE, BECAUSE WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE CHILDREN WHO COME TO PREK FOUR SA EDUCATION CENTERS, BUT EVERY CHILD POTENTIALLY IS BENEFITING FROM THE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AND THE GRANTS THAT WE'RE PUTTING OUT THERE.
SO WE HOPE -- THIS IS REALLY THE GOAL, IS THAT ACROSS THE BOARD WE'RE SEEING IMPROVEMENT IN CHILDREN ENTERING PREK, BUT ALSO IN READINESS IN KINDERGARTEN ACROSS SAN ANTONIO AND THIRD GRADE READING ACROSS SAN ANTONIO.
IT ISN'T REALLY ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE PREK FOUR SA EDUCATION CENTERS, I MEAN, THOSE ARE IMPORTANT AND WE CLEARLY HAVE EVIDENCE THAT THAT'S DARE -- THEY'RE DOING FANTASTIC, BUT IF THAT'S ALL WE ACCOMPLISHED, IT WOULDN'T BE THAT IMPRESSIVE.
SO CAN WE MOVE THE NEEDLE ACROSS THE CITY ON THESE OTHER INDICATORS IS REALLY A TESTAMENT TO WHAT'S HAPPENING.
SO WE'RE STUDYING THAT, TOO, TO FIND OUT IS THAT WHAT'S GOING ON.
THAT MEANS WE'RE DOING A BETTER JOB IN OUR EARLY LEARNING CENTERS AND WE HAVE MANY OF OUR EARLY LEARNING PARTNERS HERE IN COLLABORATION.
HOW DO WE INCLUDE BIRTH THROUGH 8 EARLY LEARNING EXPERIENCES.
>> SCULLEY: JUST TO ADD THAT WAS THE GOAL OF THE PROGRAM BECAUSE A MAJOR FOCUS WAS DEVELOPMENT.
WE HAVE SCHOOL TEACHERS FROM SCHOOL DISTRICTS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT PROGRAM.
THEY CAN WORK WITH OUR MASTER CERTIFIED EDUCATORS, WE HAVE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT STAFF THAT PROVIDE TRAINING TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, SO THE WHOLE IDEA WAS THE RISING TIDE THEORY, THAT IS HELPING ALL OF THE DISTRICTS, SO IMPROVING OVERALL THE EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT LEVELS OF BOTH THE TEACHERS AS WELL AS THE FOUR-YEAR-OLDS.
AND THE DISTRICTS THAT ARE PART OF THE MOUS, ARE THEY TRACKING THIS DATA AS WELL SO WE CAN SEE HOW IT'S IMPROVING YEAR TO YEAR?
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: YEAH, OKAY.
>> AND WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM TO -- I THINK THERE WAS A LOT OF COMPETITION IN THE BEGINNING AND FEAR THAT WE WERE GOING TO SAY THAT DISTRICTS WERE NOT DOING THEIR JOB.
AND SO WE'VE WORKED REALLY HARD TO SAY THAT'S NOT IT.
WE REALLY NEED TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE'RE WORKING THIS TOGETHER.
>> I WANT TO SAY ONE OTHER THING ABOUT THE INCOMING SCORES.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO TEASE OUT THAT MAY BE HAPPENING IS WE HAVE A NUMBER OF FAMILIES WHO HAVE HAD, AS YOU SAW, THE PARENT IN THE VIDEO, SHE HAS HER SECOND CHILD, WE HAVE SECOND AND THIRD CHILDREN IN THE PROGRAM, SO AS OUR PARENTS ARE -- AS WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM, THEY, TOO, ARE WORKING WITH THEIR YOUNGER CHILDREN.
SO SOME OF THE EFFECT MAY BE THE FACT THAT WE HAVE SIBLINGS IN THE PROGRAM WHO HAVE BENEFITED FROM THEIR PARENTS' INCREASED KNOWLEDGE.
SO IT'S A LITTLE HARD TO TEASE THAT OUT BUT WE'RE WORKING TO TRY AND DO THAT.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: LET ME BE CLEAR, WHEN I ASKED THE QUESTION ABOUT THE DISTRICTS, IT'S MORE TO GET A SENSE OF OUR ECOSYSTEM OF EDUCATION OVERALL.
IT WOULD BE GREAT IF THESE SAME KIND OF RESULTS ARE BEING SHOWN, YOU KNOW, ACROSS THE BOARD, WHETHER YOU'RE IN PREK FOUR SA OR DISTRICT OR A PRIVATE PROVIDER, SO FORTH.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SARAH, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I WOULD ALSO SAY THAT I THINK PART OF THE SUCCESS OF THE PROGRAM IS ALSO THE LONGEVITY OF THE BOARD MEMBERS.
I APPRECIATE THEIR SERVICE OVER THE LONG HAUL TO GET THIS OFF THE GROUND AND RUNNING WELL.
THANK YOU, SARAH, VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
IF YOU CAN EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT GRANTS, AND IT'S AT 10%.
AND IS THAT 10% EVERY YEAR AS PART OF OUR BUDGET?
>> VIAGRAN: AND WHO AND HOW DO WE GO THROUGH THESE COMPETITIVE -- OR WHO AND HOW IN AWARDING THE GRANTS.
WE AWARD THESE GRANTS -- THEY'RE A TWO-YEAR AWARD.
IT'S A ONE-YEAR AWARD WITH AN OPTION TO RENEW.
SO WE AWARDED OUR FIRST GRANTS IN 2016.
WE HAVE JUST GONE THROUGH THE NEXT COMPETITIVE PROCESS TO AWARD GRANTS THAT WILL START IN 2018, THIS FALL.
AND THEY ARE OPEN TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS, PRIVATE SCHOOLS, PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS, CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTERS AND CHARTER SCHOOLS.
AND OUR TARGET IS TO BE ABLE TO AIM THE MONEY AT THE PERCENTAGE
[00:40:02]
OF FOUR-YEAR-OLDS THAT EACH OF THOSE DIFFERENT ENTITIES ARE SERVING.SO OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS RECEIVE THE VAST MAJORITY OF THAT, ALMOST ALL OF THE MONEY, $3.7 MILLION OF THAT.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE MONEY SET ASIDE FOR OUR CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTERS, AND WE WORK WITH THEM VERY INTENSIVELY ON MAKING SURE THEY HAVE THE MATERIALS THEY NEED, BUT -- MY UNDERSTANDING, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
WE'RE WANTING TO SEE HOW ARE YOU INCREASING FULL DAY CAPACITY -- HAVE MANY OF OUR PROGRAMS ARE ONLY HALF DAY.
AND IF YOU'RE AT HALF DAY, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WHAT YOU'RE DOING ISN'T GOOD, BUT IT CAN'T MEET THE QUALITY STANDARD BECAUSE IT DOESN'T EVEN START AT FULL DAYF I'LL OIVE 82 AN EXAMPLE OF THAT.
WITH NORTHEAST ISD IN THE FIRST ROUND OF GRANTS THEY ASKED FOR FUNDING TO MOVE FROM HALF DAY TO FULL DAY IN SEVERAL CLASSROOMS, WHICH THEY DID.
IN THE SECOND ROUND, THEY ARE SUSTAINING THOSE CLASSROOMS AT FULL DAY AND ASKING FOR ADDITIONAL MONEY TO CREATE MORE FULL-DAY PROGRAMS. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE WANT.
WE WANT THE GRANTS TO HELP CREATE MORE HIGH-QUALITY FULL-DAY PROGRAMS, AND SO IT'S A COMPETITIVE PROCESS IN TERMS OF WE HAVE AN EVALUATION COMMITTEE.
IT GOES THROUGH THE CITY'S RFP PROCESS.
IT'S A FORMAL PROCESS WITH BIDS AND WE INTERVIEW EVERY PARTICIPANT THAT MAKES IT TO THE FINAL CUT BEFORE WE DECIDE TO FUND.
AND THEN WE WORK WITH THEM ALL THE WAY THROUGH.
IT'S REALLY NOT ABOUT JUST GIVING MONEY AND BEING DONE WITH IT.
IT'S HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER COLLABORATIVELY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. IT'S TIED IN WITH OUR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING.
SO THE GRANTS SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL LEARNING BUT THE GRANT RECIPIENTS ALSO WORK WITH OUR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING SPECIALISTS AND IT'S ALSO TIED INTO OUR EDUCATION CENTER.
SO THE PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS THAT ARE AWARDED GRANTS ALSO COME TO OUR EDUCATION CENTERS TO SEE WHAT WE'RE DOING AND WE WORK IN PARTNERSHIP TO HELP IMPLEMENT HIGH QUALITY IN THEIR PROGRAM VIEGDZ --
>> VIAGRAN: AND SO WHEN -- GOING THROUGH THE COMPETITIVE GRANTS, YOU ALSO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THERE ARE SOME SCHOOL DISTRICTS OR OTHER PARTNERSHIPS THAT HAVE MORE RESOURCES THAN OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS AS WELL.
WITH OUR CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTERS, WE HAVE MAPPED WHERE EVERY LICENSED CHILDCARE FACILITY IS IN SAN ANTONIO AND WHICH ONES ARE ACCREDITED AND WHICH ONES HAVE MORE ACCREDITED CENTERS THAN OTHERS AND REALLY LOOKING FOR AN EQUITY LENS, IF WE'RE ASKING PARENTS TO CONSIDER QUALITY, WE SHOULD BE FOCUSED ON MAKING SURE THERE IS A QUALITY CENTER WITHIN WHERE THEY LIVE SO THEY HAVE THAT OPTION.
SO WE'RE WORKING BOTH WITH THOSE CENTERS THAT ARE ALREADY ACCREDITED TO IMPROVE THEIR QUALITY BUT ALSO UNACCREDITED CENTERS TO HELP THEM GET ACCREDITATION.
THAT'S ONE OF THE METRICS THAT PEOPLE LOOK AT IN THE BUSINESS LEADERSHIP IN TERMS OF HOW MANY ACCREDITED EARLY LEARNING CENTERS DO YOU HAVE, BECAUSE IT'S INDICATIVE OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
>> VIAGRAN: WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND ALSO WHEN WE'RE GOING TO BUILD OUR HOUSING --
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION AND THE WORK THAT YOU ARE DOING.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN VIEG.
COUNCILMAN -- OR COUNCILWOMAN GONZALES?
>> GONZALES: I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I JUST -- I WANTED TO ASK YOU -- OR PERHAPS REMIND YOU, I HAD -- IT'S BEEN SOME TIME NOW, TALKED TO MARTA PELAEZ AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE HIGH RIGHTS OF CHILD ABUSE AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT SHE SUGGESTED TO ME THAT WE BRING TO THE PREK WAS RELATIONSHIP-BASED -- HOW TO RECOGNIZE HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS OR RELATIONSHIP BUILDING.
>> GONZALES: CAN WE FIND TIME TO PUT THAT PROGRAMMING IN THERE? I MEAN, IS THERE AN ANTIBULLYING CAMPAIGN GOING ON, AND THEN THE OTHER CONCERN FOR HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS?
AND OUR STAFF IS WORKING WITH YOUR STAFF TO SET THAT UP SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH OUR PROFESSIONAL ENGAGEMENT STAFF SO WE CAN FIGURE OUT HOW DOES THAT WORK AND HOW DO WE -- NOT JUST FOR OUR FAMILIES BUT HOW DO WE MAKE IT AVAILABLE FOR FAMILIES.
BECAUSE WE ALSO WORK WITH FAMILIES ACROSS THE CITY AND IN SOME OF OUR OTHER EARLY LEARNING PROVIDERS, HOW DO WE MAKE THAT ACCESSIBLE TO ALL PROGRAMS SO THAT THAT'S AVAILABLE TO HELP OUR FAMILIES UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT IS.
BECAUSE IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
>> GONZALES: AND I KNOW IT'S A LITTLE BIT HARD TO QUANTIFY AND ALSO HARD TO MEASURE, AND SO THOSE ARE THE PARTS THAT I KNOW WHEN WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, THIS INFORMATION THAT HAS TO BE SO DATA DRIVEN TO GET FUNDING, HOW DO YOU MEASURE IF A -- YOU KNOW, A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP PROGRAM IS SUCCESSFUL.
BUT WE KNOW THAT IT HAS TO START AT A VERY YOUNG AGE, THAT YOU RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS NOT A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP, WHETHER IT'S AMONG CHILDREN OR PARENTS OR HOW -- I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE -- I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
>> GONZALES: SO I WOULD BE LEARNING MYSELF.
HOW DOES IT LOOK LIKE TO SHOW CHILDREN WHAT A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP IS, BUT I HOPE THAT --
[00:45:03]
INCUBATOR OF INNOVATION AND TO MEASURE INNOVATIONS AND THEIR EFFECTIVENESS.AS MY STAFF KNOWS, I LOVE RESEARCH.
SO I'M ALWAYS UP FOR A RESEARCH STUDY AND THINKING ABOUT HOW DO WE DO THAT.
THIS IS ONE OF THOSE, BECAUSE IT IS HARD TO MEASURE, BUT JUST BECAUSE IT'S HARD TO MEASURE DOESN'T MEAN WE SHOULDN'T MEASURE IT AND IT CAN'T BE MEASURED.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING THE CONVERSATION AND BRING OUR STAFFS TOGETHER TO FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
WE HAVE GONE THROUGH A TRANSFORMATION IN OUR PARENT ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM, OUR FAMILY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM THIS YEAR AND HAVE HIRED A PARENT FAMILY ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR WHO IS OUTSTANDING AND HAS DONE A LOT OF WORK IN THIS AREA, AND I THINK WILL LEND A LOT OF EXPERTISE TO THESE PROJECTS.
>> GONZALES: LANDS -- IN -- THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN GONZALES.
>> COURAGE: [INAUDIBLE] YOUR STAFF FOR ME BECAUSE THEY DID A GREAT JOB, YOU DID A GREAT JOB OF SHOWING ME AROUND.
I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY YESTERDAY TO VISIT THE CENTER ON THE NORTH SIDE.
AND I WAS VERY IMPRESSED BY IT.
AND HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SIT DOWN AND LEARN SO MUCH MORE ABOUT THE PROJECT.
AND I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO ALL YOUR BOARD MEMBERS.
>> COURAGE: BECAUSE SO MANY OF THEM HAVE REALLY BEEN THERE TO SUPPORT THE EFFORT THAT YOU'VE UNDERTAKEN.
I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, THOUGH.
IT'S KIND OF BASED ON WHAT WE HAD DISCUSSED A LITTLE BIT YESTERDAY AND WHAT YOU'VE DISCUSSED TODAY.
>> COURAGE: WHO ARE THE -- WHO PARTICIPATES IN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN THOSE WORKSHOPS THAT YOU HAVE?
>> SO THE WORKSHOPS ARE TEACHERS IN PREK THROUGH THIRD GRADE, SO WE PROVIDE -- BECAUSE WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT ALTHOUGH ONE YEAR OF EARLY LEARNING IS IMPACTFUL, IT GETS AMPLIFIED BY EVERY ADDITIONAL YEAR THAT IS QUALITY.
SO WE'RE NOT REALLY FOCUSED NOT ONLY ON PROFESSIONAL LEARNING BUT THE CURRICULUM ALIGNMENT.
MAKING SURE THAT PRINCIPALS, WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM AND TEACHERS ALSO UNDERSTAND WHAT HIGH QUALITY LEARNING LOOKS LIKE IN K THROUGH THIRD GRADE.
I MENTION THE PRINCIPALS, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, ONE OF THE THINGS WE LEARNED EARLY ON, WE WERE TRAINING TEACHERS TO USE BEST PRACTICE AND THEN THEY WERE GOING BACK TO THEIR SCHOOLS AND BEING TOLD THEY COULDN'T DO THAT BY THEIR LEADERS WHO WERE UNINFORMED.
I TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THAT BECAUSE I WAS IN A PRINCIPAL PREPARATION PROGRAM.
I CAN TELL YOU IF AN ASPIRING LEADER DOES NOT COME INTO THE PREPARATION PROGRAM WITH EARLY LEARNING, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO GET IT IN THE PROGRAM.
SO YOU HAD PRINCIPALS THAT WERE MISTAKENLY WERE ASKING TEACHERS IN THE PREK AND K YEARS TO MIMIC WHAT WAS GOING ON IN FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD GRADE WHICH IS HIGHLY INAPPROPRIATE AND DETRIMENTAL TO LEARNING.
MAKING KIDS DO SOMETHING EARLIER DOESN'T MAKE IT LAST LONGER.
AND SO WE'RE WORKING WITH PRINCIPALS TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND HOW DO YOU BUILD HIGH QUALITY EARLY LEARNING PROGRAMS PREK THROUGH THIRD BUT ALSO WE PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING FOR OUR CHILD DEVELOPMENT TEACHERS.
AND SO THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, TOO, BECAUSE LOTS OF OUR CHILDREN ARE SERVED IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTERS, AND SO WE WANT THEM TO BE HIGH QUALITY, TOO, AND TO HAVE THE CREDENTIALS LIKE THE CDA THAT SAYS THEY'RE ELIGIBLE FOR ACCREDITATION.
>> COURAGE: ABOUT HOW MANY PARTICIPANTS DID YOU SAY YOU HAD LAST YEAR.
>> WE HAVE ABOUT 2,000 PARTICIPANTS ANNUALLY.
WE PROVIDE WORKSHOPS ON SITE, WE PROVIDE INDIVIDUALIZED COACHING, WE'RE OUT JOB EMBEDDED IN CLASSROOMS, DEVELOPMENT CENTERS.
WE DON'T DO ONE-SHOT DEALS BECAUSE THOSE AREN'T EFFECTIVE.
WE REALLY ASK PARTICIPANTS TO INVEST IN THEMSELVES AND TO INVEST IN THEIR OWN PROFESSIONALISM, AND THEN WE WALK THEM THROUGH THAT.
AND IT'S REALLY ARE HAVING A TREMENDOUS EFFECT.
WE HAD PEOPLE WHO INITIALLY SAID THEY WEREN'T INTERESTED IN OUR HELP AND THEN THEY COME BACK TO US AND SAY, WELL, MAYBE I AM.
EVEN PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS WHO THOUGHT THEIR SUPERINTENDENTS WEREN'T SUPPORTED, DON'T TELL MY SUPERINTENDENT BUT WE WANT TO COME OVER HERE AND GET PROFESSIONAL LEARNING.
I SAID YOUR SUPERINTENDENT IS ACTUALLY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS.
BUT THERE WAS THIS PERCEPTION FROM THE EARLY YEARS THAT THEY SHOULDN'T ACCESS PREK FOUR SA.
WE'RE DEVELOPING GREAT PARTNERS.
>> COURAGE: SO I THINK WE'RE MOVING BEYOND THE CONCEPTION THAT WE'RE SPENDING X AMOUNT OF DOLLARS JUST TO EDUCATE 2,000 CHILDREN A YEAR.
>> COURAGE: ABOUT WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE OVERALL BUDGET WOULD YOU SAY GOES TO THAT OUTREACH, THAT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, THAT EFFORT TO GET OTHER EDUCATIONAL PROFESSIONALS INVOLVED?
SO IT'S -- AND IT'S A LITTLE BIT HARD TO SAY BECAUSE OUR -- EVEN OUR EDUCATION CENTERS SERVE AS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SITES, SO THEY'RE PART OF THE MODEL.
BUT ABOUT HALF OF OUR BUDGET IS SPENT TO RUN THOSE CENTERS, AND THEN WE HAVE $2 MILLION THAT RUN FOR THE GRANTS, AND THEN ANOTHER $4.3 MILLION -- OR $4.3 MILLION IN GRANTS AND $2 MILLION IN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
SO THAT'S A HUGE CHUNK OF WHAT
[00:50:02]
WE'RE DOING IN OUR WORK, BUT ALSO OUR PARENT ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM EXTENDS OUT THERE, TOO, SO WE'RE WORKING WITH PARENTS OUTSIDE OF OUR CENTERS AND ACROSS THE CITY.SO REALLY IT'S A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO TRANSFORMING WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE CITY, NOT JUST -- AND THAT IS A -- IT'S A MISCONCEPTION THAT PEOPLE SAY IT'S JUST OUR FOUR EDUCATION CENTERS.
THEY'RE OUR MOST VISIBLE PART BUT THEY REALLY DEMONSTRATE WHAT'S POSSIBLE AND THEY STAND AS AN EXAMPLE AND INCUBATOR.
WE PRACTICE THINGS, THINGS THAT HAVE LEARNED ABOUT OUR OUTDOOR LEARNING INITIATIVE WHICH WE STARTED AT THE NORTH CENTER AND WAS REALLY IN RESPONSE TO THE RESEARCH THAT SAYS MANY OF OUR CHILDREN DON'T GET OUTDOORS, AND WE HAVE A DIABETES AND AN OBESITY PROBLEM IN OUR YOUNG CHILDREN IN SAN ANTONIO AND THAT IS TIED TO THE LACK OF OUTDOOR TIME, AND SO WE HAVE DEVELOPED -- ACROSS THE CITY THAT ARE TRYING TO DO THIS, AND REALLY UNDERSTANDING THE CONNECTION BETWEEN HEALTH AND WELLNESS AND BEING OUTSIDE AND WE'RE MAKING A NAME FOR SAN ANTONIO, WE'VE BEEN INVITED TO AN INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH FORUM ON HOW DO YOU INCREASE OUTDOOR LEARNING TIME FOR CHILDREN RELATED TO HEALTH AND SO SANDY WESTER AND I WILL BE GOING TOO TALK ABOUT HOW WE'RE DOING THIS IN A CITY THAT PEOPLE MIGHT THINK ISN'T NECESSARILY CONDUCIVE FOR THIS KIND OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND HEALTH AND WELLNESS.
WE GET TO TALK ABOUT THE MAYOR'S INITIATIVE AND ALL THE THINGS WE DO IN OUR CITY AROUND WELLNESS, ONE OF WHICH IS OUR OUTDOOR LEARNING PROGRAM.
>> COURAGE: DO YOU HAVE A WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH REGION 20 AND HOW DOES THAT WORK.
THEY LET US COME AND HAVE OUR SUPERINTENDENTS MEETING THERE, BUT WE ALSO COLLABORATE ON PROFESSIONAL LEARNING.
WE HELD A JOINT CONFERENCE ED CAMP WHICH IS AN ORGANIC PROFESSIONAL LEARNING TYPE SUMMIT WITH KLRU AND REGION 20 LAST SUMMER.
WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THEM.
WE SERVE ON MANY OF THE COMMISSIONS TOGETHER, THE BOARDS TOGETHER, THINKING HOW DO WE MAXIMIZE THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE, THAT'S ONE OF THE PIECES THAT PREK FOUR SA IS REALLY FOCUSED ON IS BRAIDING RESOURCES ACROSS THE CITY.
WE ARE RESOURCE RICH IN SAN ANTONIO.
WE HAVE LOTS OF FOLKS WHO ARE COMMITTED TO OUR CHILDREN AND YOUTH, AND SO HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THOSE RESOURCES ARE NOT REDUNDANT, AND THAT, YOU KNOW, ONE CENTER ISN'T GETTING EVERYTHING AND ANOTHER CENTER GETTING NOTHING, OR ONE SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND REALLY BEING MINDFUL OF THAT.
AND SO, YES, REGION 20 IS A HUGE PARTNER IN THAT.
THEY HAVE TREMENDOUS RESOURCES.
>> COURAGE: YOU TALK ABOUT EDUCATIONAL PARTNERS, WE HAVE SEVERAL OF OUR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES THAT TEACH TO BECOME A TEACHER.
>> COURAGE: THEY CERTIFY TEACHERS.
AND I'M SURE THEY HAVE EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS.
>> COURAGE: HOW ARE WE BLENDING INTO THAT EARLY CHILDHOOD CERTIFICATION PROGRAM THAT SOME OF THE SCHOOLS ARE OFFERING?
WELL, WE OVERCAME A HUGE HURDLE LAST YEAR WHEN WE CONVINCED TEA THAT WE WERE, IN FACT, A SCHOOL.
SO BECAUSE OF OUR UNIQUE SETUP, TEA DIDN'T QUITE KNOW HOW TO RECOGNIZE US.
SO THEY SAID YOU CAN'T HAVE STUDENT TEACHERS OUT THERE BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT A SCHOOL.
SO WE WORKED WITH THEM TO UNDERSTAND THAT'S KIND OF NONSENSICAL, RIGHT, AND SO HOW COULD WE MAKE THIS SO THAT OUR PREPARATION PROGRAMS COULD ACTUALLY HAVE STUDENT TEACHERS IN OUR SCHOOL.
SO WE GOT THAT TAKEN CARE OF, AND NOW WE HAVE A DEDICATED PROFESSIONAL LEARNING SPECIALIST WHO IS DOING JUST THAT, WORKING WITH OUR PREPARATION PROGRAMS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR -- FOR THEIR ASPIRING TEACHERS, BUT ALSO OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR TEACHERS AND TEACHERS ACROSS THE CITY TO CONTINUE LEARNING.
ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WE HAVE, EVERY PROGRAM WANTS TO HAVE STUDENT TEACHERS AT PREK FOUR SA WHICH WE THINK IS FANTASTIC, BUT WE HAVE TO STAY TRUE TO HIGH QUALITY TEACHING AND LEARNING AND SO HOW DO YOU BLEND THOSE THINGS TOGETHER WITHOUT HAVING THE CHILDREN NOT HAVE HIGH QUALITY BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT SOMEONE WHO'S IN PRACTICE.
AND SO WE'RE HAVING SOME GREAT SUCCESS WITH THAT, BUT WE'RE EARLY IN THAT PROCESS IN TERMS OF WHAT DOES THAT ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE AND HOW MANY SLOTS DO WE HAVE FOR EACH PROGRAM SO THAT WE'RE EQUITABLE IN THAT.
WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU COUNCILMAN COURAGE.
>> VIAGRAN: I FORGOT SOMETHING.
SO A QUESTION, ARE YOU ALL LOOKING AT -- BECAUSE OF YOUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE DIFFERENT ISDS AND WE KNOW THAT SOME SCHOOL DISTRICTS RIGHT NOW ARE TALKING ABOUT IMPENDING LAYOFFS OR RESTRUCTURING.
Y'ALL ARE -- HOW ARE YOU-ALL APPROACHING IT WITH YOUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND HOW YOU'RE GOING TO DO THAT? AND WILL THAT IMPACT YOUR BUDGET AS WELL?
>> IT WON'T IMPACT OUR BUDGET.
WE'RE NOT LAYING OFF, AND IT DOESN'T -- AND BECAUSE -- BUT WE ARE WORKING WITH OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS ON THE FUNDING PIECE.
AS I SAID, THERE IS MONEY -- SCHOOL DISTRICTS GET EXTRA FUNDING WHEN THEY PARTNER WITH PREK FOUR SA AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO TEASE THAT OUT.
TRUTHFULLY, THE SCHOOL FINANCE FORMULA IS SO COMPLICATED THAT IT'S DIFFICULT TO SAY HOW MUCH DISTRICTS ARE ACTUALLY GETTING
[00:55:01]
FOR PREEK FUNDING.SO WE'RE WORKING WITH SOME SCHOOL FINANCE EXPERTS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT OUR DISTRICTS ARE GETTING AND THEN HOW DO WE HELP THEM.
THERE'S A PROVISION, 1882 FUNDS, WHICH YOU MAY BE AWARE OF, WHICH ALLOW SOME DISTRICTS TO GET ADDITIONAL FUNDING IF THEY CONTRACT WITH ANOTHER PROVIDER TO HELP THEM IMPROVE.
AND SO WE'RE IN EXPLORATION, WHETHER PREK FOUR SA QUALIFIES AS THAT, SO THAT SOME OF OUR PARTNER DISTRICTS WOULD BE ABLE TO GET ADDITIONAL FUNDING, NOT FOR US, BUT TO IMPROVE THEIR PROGRAMS AND THEN HOW DO WE HELP THEM DECIDE WHAT TO DO WITH THAT FUNDING.
AND THEN JUST IN TERMS OF HELPING THE SUPERINTENDENTS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE LEAVING ON THE TABLE WHEN THEY HAVE EMPTY SEATS, BECAUSE THEY DON'T FILL THEIR ALLOTMENT AT PREK FOUR SA OR THEY'RE NOT A PARTNER DISTRICT FOR PREK FOUR SA.
WE HAVE SOME DISTRICTS THAT ARE NOT PARTNER DISTRICTS WITH US, AND YET WE HAVE MANY OF THEIR STUDENTS.
AND SO THEY DON'T -- AUDIO] -- LEFT OVER FROM MISUNDERSTANDINGS FROM THE EARLY DAYS.
AND I ALSO JUST WANTED TO SAY I WAS ONE OF THE WINNING BIDDERS ON THE PIECE OF ARTWORK.
>> VIAGRAN: RIPPLING WATER FROM THE PREK FOUR SA FOR SA EAST.
>> THIS WAS OUR ONLINE ART AUCTION.
I GOT FIVE PIECES, I'M VERY EXCITED TO SAY.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN.
COUNCILMAN PERRY? PEREZ YES, SIR.
-- I'VE GOT A FEW QUESTIONS HERE.
SO ARE THERE ANY OTHER FUNDING SOURCES OUTSIDE OF THE SALES TAX THAT WE'RE -- THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE?
SO THE FUNDING SOURCE IS THE -- AS I SAID, WE GET THE CACFP GRANT FOR THE FOOD.
WE GET THE REIMBURSEMENT FROM THE DISTRICTS, PART OF THEIR STATE FUNDING.
LET ME GO BACK TO MY PRESENTATION AND SEE IF I'M MISSING ANYTHING ELSE ON THAT.
>> CACFP IS THE CHILDREN'S -- IT'S THE FOOD PROGRAM FOR YOUNG CHILDREN, SO WE'RE ACTUALLY THE LARGEST FOOD PROGRAM PROVIDER IN THE STATE BECAUSE THOSE ARE DESIGNED REALLY FOR CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTERS.
AND SO WE'RE -- WE'RE ACTUALLY A MODEL PROGRAM FOR THEM AND WORKING WITH THEM TO HELP FIGURE OUT HOW THEY CAN REACH MORE CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTERS AND PROVIDE -- BECAUSE IT PROVIDES HEALTHY FOOD FOR YOUNG CHILDREN AND FAMILIES.
AND -- GOING BACK TO MY... WHAT NUMBER IS IT? OH, THERE IT IS.
OH, AND THEN OUR FUND BALANCE.
SO THE SLIDING SCALE TUITION PROVIDES JUST THE 700,000.
THE SALES TAX IS OUR PRIMARY FUNDING TAX BY LARGE.
>> PERRY: YOU DON'T REALLY APPLY FOR ANY OTHER GRANTS?
>> THE BOARD -- WE OCCASIONALLY APPLY FOR GRANTS BUT WHEN WE APPLY FOR GRANTS THEY'RE TYPICALLY IN ORDER TO HELP SUPPORT OUR OUTREACH EFFORTS TO THE OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS OR TO TO OTHER PROVIDERS SO THAT -- BECAUSE WE'RE SUCH HIGH QUALITY, THERE ARE FUNDERS WHO WANT TO FUNDUS.
OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS HAS SUGGESTED THAT WE OUGHT NOT BE COMPETING WITH OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS FOR FUNDS, THAT IT'S SORT OF AN UNFAIR COMPETITION, BUT WE CAN PARTNER TO HELP GET FUNDS, AND WE'VE DONE THAT WITH USAA AROUND THE WOLFF TRAP PROGRAM WHICH IS A PERFORMANCE BASED ARTS INTEGRATION PROGRAM FOR EARLY LEARNING, SO WE WORKED -- WE WERE THE MODEL FOR THAT.
AND HAVE WORKED WITH GRANT RECIPIENTS, USAA INCLUDED, TO GET FUNDING FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO IMPLEMENT THAT INNOVATION AS WELL.
>> PERRY: DO YOU FORESEE ANY NEED TO HAVE A ROBUST GRANT APPLICATION PROCESS IN THE FUTURE?
>> THAT HAS NOT BEEN OUR DIRECTION SO FAR, BUT I CERTAINLY -- IT'S A CONVERSATION WORTH HAVING WITH OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND WHETHER THAT'S THE RO ROAD THAT WE WANT TO GO INTO.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MAKES PREK FOUR SA SO SUCCESSFUL IS THE SUSTAINABILITY OF OUR FUNDING.
WE'VE SEEN OVER AND OVER AGAIN THAT THERE ARE FALSE STARTS IN EARLY LEARNING INITIATIVES BECAUSE IT'S BUILT ON SOFT FUNDS OR AS WE SAW IN THE LEGISLATURE, IT'S BUILT ON FUNDS THAT DON'T GET REFUNDED.
AND SO YOU BUILD OUT THE PROGRAM, PUT THE EXPENSES IN, WHICH COME AT THE ONSET, AND THEN IT'S NOT FUNDED AGAIN, SO YOU HAVE ESSENTIALLY NOT WASTED THOSE FUNDS BE YOU HAVEN'T MAXIMIZED THE USE OF THEM.
SO THE ONE THING THAT I WOULD SAY THAT WE'VE LEARNED IN THE EARLY ED RESEARCH IS THAT YOU MUST HAVE SUSTAINABLE FUNDING.
SOFT FUNDS BY THEIR VERY DEFINITION ARE NOT SUSTAINABLE.
SO THAT'S KIND OF THE DILEMMA OF THE TENSION THAT WE FACE.
>> PERRY: SO LET'S JUST HYPOTHETICALLY SPEAKING, IF THIS DOESN'T GET VOTED AND APPROVED AT THE NEXT VOTING TRAP, IF YOU WILL, DO YOU THINK WE COULD -- WE WOULD HAVE THAT ABILITY TO RAISE FUNDS THROUGH GRANTS AND WHAT HAVE YOU TO MAKE UP THAT DIFFERENCE?
BUT THAT -- I MEAN, IT TAKES -- AGAIN, THE SUSTAINABILITY, IT'S HARD TO GET -- SO WHEN YOU'RE ASKING PEOPLE TO PUT THEIR
[01:00:01]
CHILDREN IN A PROGRAMS AND FOR TEACHERS TO COME TO WORK AT A PLACE THAT THEY CAN'T GUARANTEE THAT THEY'LL HAVE A SALARY THE NEXT YEAR, THAT'S A BIG ASK.AND SO THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE'D HAVE TO LOOK AT VERY, VERY CAREFULLY.
IT WOULD NOT BE AN IDEAL SITUATION, AND IF WE LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENED ACROSS THE COUNTRY WITH PROGRAMS THAT HAVE BEEN FUNDED THAT WAY, THE ODDS OF SUCCESS ARE NOT GOOD.
I -- JUST LOOKING BACK AT THIS, AND I REMEMBER WHEN THIS WAS BEING DISCUSSED SEVERAL YEARS AGO, I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE ACTUALLY PROVIDING GRANTS TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO -- FOR THEM TO GO INTO TRAINING PROGRAMS. I JUST DON'T RECALL THAT -- YOU KNOW, I'M GETTING OLD, MAYBE I FORGOT THAT.
ANYWAY, WHY DON'T -- YOU KNOW, WHY DON'T THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS FUND THEIR OWN TRAINING INSTEAD OF US, THE CITY, TAXING OUR FOLKS -- TEACHER?
WELL, THE STATE DOES NOT ADEQUATELY FUND OUR SCHOOLS FOR THAT, AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVE SUCH DIVERSE NEEDS.
SO THEY'RE TRYING -- THEY'RE FOCUSED ON EVERYTHING FROM PREK TO 12TH GRADE.
AND THE NEEDS OF TEACHERS AT ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENT LEVELS ARE VERY, VERY DIFFERENT.
AND SO THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DOLLARS, THEY GET DISPERSED, AND -- OR DISTRICTS HAVE TO MAKE CHOICES ABOUT WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO PUT THEIR FUNDS.
AND EARLY LEARNING OFTEN GETS THE SHORT STICK IN THAT.
AND THAT'S TRADITIONALLY -- YOU SEE THAT ACROSS THE COUNTRY, PEOPLE SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, THAT'S -- THEY'RE NOT TESTED, THAT'S NOT THAT IMPORTANT SO WE'RE GOING TO PUT OUR TRAINING INTO THE GRADES THAT ARE TESTED, PART OF THE ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM, WHICH IS NOT SMART THINKING, AND THERE'S PLENTY OF RESEARCH THAT SAYS THAT'S VERY SHORTSIGHTED, NONETHELESS, THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS.
I WANT TO BE CLEAR, OUR GRANTS ARE NOT JUST FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN GRANTS COMES BECAUSE WE SAY WE'RE NOT JUST GIVING YOU STUFF.
IF YOU ARE GOING TO TAKE A GRANT AND TRY AND IMPROVE, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE THE RIGHT KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS AND INSTRUCTORS TO MAKE USE OF THAT.
IT DOESN'T DO ANY GOOD TO GIVE SOMEBODY A CURRICULUM THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO USE OR TO SAY, OH, YOU SHOULD DO OUTDOOR LEARNING AND THE TEACHERS AREN'T PREPARED TO DO THAT.
SO THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT GOES HAND IN HAND WITH THE MONEY FOR EITHER GOING FROM HALF DAY TO FULL DAY OR THROUGH PARENT ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS OR FOR IMPLEMENTING A HIGHER QUALITY CURRICULUM OR EVEN HIGHER QUALITY ASSESSMENTS, SO THAT'S ANOTHER THING THE RESEARCH IS REALLY CLEAR ABOUT, IS YOU MUST PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL -- ONGOING PROFESSIONAL LEARNING FOR TEACHERS IF YOU EXPECT IMPROVEMENT IN THE SYSTEM.
SO WE FOCUS ON THE EARLY LEARNING YEARS, WHICH HELPS OUR DISTRICT.
THEY CAN USE THEIR DOLLARS TO FOCUS ON THE UPPER GRADES, AND THAT'S STILL NOT ENOUGH.
I THINK OUR DISTRICTS WOULD TELL YOU THAT PROFESSIONAL LEARNING IS ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT GET CUT IN SCHOOL DISTRICT BUDGETS, WHICH IS UNFORTUNATE BECAUSE IT REALLY HAS AN IMPACT ON THE QUALITY OF INSTRUCTION AND THE LEARNING OUR CHILDREN GET.
>> PERRY: I'M -- IF THE DATA SHOWS THAT AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE SMART CHOICE TO MAKE FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, I'M HAVING TROUBLE UNDERSTANDING WHY WE'RE TAKING THE TAX MONEY AND PAYING FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS' JOB, WHAT THEY SHOULD BE DOING.
>> PERRY: ON THE EARLY SIDE OF THE HOUSE.
I'M JUST STRUGGLING WITH THAT.
>> PERRY: BECAUSE, TO ME, IT DOESN'T -- YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME.
I WISH THAT OUR SCHOOLS WERE ADEQUATELY FUNDED AT THE STATE LEVEL, BUT I'VE BEEN HERE FOR 30 YEARS DOING THIS, AND EVERY YEAR, IT -- THE STATE HAS FUNDED LESS AND LESS AND LESS AND LESS OF THE SCHOOL BUDGET AND PUSHED IT MORE LOCALLY.
AND, IN FACT, ONE OF THE LITTLE-KNOWN FACTS ABOUT STATE SCHOOL FUNDING IS THAT IN OUR RECAPTURE WHERE SOME DISTRICTS ARE DEEMED TO BE TOO RICH AND THEY CAN'T KEEP ALL THEIR MONEY, PEOPLE THINK THAT THAT MONEY GOES BACK INTO OTHER SCHOOL DISCTRICTS, AND PART OF IT DOES.
BUT PART OF IT ALSO GOES INTO THE GENERAL STATE FUND AND GETS SPENT ON FUNDS THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WEEDCATION.
SO I'M WITH YOU IF YOU WANT TO GO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION AT THE SLATE LEGISLATURE, BECAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING I'VE BEEN BATTLING MY ENTIRE CAREER.
IN THE SLIDE 12, AGAIN, GETTING BACK TO THE GRANTS AND WHAT YOU'RE DOING OUT IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM, YEP, THAT'S A LOT OF EDUCATORS, A LOT OF TRAINING HOURS, A LOT OF CAMPUSES AND CONTINUING EDUCATION THAT'S HAPPENING OUT THERE, BUT WHAT ARE THE RESULTS OF THAT? I -- YOU KNOW, IS THERE A METRICS SOMEWHERE THAT SHOWS, OKAY, THIS IS A GOOD RETURN ON OUR INVESTMENT --
>> PERRY: -- OF THIS $4 MILLION OUT THERE THAT WE'RE GOING OUT THERE TO THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND EDUCATING OUR PUBLIC SCHOOL EDUCATORS ON HOW TO DO THIS HIGH
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QUALITY EDUCATION.I'M -- THAT'S A STICKING POINT FOR ME.
>> PERRY: AND I DON'T -- I'D LIKE TO SEE SOME KIND OF METRICS ON WHAT WE'RE REALLY GETTING FOR THAT DOLLAR.
AND IT'S ONE OF THE FIRST QUESTIONS I ASKED WHEN I CAME IN.
I SAID WE'RE GIVING AWAY THIS MONEY, WHAT DIFFERENCE HAS IT MADE? AND SO WE'VE BEGAN TO PUT THOSE METRICS IN PLACE.
WE'VE WORKED WITH EACH ONE OF OUR DISTRICTS BECAUSE WHEN WE FIRST ASKED THEM, THAT WAS THEIR QUESTION, TOO, HOW WOULD WE KNOW IF IT'S MADE A DIFFERENCE. I SAID, WELL, WE KNOW IF WE PUT METRICS IN PLACE, SO LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT THOSE METRICS ARE.
SO BOTH FOR OUR GRANTS WE ARE GATHERING EVIDENCE OF THAT AND FOR THIS NEXT ROUND OF GRANTS WE OR VERY EXPHESK ABOUT THAT.
WE'RE ASKING FOR STUT OUT COME -- STUDENT OUTCOME DATA AND ALSO ON THE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING SIDE.
PART OF THAT WILL BE INCLUDED IN YOUR NEW AND UPDATED QUARTERLY REPORTS AS WE BEGIN TO GATHER THAT.
TRUTHFULLY WE ARE JUST BEGINNING TO GATHER THAT DATA IN PART BECAUSE DISTRICTS WERE NOT COLLECTING DATA THAT WAY.
SO HOW DO WE HELP PEOPLE MEASURE, WHAT DO YOU MEASURE, BECAUSE IT WAS -- JUST SAYING -- WHETHER THOSE TRAINING HOURS MATTER, AND SO, YES, COMING TO YOU SOON WE'LL HAVE THOSE METRICS.
I'M JUST CONCERNED HOW MANY TOTAL DOLLARS HAVE WE GIVEN OUT IN GRANTS TO DATE?
>> WE HAVE HAD $9 MILLION IN GRANTS FROM THE 2006 TO THE -- 2016-2018 CYCLE AND WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER MILLION THAT WILL GO OUT IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
>> PERRY: WE'RE HANDING OUT A LOT OF THAT GRANT MONEY.
>> AND WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE? YEP.
>> PERRY: I'M REALLY CONCERNED WE'VE HANDED OUT A LOT OF MONEY IN THIS THING AND WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE GETTING OUR MONEY'S WORTH.
AND IT MIGHT HAVE JUST FIZZLED OUT OUT THERE.
THIS IS TAX DOLLARS COMING OUT OF TAXPAYER POCKETS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
>> PERRY: AND THAT'S NOT A SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY.
>> PERRY: SO I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN PERRY.
FIRST OF ALL, THANKS FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
>> PELAEZ: YOU DID AN EXCELLENT JOB.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S ONE THING TO PRESENT AND THERE'S TO PRESENT THE WORK THAT AN ENTIRE ARMY OF PEOPLE IS DOING AND TO DO SO IN ONLY A HANDFUL OF SLIDES, THAT AIN'T EASY.
>> ESPECIALLY FOR A PROFESSOR WHO USUALLY LECTURES FOR THREE HOURS ON ONE TOPIC.
YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO TURN THIS INTO KIND OF A THANK-A-THON.
I CAME TO THE CITY COUNCIL WITH SOME OF THE SAME IDEAS THAT COUNCILMAN PERRY HAD, WHICH IS WHAT IS THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT AND DID WE GET ELECTED TO OPERATE A SCHOOL DISTRICT OR DID WE GET ELECTED TO HANDLE STREETS AND SIDEWALKS AND POTHOLES AND WHY ARE WE DOING THIS.
I HARBORED THAT IDEA ABOUT PRE-K 4 SA FOR A LONG TIME.
LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS IDEA THAT WE WERE GOING TO COME AND TALK TO YOU AND I WAS GOING TO CHALLENGE YOU ON, WAIT A SECOND, IF WE'RE SUCH A SUCCESS, WHY DON'T WE DIVEST AND PAY THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO DO THIS, RIGHT, AND WHY DO I HAVE A FANTASTIC CITY MANAGER MANAGING A PRE-K PROGRAM WHEN, YOU KNOW, SHE COULD BE MANAGING OTHER THINGS.
I TOOK A TOUR OF THE SCHOOL IN DISTRICT 8 AND I UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BETTER THE HEAD START PROGRAM AND ASK THAT I BE BRIEFED.
WHAT I HAVE COME TO REALIZE IS THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WAS CREATED BY STATE LAW THAT, YOU KNOW, AUTHORIZED MUNICIPALITIES TO DO THIS.
AND SOMEBODY VERY FORWARD THINKING UP IN AUSTIN -- IT'S STATE LAW THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, RIGHT? SAID THAT WE'RE COMFORTABLE WITH LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES TAKING ON THIS ROLE.
THEN I STARTED READING MORE AND MORE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE SCIENCE BEHIND PRE-K AND EARLY INTERVENTION.
AND WHAT I LEARNED WAS THAT IT WORKS.
AND I HAVE TO ADMIT THAT I WAS ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE IN 2014 THAT DOUBTED WHETHER OR NOT THIS WAS GOING TO WORK.
AND I'M EATING CROW TODAY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S PROVED OUT IS THAT THERE'S A LOT OF PARENTS OUT THERE WHO HAVE PUT THEIR TRUST, BY WAY OF THEIR CHILDREN, AND INVESTED IN US.
AND THAT TRUST HAS BEEN REPAID WITH, YOU KNOW, SUCCESS FOR THEIR KIDS, RIGHT? IT'S NOT EASY TAKING A RISK, YOU KNOW, BY SENDING YOUR CHILDREN INTO AN UNPROVEN PROGRAM.
[01:10:01]
ISDS COULD HAVE SAID YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN.BUT INSTEAD THE ISDS SAID WE BELIEVE IN THAT TOO AND THEY PARTNERED UP WITH US AND THEY DESERVE CREDIT FOR THAT.
YOU KNOW, LOOKING BACK NOW TO 2013-2014 THEN-MAYOR CASTRO AND HIS CITY COUNCIL, THEY WERE FACED WITH A LOT OF CRITICISM FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO -- OUR FRIEND CALLS THEM CITIZENS AGAINST EVERYTHING THAT CATERS.
THAT'S A PLAYFUL NAME FOR FOLKS WHO ARE AFRAID OF THIS IDEA OF INNOVATION AND PROGRESS IF IT MEANS IT'S SOMETHING NEW THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND .
BUT WHAT EVERY TOWN DOESN'T HAVE IS THE ELECTED OFFICIALS WHO HAVE THE COURAGE TO BREAK THROUGH THAT AND ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE OF, YOU KNOW, EMBRACING SOMETHING NEW AND REALLY PILOTING A PROGRAM.
IF MAYOR CASTRO IS WATCHING -- I'M SURE HE WATCHES EVERY ONE OF THESE MEETINGS ON VIDEO.
I ANTICIPATE THAT 20 YEARS FROM NOW YOU'RE GOING TO GET A BUNCH OF CITY EMPLOYERS THANKFUL WE DID THIS FOR THEM BECAUSE WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A READY WORKFORCE THAT'S WELL ROUNDED.
I HAVE A FEELING THAT THERE'S DOCTORS OUT THERE THAT'S GOING TO SAY THERE'S A CAUSAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GOOD HEALTHY OUTCOMES AND KIDS GETTING EARLY INTERVENTION PRE-K, RIGHT? I WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED IF THE POLICE CAME BACK AND SAID THERE'S ALSO DIVERSION OF KIDS WHO WERE OTHERWISE HOPELESS WHO ARE NOW MAKING BETTER CHOICES BECAUSE THEY GOT THIS EARLY INTERVENTION AND YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE FEWER OF THESE PEOPLE COMMITTING CRIMES.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO THANK IN ADVANCE MY FRIENDS AT THE NEWSPAPER AND THE TV STATIONS FOR WRITING A GREAT STORY ABOUT THIS.
YEAH, BECAUSE THIS IS A STORY WHERE WE'RE IMPACTING FAMILIES.
I THINK IT'S 7600 CHILDREN THAT WE HAVE TOUCHED SO FAR AND THAT WE HAVE IMPACTED THIS.
I DO HAVE QUESTIONS, ASIDE FROM THANKING EVERYBODY.
ARE WE TRACKING THESE STUDENTS AFTER THEY LEAVE AND WHAT DOES THAT TRACKING LOOK LIKE? BECAUSE MY CONCERN, LIKE COUNCILMAN PERRY'S IS I WANT TO MAKE SURE THERE'S DATA THERE SO IT'S NOT JUST I FEEL GOOD ABOUT THIS BUT WE'VE GOT -- THAT OUR PROGRAM AND EFFORTS ARE STICKING.
>> I APPRECIATE THAT QUESTION, AS I DO THE QUESTIONS OF EVERYONE ELSE.
BECAUSE THESE QUESTIONS ARE REALLY IMPORTANT IN TERMS OF WHAT HAPPENS AND HOW DO WE KNOW THIS IS WORKING.
AND I TAKE VERY SERIOUSLY THE ENORMOUS RESPONSIBILITY THAT PARENTS PLACE IN US BY ALLOWING US TO WORK WITH THEIR YOUNG CHILDREN.
BUT ALSO THE TAXPAYERS IN SAYING WE'RE BETTING ON EARLY LEARNING TO CHANGE SAN ANTONIO.
IT HAS BEEN A STICKING POINT TO TRACK THE STUDENTS.
QUITE FRANKLY THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVE BEEN RELUCTANT TO SHARE DATA.
BEING FEARFUL THAT WE WOULD SAY, LOOK, PRE-K 4 SA DOES A BETTER JOB THAN YOU AND YOU REALLY ARE TERRIBLE.
AND SO WHEN I CAME IN THAT WAS ONE OF MY FIRST CHARGES WAS TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET THIS TURNED AROUND.
SO WE HAVE DONE A COUPLE OF THINGS.
ONE IS TO ASSURE THE DISTRICTS THAT OUR GOAL IS TO LOOK AT HOW THIS IS AFFECTING SAN ANTONIO, NOT INDIVIDUAL DISTRICTS IN PARTICULAR.
RIGHT NOW WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF EVALUATING.
WE HAVE A COHORT OF CHILDREN WHO ARE IN FIRST GRADE WHO WENT THROUGH TAKING LITERACY TESTS ALONG WITH A GROUP THAT WERE ON OUR WAITING LIST BUT DID NOT GET IN, TAKING THOSE SAME TESTS SO WE CAN COMPARE WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO OUR CHILDREN AND STUDENTS AS THEY MOVE UP.
WHAT WE HOPE THAT WE WILL SEE IS UPWARD EDI SCORES, AN INDICATOR OF KINDERGARTEN READINESS, AND UNITED WAY TRACKS THAT, AS WELL AS THIRD GRADE READING SCORES AND EVENTUALLY EIGHTH GRADE MATH SCORES.
WHAT EARLY LEARNING RESEARCH TELLS US IS THOSE WILL BEGIN TO CHANGE ONCE WE HAVE A MOMENTUM MOVING FORWARD AND WE'RE IMPROVING OUR SYSTEM, NOT JUST IN PRE-K, BUT ALL THE WAY UP.
IT HAS BEEN A BATTLE, THOUGH, HONESTLY, TO GET THAT DATA.
THE OTHER THING THAT MAKES IT DIFFICULT IS EVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT USES DIFFERENT ASSESSMENTS, DIFFERENT DATA SETS SO IT'S NOT AS IF THERE'S ONE UNIVERSAL SET OF DATA YOU CAN COMPARE.
WE HAVE BEGUN TO SUGGEST THAT WE USE COMMON ASSESSMENTS.
ONE, BECAUSE OUR CHILDREN MOVE FROM DISTRICT TO DISTRICT TO DISTRICT AND THAT WOULD HELP ALL OF US IF WE COULD HAVE COMMON ASSESSMENTS, BUT ALSO IT HELPS
[01:15:01]
US KNOW HOW WE'RE MOVING THE NEEDLE.>> PELAEZ: I'LL BE UP FRONT WITH YOU AND TELL YOU I DO LOOK FORWARDS TOWARDS THE DAY WHEN OUR ISD PARTNERS SEE THAT THIS IS AN ASSET WORTH HAVING IN THEIR PORTFOLIO AND HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH OUR ISDS AND HERE IT IS SERVED UP ON A SILVER PLATTER.
WE HAVE PROVEN A PRODUCT THAT SHOULD BE YOURS.
THAT'S A CONVERSATION I WOULD BE WILLING TO HAVE ANY DAY, SHERYL.
AND THE SOONER THE BETTER, OBVIOUSLY, BECAUSE INNOVATION REALLY DOES MEAN THAT SOMETIMES WE COME UP WITH GREAT IDEAS, PROVE IT OUT AS A PILOT, AND OTHER PEOPLE RUN WITH IT.
THOSE PILOTS HAVE TO SUCCEED AND FAIL SOMEWHERE.
AND SO I'M EXCITED THAT I'M PART OF A COUNCIL THAT IS BOLD AND FORWARD THINKING.
THAT IS MY GOAL FOR THIS PROGRAM IS TO EVENTUALLY SEE IT HANDED OFF TO SOMEONE ELSE.
I WILL TELL YOU WE HAVE MANY DISTRICTS THAT ARE BEGINNING TO DO THAT PARTNERING WITH US HAND IN HAND TO SAY HOW CAN WE REPLICATE PRE-K 4 SA IN YOUR DISTRICT.
PEOPLE THINK IT'S ABOUT THE MONEY.
THE MONEY HELPS, OBVIOUSLY, BUT IT'S ABOUT HAVING HIGH-QUALITY TEACHERS AND HIGH-QUALITY CURRICULUM.
THAT'S WHY PRE-K 4 SA IS SO HIGH QUALITY BECAUSE WE USE THE VERY HIGHEST CURRICULUM.
WE USE THE VERY BEST ASSESSMENTS AND WE TRAIN OUR TEACHERS TO BE EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHERS, WHICH IS A VERY DIFFICULT TASK.
AND OUR PREPARATION PROGRAMS ARE NOT LONG ENOUGH OR FOCUSED ENOUGH TO HELP TEACHERS COME OUT OF THEM ABSOLUTELY READY TO GO IN EARLY LEARNING.
SO WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE SUPPLEMENT THAT BOTH IN OUR PROGRAM BUT ALSO IN THE DISTRICTS.
>> PELAEZ: SHERYL, I'LL BE QUIET AFTER THIS BUT I'LL TELL YOU THAT I DON'T KNOW IF COUNCILMAN PERRY FEELS THE SAME WAY I DO ON THIS ONE, BUT I DO SEE IN THIS ONE INSTANCE OUR JOB IS TO WORK OURSELVES OUT OF A JOB AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THE DAY WHERE YOU COME TO ME AND SAY THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT AWESOME PRE-K PROGRAMS AROUND THAT WE HAVE SPARKED THAT WE NO LONGER NEED OURS.
THAT WOULD BE A SUCCESS FOR ME.
>> THAT WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY SUCCESSFUL.
>> SCULLEY: MAYOR, THE ONE THING WE DID ADD TO THOSE AGREEMENTS FOR THE GRANTS THIS YEAR FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO RECEIVE THEM AND YOU KNOW WITH NORTH SIDE AND NORTHEAST THEY DON'T HAVE CAPACITY TO BE ABLE TO OFFER FULL-DAY PRE-K.
AND SO MANY OF THE FAMILIES WANT TO BE IN OUR PROGRAM BECAUSE THEY WANT A FULL DAY EXPERIENCE.
BUT IN OUR GRANT AGREEMENTS WITH THEM THEY ARE REQUIRED TO GIVE US THE DATA.
BECAUSE WE WANT TO TRACK THOSE CHILDREN.
IN THE END OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE ALL CHILDREN READING AT THE APPROPRIATE GRADE LEVEL BY THE END OF SECOND GRADE.
JUST THE RESEARCH IS IMMENSE WITH REGARD TO THEN CHILDREN NOT BEING HELD BACK, STAYING IN SCHOOL, NOT GETTING PREGNANT, GRADUATING, BEING PREPARED TO GO ON FOR WORKFORCE TRAINING AS WELL AS A COLLEGE EDUCATION.
I'M THINKING, MAYOR, ABOUT THE MEETING WE HAD LAST WEEK WITH A PROSPECTIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMPANY.
WE MET WITH THEM TO MAKE OUR PITCH ABOUT SAN ANTONIO.
AND THERE WERE A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
AND AS ROMANITA TALKED ABOUT THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS FOR YOUNG ADULTS AND RETRAINING, THEY ASKED ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL.
AND THEN THEY SAID BUT WHAT ARE YOU DOING ABOUT EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION? I FELT LIKE IT WAS A SOFTBALL I COULD HIT, YOU KNOW.
BUT IT WAS THEY WERE FOCUSED ON WHAT ARE YOU DOING AS A COMMUNITY WITH REGARD TO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AT ALL AGES.
BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO ENSURE, AND THEY ASKED US ABOUT A PIPELINE OF INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE PREPARED TO DO 21ST CENTURY JOBS.
SO THIS IS NOT JUST SOMETHING TO DO BUT RATHER OUR FUTURE, THE WORKERS IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND IMPORTANT FROM THAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVE.
LASTLY LET ME SAY THAT WHILE WE'RE TRAINING THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY, WE HIRE MASTER CERTIFIED EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS.
THE TEACHERS IN OUR PROGRAM ARE REALLY THE CREME DE LA CREME.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN OUT AND WITNESSED SOME OF THE TEACHING GOING ON IN THE PROGRAMS, THEY ARE OUTSTANDING.
AND SO OTHER TEACHERS THAT MAY NOT BE AT THAT LEVEL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH THE TEACHERS IN OUR PROGRAM AND TO LEARN FROM THAT.
AND, YOU KNOW, AND THEN IT'S EXPONENTIAL IN EXPANDING IT.
COUNCILMAN PERRY ASKED ABOUT SO WHAT IS THE IMPROVEMENT.
I WOULD SAY THAT SOME OF THE IMPROVEMENT, EVEN IN ENTRY-LEVEL SCORES ARE THE RESULT OF SOME OF
[01:20:02]
THE OUTREACH OUR PROGRAM HAS DONE IN WORKING WITH THE DISTRICTS AND CHARTERS TO PREPARE TEACHERS TO DO BETTER.SO IT'S REALLY ABOUT IMPROVING EDUCATION FOR THE WHOLE COMMUNITY, NOT JUST SAYING, OH, WOW.
OUR STUDENTS ARE PERFORMING THE BEST, BUT RATHER THE RISING TIDE THEORY FOR THE WHOLE COMMUNITY.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: ALL RIGHT.
>> SANDOVAL: THANK YOU, MAYOR.
THANK YOU, DR. BARAY FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM FOR THE GREAT TOUR THAT YOU GAVE ME.
I VISITED TWO SITES LAST WEEK.
BEFORE I GET INTO THAT I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE COUNCIL THAT'S MOVED THIS FORWARD AND MAYOR CASTRO AND SHERYL SCULLEY.
I THINK YOU DID A TREMENDOUS JOB IN GETTING THIS STARTED.
BUT LIKE THE MAYOR SAID, YOU GUYS DID A GREAT JOB AND YOU SHOULD BE EXTREMELY PROUD OF YOURSELVES.
WE ARE THE FIRST CITY IN THE NATION TO LEAD THIS PROGRAM.
AND LIKE COUNCILMAN PELAEZ SAID ALL THE RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THE BENEFITS ARE TREMENDOUS.
AND THEY ARE LONG-TERM BENEFITS.
AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO SEE THE RESULTS RIGHT AWAY.
I IMAGINE SOME OF YOU HAVE READ THAT BOOK "THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH" WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT BUILDING A CATHEDRAL.
WHEN YOU START THAT PROCESS IF YOU START WORKING ON THAT YOU ARE NOT GOING TO LIVE TO SEE THE END OF THAT CATHEDRAL BECAUSE IT TAKES SO LONG TO DO.
BUT THE PEOPLE WHO WORK ON IT, THEY ARE MOTIVATED BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE AIMING FOR IS SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO REACH FOR THE SKIES AND GET THERE AND THAT'S GOING TO BE BEAUTIFUL AND BENEFIT THE WHOLE COMMUNITY WHEN IT'S DONE.
I REALLY FEEL LIKE THIS IS SOMETHING LIKE THAT, BUT A SHORTER TIME SPAN.
SO I WAS REALLY IMPRESSED WHEN I TOOK THE TOUR.
EVERYTHING YOU AND YOUR TEAM POINTED OUT TO ME WAS RESEARCH-BASED.
YOU SAID THE RESEARCH SAID IF WE DON'T USE THESE BRIGHT FLUORESCENT LIGHTS EVERYONE IS GOING TO BE IN A MUCH BETTER MOOD.
OR IF THE COLORS OF THE FURNITURE AREN'T SO BRIGHT, IF WE USE NATURAL COLORS THE KIDS WILL NOT FLIP OUT AS MUCH.
I HAVE TO TELL YOU THESE KIDS, IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN OUT THERE, YOU WILL SEE HOW WELL BEHAVED THE STUDENTS ARE.
NOT TWO DAYS LATER I WENT TO ANOTHER SCHOOL THAT WAS NOT LIKE THAT AND THE BEHAVIOR WAS VERY MUCH MORE ANIMATED.
I MEAN, IT'S GOOD THAT THE KIDS ARE ENERGETIC BUT I CAN SEE THE BENEFIT OF FOLLOWING THE RESEARCH IN WHAT YOU DID THERE AT THE CENTERS AND WHAT'S BEEN DONE.
YOU ALSO MENTIONED, WE SAW THE SCHEDULE OF THE DAY THAT THE CHILDREN FOLLOW AND HOW IT IS PREDICTABLE FOR THEM.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY WORK ON IS ENGAGING WITH OTHER CHILDREN SO THAT WHEN THEY DON'T HAVE THE WORDS TO EXPRESS SOMETHING THAT'S UNEXPECTED OR SOMETHING THAT'S FRUSTRATING FOR THEM YOU WORK ON THAT.
COULD YOU SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO THAT BECAUSE I THINK IT REALLY IS SORT OF BULLYING PREVENTION IS WHAT YOU'RE WORKING ON.
AND WE'RE STARTING TO MOVE INTO THE SECOND PRESENTATION, BUT THAT'S GOOD.
I'LL CATCH UP WHEN WE GET INTO THAT.
THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE SHORT PRESENTATION BUT WE'RE BLENDING THEM TOGETHER.
SO THE CONFLICT RESOLUTION IS AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT OF OUR CURRICULUM AND IT'S HELPING CHILDREN TO UNDERSTAND HOW DO YOU NEGOTIATE TENSIONS WITH OTHER PEOPLE IN A WAY THAT'S PRODUCTIVE.
AND THAT'S PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT FOR YOUNG CHILDREN BECAUSE THEY OFTEN DON'T HAVE THE LANGUAGE TO DO THAT.
SO OUR TEACHERS ARE VERY SKILLED AND VERY DELIBERATE FROM THE FIRST DAY THEY COME TO SCHOOL WITH US TEACHING CONFLICT RESOLUTION SKILLS.
IN THE BEGINNING THE TEACHER IS VERY INVOLVED IN THAT.
WHEN TWO CHILDREN WANT TO USE THE SAME MATERIAL, THE TEACHER IS THERE TO WALK THEM THROUGH THE STEPS AND WHAT STRATEGIES THEY CAN USE.
AT THIS POINT IN THE YEAR THE TEACHER IS VERY MUCH REMOVED FROM THAT AND THE CHILDREN ARE NEGOTIATING ON THEIR OWN.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF TWO CHILDREN WANT TO USE THE SAME MATERIAL, THE ONE MIGHT SAY I WOULD LIKE TO USE WHAT YOU'RE USING.
THE OTHER SAYS I'M NOT DONE WITH IT.
WELL, COULD I SET A TIMER AND THEN WHEN THE TIMER IS DONE I COULD USE IT.
AND THEY CAN NEGOTIATE IS IT A FIVE OR TEN-MINUTE TIMER.
THEY GET THE TIMER AND TURN IT OVER AND IT'S A WAY TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY.
AND THEY ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT SOME CHILDREN IN THEIR ROOM MAY NOT HAVE THE SAME SKILL SET.
HOW DO YOU WORK WITH SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T HAVE THE SAME LANGUAGE OR ABILITIES OR THE SAME SKILLS? IT'S A VERY DELIBERATE PROCESS.
WE HOPE WHEN THEY GET OLDER THEY WILL BE ABLE TO WORK THROUGH CONFLICT AS ADULTS AS WELL.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY ONE OF THE PIECES OUT OF THE RESEARCH AND EARLY LEARNING IS THAT THIS HELPS IN THE K 12 SYSTEM, PARTICULARLY AT ADOLESCENCE.
CHILDREN WHO HAVE HAD HIGH-QUALITY EARLY LEARNING HAVE
[01:25:01]
SMOOTHER ADOLESCENT PERIODS.AND THEY CONNECT THEIR OWN GOALS AND BEHAVIOR TO OUTCOMES MUCH MORE CLEARLY.
I WAS REALLY IMPRESSED BY THAT AND SO MANY OTHER THINGS.
I THINK IF YOU HAVE TURNED ON THE TV AND SEEN A DOCUMENTARY OR A YOUTUBE VIDEO ABOUT IN THIS SCANDANAVIAN COUNTRY, THAT'S WHAT THEY DO AT PRE-K 4 SA.
THEY JUMP IN THE PUDDLES AND GROW VEGETABLES AND EVERYTHING YOU CAN THINK OF.
>> WE COULD REALLY TALK ABOUT THIS FOREVER.
>> SANDOVAL: I WAS VERY IMPRESSED.
IN TERMS OF THE GRANTS THAT ARE GIVEN TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, IS IT JUST ISDS OR ARE THERE CHARTER SCHOOLS?
SO OUR ISDS BUT ALSO NON-PARTNERING ISDS, CHARTER SCHOOLS, PRIVATE SCHOOLS, AND PAROCHIAL CENTERS.
THEY ARE OPEN TO THOSE SERVING 4-YEAR-OLDS IN SAN ANTONIO.
>> SANDOVAL: I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE AN ANSWER FOR ME BUT WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO GET A SENSE OF IS WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE TO HAVE HIGH-QUALITY PRE-K EDUCATION AVAILABLE TO EVERY SINGLE 4-YEAR-OLD OR 3-YEAR-OLD IN SAN ANTONIO?
>> WELL, YEAH, IT'S COMPLICATED.
WE KNOW WE HAVE 6,000 4-YEAR-OLDS THAT ARE NOT ACCESSING ANY KIND OF PRE-K.
AND COMING INTO OUR SECOND PRESENTATION I'LL SHOW YOU MORE SPECIFIC NUMBERS ON THAT.
BUT GETTING TO THE QUALITY MEANS WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO DO TRAINING OF TEACHERS AUDIO].
A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK THAT EARLY LEARNING, THAT THE STANDARDS ARE NEBULUS BUT THE STANDARDS ARE CLEAR.
HELPING TEACHERS UNDERSTAND WHAT THOSE STANDARDS ARE AND HOW DO YOU DEVELOP THE KNOWLEDGE OF CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT THAT YOU'RE WORKING WITH THE NATURAL INCLINATION OF YOUNG CHILDREN, NOT AGAINST IT.
THIS IDEA THAT YOU HAVE 4-YEAR-OLDS SITTING STILL NOT BEING ABLE TO SPEAK IS YOU'RE JUST INVITING A DISASTER, ACTUALLY.
BECAUSE IT'S NOT NATURAL FOR 4-YEAR-OLDS TO SIT STILL ALL DAY AND NOT SPEAK.
WE USE THEIR STRENGTHS IN ORDER TO USE THAT AS A LEARNING OPPORTUNITY.
SO HELPING TEACHERS TO DEVELOP THAT SKILL IS GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME BUT I THINK WE CAN DO IT.
>> SANDOVAL: THANK YOU, MAYOR.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL.
>> BROCKHOUSE: THANK YOU, MAYOR.
I REALLY WASN'T GOING TO SAY ANYTHING TODAY.
I WOULD HAVE BEEN DISAPPOINTED.
>> BROCKHOUSE: UNTIL COUNCILMAN PELAEZ BROUGHT UP SO MANY WONDERFUL QUESTIONS FOR ME.
NO, I WASN'T GOING TO SAY ANYTHING BUT I'M GOING TO MAKE A DEFENSE OF SOMETHING AND THEN I'LL JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT.
I'M THE HUSBAND OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER.
WE NEED TO WATCH OUR LANGUAGE WHEN WE DESCRIBE YOUR EMPLOYEES VERSUS ISD EMPLOYEES.
AND THAT GOES FOR THE WORDS THE CITY MANAGER USED TOO TO SAY THEY ARE CREME DE LA CREME.
WE HAVE FANTASTIC PUBLIC SCHOOL SCHOOL TEACHERS AND MY WIFE IS ONE OF THEM.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THROUGHOUT YOUR DEBATE, BECAUSE THERE'S GOING TO COME A TIME WHEN WE'RE GOING TO SIT AND LITIGATE HOW GOOD YOU ARE VERSUS THE ISD PRE-K KIDS, THE EDGEWOOD PRE-K KIDS, SAISD, NORTH SIDE.
THERE'S GOING TO COME A MOMENT WHEN WE'RE GOING TO SEE IF IT'S BEEN WORTHWHILE.
SITTING HERE AND PRAISING IT AND A THOUSAND THANK YOUS ISN'T THE ANSWER WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
WHEN WE MEASURE YOU AGAINST LIKE-SIZED, LIKE-MINDED PRE-K PROGRAMMING, PERIOD.
THE NUMBERS WILL CALL IT AND THAT'S HOW WE'LL DECIDE IT ON THE METRICS AND THE REAL GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES.
BUT PLEASE, THERE ARE MEN AND WOMEN OUT THERE TEACHING IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS WHO DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES, WHO ARE FANTASTIC CREME DE LA CREME TEACHERS.
AND THEY DON'T GET PAID WHAT PRE-K TEACHERS GET PAID AND THERE'S NOT ENOUGH JOBS FOR THEM TO APPLY TO WORK FOR YOU.
THERE'S NOT ENOUGH MONEY IN EDGEWOOD.
YEAH, MAYBE YOU ARE GETTING BETTER BECAUSE YOU'RE GETTING MORE OF OUR TAX DOLLARS TO MAKE YOUR TEACHERS BETTER.
I HOPE ALL OF US AS WE GO THROUGH THE DEBATE AND WE TALK ABOUT THESE THINGS THAT WE REMEMBER THE PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER THAT'S CUTTING IT BY, BUYING EVERYTHING, DOING EVERYTHING.
IF THE KIDS, THEIR STUDENTS CLOTHES.
THESE TEACHERS ARE DOING EVERYTHING.
I'M THANKFUL FOR THE PRESENTATION.
YOU AND I HAVE COME A LONG WAY IN UNDERSTANDING.
[01:30:02]
THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT.I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE BE RESPECTFUL OF THOSE OUT THERE WHO ARE JUST AS GOOD AS THE TEACHERS YOU HAVE.
THERE ARE SOME REALLY WONDERFUL TEACHERS OUT THERE ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE SYSTEM.
I HAVE HELPED TO PREPARE SOME OF THEM.
AND BECAUSE PRE-K 4 SA HAS HIGH-QUALITY TEACHERS DOESN'T MEAN WE HAVE ALL THE HIGH-QUALITY TEACHERS.
THERE ARE MANY HIGH-QUALITY TEACHERS OUT THERE.
ON AVERAGE PRE-K 4 SA TEACHERS ARE MORE EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTIONALLY THAN TEACHERS IN THE DISTRICT'S PROGRAM.
THAT'S NOT THE TEACHER'S FAULT.
I'M A BELIEVER THAT YOU CAN PREPARE TEACHERS, AND WE HAVE SOME TEACHERS IN OUR DISTRICT PROGRAMS THAT ARE JUST AS GOOD.
BUT ACROSS THE BOARD THAT WE HAVE MEASURES OF THAT AND WE ARE CONTINUING TO WORK ON THAT.
I'M ALSO A BELIEVER YOU CAN RECREATE THIS IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
I'M HAVING THIS CONVERSATION WITH SCHOOL DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENTS.
LET'S TRAIN YOUR TEACHERS AND ALLOW THEM TO WORK IN THE WAY THAT THEY KNOW HOW.
MOST TEACHERS, WHEN THEY ARE NOT BEING EFFECTIVE, PART OF IT IS LACK OF TRAINING AND PART OF IT IS LACK OF LEADERSHIP THAT LET THEM DO WHAT THEY KNOW HOW TO DO.
I DON'T WANT THIS IN ANY WAY TO BE A -- JUST SAYING THAT THE DISTRICT PRE-K PROGRAMS AREN'T GOOD.
MANY CLASSROOM PROGRAMS ARE REALLY GOOD.
BUT WE KNOW WE HAVE POCKETS OF EXCELLENCE AND WE HAVE WORK TO DO EVERYWHERE.
THAT'S THE TRUTH OF SCHOOL SYSTEMS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.
EVEN IN YOUR ANSWER YOU DID EXACTLY WHAT I ASKED YOU NOT TO DO.
SO YOU CAN -- COUNCILMAN PELAEZ, YOU DON'T HAVE THE FLOOR, SIR.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: GO AHEAD, GREG.
>> BROCKHOUSE: I UNDERSTAND THAT.
MY POINT IS THAT, AGAIN, YOU SAID IT.
I MEAN, THAT'S MY CONCERN, RIGHT? WHICH IS WE CONTINUE TO, IN THE CONVERSATION, PUT THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM INTO A POSITION OF A LESSER QUALITY THAN THE PRE-K PROGRAM.
AND I'M JUST NOT GOING TO STAND HERE AND TAKE IT.
YOU KNOW, I'M NOT GOING TO -- I MEAN, I'LL LET THE NUMBERS BEAR OUT WHEN THE TIME COMES.
>> I WILL SHARE THE NUMBERS WITH YOU TODAY.
I'M SURE DR. WOODS AND THE ISD SUPERINTENDENTS WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THAT DEBATE WITH YOU ABOUT THE QUALITY OF TEACHER.
>> BROCKHOUSE: I WOULD ENJOY THAT CONVERSATION WITH ALL THE ISD SUPERINTENDENTS.
I THINK THEY WOULD STAND UP AND SAY THE SAME THING.
THAT WAS MY COMMENT AND I APPRECIATE IT.
>> I WANT TO SAY THOSE THINGS ARE NOT MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE.
THERE CAN BE GREAT EMPLOYEES AND THERE ARE GREAT EMPLOYEES IN THE ISDS AND THEY ARE DOING GREAT WORK.
I HAVE SAID TO THE SUPERINTENDENTS I'M NOT GOING TO SAY YOUR PROGRAMS ARE SUPER HIGH QUALITY IF THEY ARE NOT.
THERE ARE HIGH QUALITY STANDARDS AND IF YOU MEET THEM, I'M HAPPY FOR THAT.
IF YOU DON'T MEET THEM I'M NOT GOING TO TELL YOU THAT YOU DO, BECAUSE WE WANT TO HELP YOU GET THERE.
YOU AND I ARE BOTH STRAIGHT SHOOTERS.
I'M TELLING IT LIKE IT IS IN TERMS OF QUALITY VARIES TREMENDOUSLY.
NOT JUST IN OUR SCHOOLS BUT ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
AND THIS IS WHY WE HAVE EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT GAPS.
BECAUSE WE HAVE VARIATION IN THE LEVEL OF EQUAL -- QUALITY PROGRAMS. IT'S NOT THE TEACHER'S FAULT.
WE HAVE THAT IN SAN ANTONIO AS WELL AS EVERY PLACE ELSE .
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN BROCKHOUSE.
YOU KNOW, COUNCILMAN BROCKHOUSE, YOU MAY BE RIGHT.
AND THERE IS A LOT OF DEBATE WHEN IT COMES TO PUBLIC EDUCATION, WHEN IT COMES TO EVALUATING TEACHERS, WHEN IT COMES TO EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A PROGRAM.
BUT I KNOW WHAT DOES NOT WORK IN EDUCATION, BECAUSE I STUDY IT.
I HAVE SAT IN CLASSROOMS AND WORKED WITH SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS.
WHAT DOESN'T WORK IS WHEN WE CREATE THIS THEM VERSUS US NARRATIVES.
WHEN IT'S ISDS VERSUS CHARTER SCHOOLS OR PRE-K 4 SA VERSUS THE SUPERINTENDENTS.
WE WERE NOT ABLE TO PASS PRE-K 4 SA WITH AN US VERSUS THEM NARRATIVE.
IT WAS THE SUPERINTENDENTS AND BUSINESS COMMUNITY THAT AGREED THIS WAS A PROGRAM WE SHOULD SUPPORT.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE BEVY OF ISSUES THAT FACE SAN ANTONIO, EDUCATION COMES TO THE TOP WHEN IT COMES TO THINGS WE NEED TO WORK ON.
BUT LET'S NOT JUMP INTO EDUCATION AT ANY POINT IN THE POOL.
WE DECIDED WE WANTED TO BE STRATEGIC WHEN WE ENTERED SUPPORT OF A PIPELINE.
AND WE THOUGHT THAT THE AREA WHERE WE COULD HAVE THE MOST EFFECT WAS AT PRE-K.
I REMEMBER THOSE DEBATES AND THOSE DISCUSSIONS.
AND MAYBE IT WAS WE SHOULD INVEST IN COLLEGE ATTAINMENT AND THE PIPELINE OF KEEPING KIDS IN COLLEGE.
[01:35:01]
WE SAID THE SCIENCE BEARS OUT.EVEN THE STATE LEGISLATURE IN THE FUTURE, I THINK IT'S FINALLY LANDED ON THE CONCLUSION THAT IT'S NOT HALF-DAY PRE-K THAT WORKS, IT'S FULL-DAY PRE-K.
THEY ARE NOT IRREPLACEABLE AND THEY'RE NOT COMING ALL IN THE SAME SIZE.
SOME COME WITH MORE CERTIFICATIONS, SOME HAVE A LITTLE MORE EXPERIENCE.
AND I SEE THAT SOMETIMES BECAUSE I REPRESENT A DISTRICT WHERE WE DON'T ALWAYS GET -- WE HAVE SOME TEACHERS WHO GET GREAT AND SOMETIMES THEY GET STOLEN BY OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS BECAUSE THEY ARE TALENTED AND THEY RECOGNIZE THAT WHEN THEY ARE EVALUATING SOME OF THESE TEACHERS.
WE SHOULD, AT THE VERY LEAST, BE HONEST.
AND WHAT WE DON'T WANT TO DO IS CREATE AN US VERSUS THEM NARRATIVE.
I THINK IT DOES NO ONE ANY GOOD.
IT CERTAINLY DOESN'T DO OUR YOUNG PEOPLE ANY GOOD THAT WE ARE TRYING TO SUPPORT THROUGH THIS.
BUT I WILL SAY THE ONE PIECE -- THE ONE WAY THAT YOU EVALUATE A PROGRAM, AND THIS WAS TOUGH FOR US TO EVALUATE.
I THINK THE NUMBERS ARE GOING TO BE VERY COMPELLING.
I THINK THE FACT THAT OTHER CITIES ARE LOOKING AT WHAT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO DID, WHICH WAS TO TAKE IT IN-HOUSE BECAUSE THE STATE WASN'T GOING TO SUPPORT THIS.
ONE WAY YOU EVALUATE THE STREET OR PARK YOU BUILT WAS EFFECTIVE, IF THE COMMUNITY CENTER OR SENIOR CENTER IS IF PEOPLE WANT TO GO TO IT.
IF IT WAS NOT GOOD QUALITY, FOLKS WOULDN'T COME.
TELL ME ABOUT WHAT THE WAIT LIST LOOKS LIKE.
BECAUSE PEOPLE WANT TO CONTINUE TO COME TO THE PRE-K, AND WE JUST CAN'T SERVE THEM ALL.
>> WE HAVE ABOUT A TWO TO ONE WAIT LIST AT OUR NORTH CENTER.
AND THE REASON IS OUR TWO NORTHERN DISTRICTS HAVE HALF-DAY PROGRAMS. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF FAMILIES.
OUR WAIT LIST FOR FRIENDS ON THE SLIDING SCALE TUITION IS LARGER.
WE HAVE A NUMBER OF FAMILIES THAT WANT TO GET IN.
WE COULD FILL PROBABLY ANOTHER FOUR CENTERS IF WE HAD THEM.
OUR GOAL IS TO CREATE SAME QUALITY PROGRAMS IN EXISTING OPTION.
IT'S NEVER GOING TO BE THE RIGHT OPTION FOR EVERY SINGLE FAMILY.
MANY WANT TO GO IN THEIR LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THEY HAVE HIGH QUALITY THERE.
IF WE CAN'T SERVE THEM ALL WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS NEIGHBORING HAVE THE SUPPORT, MAINLY THROUGH YOUR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRAINING.
IT'S NOT SOME CONCEPT OR IDEA OR NUMBERS ON A SPREADSHEET, THESE ARE PROFESSIONALS GETTING SUPPORT.
THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO CONSIDER WHEN WE LOOK AT THE EVALUATION OF THIS PROGRAM.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE TALKED ABOUT NOT CREATING A POSITION WHERE WE'RE STARTING FROM DISAGREEMENT.
I THINK WE ALL AGREE THAT THIS IS A PROGRAM THAT EVEN WITH IN THE FUTURE I MAY HAVE CHILDREN.
EVEN WHEN WE THINK ABOUT OUR OWN KIDS, I CAN'T FIND MYSELF IN THAT CATEGORY TODAY, BUT WE WANT THE BEST FOR THEM.
>> SALDANA: AND THE BEST IS A TERM WE DON'T LIKE TO THROW AROUND BECAUSE IT MIGHT HURT SOMEONE'S FEELINGS.
BUT NEVERTHELESS, PEOPLE HAVE VOTED WITH THEIR FEET AND THEY LIKE TO GO TO THE PRE-K 4 SA.
WE JUST DON'T HAVE ENOUGH ROOM FOR THE ONES THAT CAN'T FIT IN THERE TODAY.
THAT'S A GOOD VOTE OF CONFIDENCE FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING, SARA.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN SALDANA.
>> PELAEZ: ARE YOUR TEACHERS SMARTER THAN TEACHERS AT SCHOOL DISTRICTS?
>> PELAEZ: DO THEY CARE ABOUT CHILDREN MORE?
>> PELAEZ: ARE THEY BETTER PEOPLE?
>> PELAEZ: YOU NEVER INTIMATED AT ALL THAT ANY OF THOSE THINGS.
>> PELAEZ: WHAT I HEARD YOU SAY WAS YOU ARE GIVING YOUR TEACHERS MORE TOOLS TO SUCCEED THAN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE GIVING THEIR TEACHERS TOOLS TO SUCCEED.
MY WIFE IS A SCHOOL TEACHER TOO, DOUBLE MASTERS.
I REMEMBER HAVING TO GO SHOPPING WITH HER TO BUY COPY PAPER FOR THE COPIER AT THE SCHOOL BECAUSE WITHOUT THAT PAPER AUDIO] FOR THE KIDS TO WRITE THEIR ESSAYS ON.
>> PELAEZ: THAT WE'VE GOT A SYSTEM IN TEXAS THAT UNDERFUNDS SCHOOLS TO WHERE MY WIFE, WHO IS UNDERPAID, BY THE WAY, HAS TO GO OUT AND BUY GLUE AND SCISSORS AND SUPPLIES IN ORDER TO TEACH KIDS.
AND AT THE SAME TIME WORRY ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT THEY ARE PASSING SOME GOOFY TEST.
>> PELAEZ: AND SO THE FACT THAT WE'VE GIVEN YOU MORE TOOLS TO SUCCEED THAN THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS GIVE THEIR TEACHERS TO SUCCEED.
JUST MAKING SURE YOU AND I ARE ON THE SAME PAGE.
>> PELAEZ: IS NOT A JUDGMENT AS TO THE QUALITY OF THE TEACHER AND THEIR DESIRE TO SUCCEED, IS IT?
>> PELAEZ: IN FACT, IT WOULD ALMOST BE LIKE SAYING OUR POLICE FORCE IS BETTER THAN THE
[01:40:01]
SHERIFF'S POLICE FORCE BECAUSE OUR CARS ARE BETTER, OUR RADIOS ARE BETTER.THE GUNS WE GIVE THEM FIRE MORE RELIABLY.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S TRUE.
>> PELAEZ: IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A JUDGMENT AS TO THEIR WANTING TO BE THE BEST.
I MEAN, THEY ARE ALL WORKING HARD, ALL DOING THE BEST THEY CAN.
THE WORKING CONDITION OF TEACHERS AND WHAT THEY HAVE TO PUT UP WITH IS, IN MANY CASES, REALLY PATHETIC, QUITE FRANKLY.
WE ARE TRYING TO EQUIP TEACHERS WITH THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS TO BE ABLE TO BE THE EFFECTIVE TEACHERS THEY WANT TO BE AND TO HAVE THE SAME KIND OF RESULTS, BECAUSE THEY ARE CAPABLE OF THAT IF GIVEN THE TOOLS AND KNOWLEDGE TO DO THAT.
THAT HAS BEEN MY LIFE'S WORK IS HELPING TEACHERS DEVELOP THEIR SKILLS.
I HAD THE SAME EXPERIENCE AS A FIRST-YEAR TEACHER.
THIS WAS BACK IN THE DAY WHEN WE HAD CHALK BOARDS.
I RAN OUT OF THE CHALK IN APRIL.
THAT SHOULDN'T HAPPEN AND IT DOES HAPPEN ALL TOO OFTEN.
>> PELAEZ: DOES IT HAPPEN AT PRE-K 4 SA?
>> IT DOES NOT HAPPEN AT PRE-K 4 SA.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN PELAEZ.
SARA, YOU HAVE A HEAD START ON YOUR HEAD START PRESENTATION.
SO THIS IS TO COMPARE HEAD START AND PRE-K 4 SA.
WE HAVE ALREADY GONE INTO SOME OF THAT, SO I WILL MOVE THROUGH THIS RELATIVELY QUICKLY.
BUT I DO WANT TO HAVE A CAVEAT TO THIS PRESENTATION.
WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HEAD START WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ONLY THE CITY'S HEAD START PROGRAM.
THERE ARE MANY HEAD START PROGRAMS. THEY ALL HAVE THE SAME FEDERAL REGULATIONS.
BUT OUR HEAD START PROGRAM HAS GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND THOSE REGULATIONS TO CREATE A HIGHER QUALITY PROGRAM.
THAT IS NOT SAYING ANYTHING ABUT THE OTHER PROGRAMS, IT'S JUST SAYING THAT WE'RE SPEAKING SPECIFICALLY TO THE HEAD START PROGRAM IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
WE HAVE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF EARLY LEARNING AND WHY SO MANY CITIES ARE INVESTING IN THOSE.
LET ME JUST SAY THAT THE RESEARCH IS VERY, VERY CLEAR ON THIS.
THERE ARE BENEFITS TO INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS, TO PARENTS, AND SOCIETY, WHICH IS WHY SO MANY FOLKS SEE THIS AS AN INVESTMENT THAT CITIES SHOULD BE MAKING.
THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT IS DEPENDENT UPON THE QUALITY OF THE PROGRAM.
THE PRE-K PROJECT WAS STARTED AND RUN FROM 1962 TO 1967.
THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL PROJECT.
BASED ON HIGH SCOPE, WHICH IS THE COLUMN THAT WE USED.
THAT COHORT OF STUDENTS HAS BEEN FOLLOWED FOR THE LAST 40 YEARS.
AND WHAT THE LAST STUDY AT THE 40-YEAR MARK SHOWED THAT THEY INTERVIEWED 97% OF THE PARTICIPANTS WHO WERE LIVING AT THE AGE OF 40 AND THEY GATHERED DATA FROM THEIR COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS.
AND WHAT THEY FOUND WAS THAT EVEN AT AGE 40 THE CHILDREN WHO UNDERWENT THE PRESCHOOL PROGRAM HAD HIGHER EARNINGS, COMMITTED FEWER CRIMES, MORE LIKELY TO HOLD A JOB AND MORE LIKELY TO GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL THAN ADULTS WHO DID NOT PARTICIPATE.
PERRY PRESCHOOL WAS REALLY THE STUDY THAT PUT THIS ON SOLID FOOTING FOR EARLY LEARNING.
BUT IT'S ALSO BEEN THE CHICAGO SCHOOL DISTRICT BEGAN A PROGRAM IN 1967.
THE CITY OF CHICAGO ACTUALLY RUNS THEIR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
AND THEY HAVE HAD SIMILAR RESULTS.
SO WHAT THIS SHOWS IS THAT INVESTING IN EARLY LEARNING AND THE EARLIER THE BETTER.
THE GREATER RETURNS YOU GET ON THAT INVESTMENT.
BUT I WANT TO SAY THIS VERY CLEARLY, BECAUSE THIS IS THE IMPORTANT PART.
THAT IN ORDER TO HAVE SUBSTANTIVE AND LASTING EFFECTS IT MUST BE INTENSIVE AND HIGH QUALITY.
THAT'S WHY FULL-DAY MATTERS AND THAT'S WHY QUALITY MATTERS.
AND THIS COMES OUT OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR EARLY LEARNING RESEARCH.
AND THAT IS THE PART THAT PRE-K 4 SA AND THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO GOT RIGHT WHEN THEY FOCUSED ON QUALITY.
THIS IS PRE-K ACCESS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.
SO WHAT YOU SEE, AND THIS IS BY INCOME GROUP.
WHAT YOU SEE IN THIS CHART IS THAT MORE THAN 76% OF HIGH-INCOME FAMILIES SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO PRESCHOOL.
WHEREAS WE LOOK AS IT GOES DOWN THE RANK IT GETS LOWER AND LOWER.
ALMOST 60% OF LOW-INCOME FAMILIES SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO PRE-K.
EVEN THOUGH OUR PRE-K PROGRAMS ARE DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR LOW-INCOME FAMILIES.
SO WE HAVE A LOT OF FAMILIES OUT THERE WHO ARE NOT ACCESSING PUBLIC PRE-K, EVEN IF IT'S AVAILABLE TO THEM FREE OF CHARGE.
THEN WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE RED BARS, THE HIGH QUALITY.
WE HAVE FEWER THAN 30% OF OUR CHILDREN ACROSS THE NATION ARE IN PROGRAMS THAT ARE CONSIDERED HIGH QUALITY BY THE NIEER'S STANDARD OF QUALITY.
CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, THIS IS WHERE OUR 25,000 4-YEAR-OLDS ARE GOING TO SCHOOL EACH YEAR.
YOU CAN SEE THAT FULL DAISIEDS, THIS INCLUDES WHERE
[01:45:01]
OUR SAN ANTONIO HEAD START CHILDREN ARE INCLUDED IN THIS.33% OF THEM ARE IN FULL-DAY PROGRAMS IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
ANOTHER 17% ARE IN HALF-DAY PROGRAMS. AGAIN, THIS CHART SHOWS PRE-K 4 SA REPRESENTS 8% OF THAT.
SO WHAT THIS CHART SHOWS US IS THAT WE STILL HAVE 6,000 STUDENTS NOT ACCESSING PRE-K EDUCATION.
AND WHEN WE PUT THAT TOGETHER WITH THE PREVIOUS CHART THAT SAYS ABOUT HALF OF THE LOW-INCOME FAMILIES DON'T ACCESS PRE-K EDUCATION, WE CAN ASSUME THAT ABOUT 3,000 OF THOSE 6,000 ARE LOW-INCOME -- CHILDREN WHO LIVE IN LOW-INCOME FAMILIES.
AND WE ARE WORKING WITH OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO FIGURE OUT WHERE ARE THOSE CHILDREN AND HOW DO WE HELP GET THEM INTO PROGRAMS. BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THEY WOULD BENEFIT AND OUR DISTRICTS WOULD BENEFIT.
THIS NEXT SLIDE SHOWS INSTRUCTIONAL QUALITY.
THERE ACTUALLY IS A MEASURE OF INSTRUCTIONAL QUALITY THAT'S AN ACCEPTED STANDARD IN EARLY LEARNING.
AND IT'S THE CLASS SCORING SYSTEM.
IT'S A CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT SCORING SYSTEM THAT'S A NATIONAL STANDARD OF INSTRUCTIONAL QUALITY.
AND WHAT HAPPENS HERE IS YOU HAVE TRAINED OBSERVERS WHO GO INTO CLASSROOM AND THEY ARE LOOKING AT EMOTIONAL SUPPORT, CLASSROOM ORGANIZATION, AND INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT.
AT PRE-K 4 SA WE HAVE AN EXTERNAL EVALUATOR WHO LOOKS AT ALL 100 OF OUR CLASSROOMS. HEAD START ALSO USES CLASS AND WHAT WE CALL CLASS.
THEY OBSERVE AT LEAST 60% OF THE CLASSROOMS. ALTHOUGH I UNDERSTAND THEY ARE MOVING TOWARD 100% OF THEIR CLASSROOMS POSSIBLY WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR.
OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS WERE NOT USING CLASS BUT OTHER THAN IF THEY HAD A HEAD START PROGRAM.
BUT IN CONVERSATION WITH OUR DISTRICT PARTNERS LAST YEAR THEY SHOWED INTEREST IN WANTING TO MEASURE THE QUALITY OF INSTRUCTION IN THEIR CLASSROOM.
THAT IS THE DETERMINING FACTOR OF STUDENT OUTCOMES.
SO WE SAID CAN WE PARTNER WITH YOU TO TRAIN SOME MORE CLASS OBSERVERS SO WE CAN BEGIN TO GET A MEASURE OF THE QUALITY OF INSTRUCTION IN OUR EARLY LEARNING PROGRAMS ACROSS THE CITY.
WHAT YOU CAN SEE ON THE CHART IS THE RED LINE IS THE RESEARCH THRESHOLD.
THE RESEARCH THRESHOLD IS THE POINT AT WHICH YOU CAN EXPECT TO HAVE LONG-TERM IMPACT IF A CHILD HAS BEEN IN A CLASSROOM WITH A TEACHER WHO MEETS THOSE CRITERIA ABOVE THE RED LINE.
PRE-K 4 SA IS ABOVE THE RED LINE ON ALL THREE DOMAINS.
WE'RE NOT RESTING ON OUR LAURELS.
YOU CAN SEE THAT THE HEAD START PROGRAM MEETS IT IN EMOTIONAL SUPPORT.
AND THEY ARE VERY CLOSE IN THE OTHER TWO DOMAINS.
THEN OUR DISTRICT PARTNERS ARE ALSO DOING THE CLASS.
AGAIN, THEY MEET THAT IN THE EMOTIONAL SUPPORT DOMAIN AND ARE VERY CLOSE IN THE OTHER TWO DOMAINS.
WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM BECAUSE WE WANT EVERY SINGLE CHILD IN OUR PROGRAM TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A HIGH-QUALITY INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM MEASURED BY CLASS, WHICH REALLY DOES LOOK AT THE THINGS THAT MATTER MOST IN EARLY CHILDHOOD CLASSROOMS. AGAIN, WE HAVE DONE THE PENCIL SLIDE.
THE OTHER ONE I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS THE EXECUTIVE FUNCTION.
AND COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL STARTED TALKING ABOUT THIS.
EXECUTIVE FUNCTION IS A KEY ASPECT OF EARLY LEARNING.
EXECUTIVE FUNCTION IS THE IDEA THAT YOUR BEHAVIOR IS CONNECTED TO OUTCOMES.
AND IT'S -- THIS IDEA THAT IF YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU WANT TO DO AND HOW YOU CONNECT YOUR BEHAVIOR AND YOUR RESOURCES TO A PLAN TO REACH THAT GOAL AND THEN YOU ASSESS.
DID YOU REACH THE GOAL? DID YOU NOT REACH THE GOAL? YOU WILL HAVE NOT ONLY BETTER ACADEMIC OUTCOMES IN SCHOOLS BUT BETTER BEHAVIOR.
IT'S BEEN TIED TO LOWER RATES OF CRIME.
MOST IMPORTANTLY IT'S BEEN TIED TO PERSISTENT THROUGH COLLEGE AND CAREER.
MANY TIMES WE PREPARE OUR STUDENTS ACADEMICALLY FOR COLLEGE BUT DON'T PREPARE THEM FOR THE PIECES OF COLLEGE THAT MAKE IT HARD.
LIKE YOUR FINANCIAL AID RUNS OUT OR YOU DON'T GET THE CLASS YOU NEED.
EXECUTIVE FUNCTION HELPS ADULTS NEGOTIATE THOSE.
THE CURRICULUM FOCUSES ON EXECUTIVE FUNCTION, SO WE'RE BEGINNING TO MEASURE THIS.
ARE WE HAVING AN EFFECT? LAST YEAR WE DID IT IN THE SPRING.
WE HAD A HANDFUL OF STUDENTS THAT WE ADMINISTERED A TEST TO OUR STUDENTS ON AVERAGE GOT 77% RIGHT ON THAT TEST.
THIS YEAR WE TESTED THE STUDENTS IN THE FALL AND SPRING SO WE'LL HAVE SOME DATA TO SHOW HOW ARE WE EFFECTING EXECUTIVE FUNCTION.
THE BEST TIME TO DEVELOP EFFECTIVE FUNCTION IS IN YEARS THREE THROUGH FIVE AND IT'S ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT OUTCOMES OF HIGH-QUALITY EARLY LEARNING.
HEAD START ALSO MEASURES THEIR STUDENTS.
IT'S DIFFICULT BUT WE DON'T HAVE THE SAME MEASURE ACROSS OUR PROGRAMS. HEAD START USING THE LAP THREE.
AND IT IS AN ASSESSMENT THAT MEASURES KEY DOMAINS OF EARLY LEARNING.
ASAS YOU CAN SEE, THE HEAD START
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STUDENTS GOT ABOVE 90% IN FIVE OF THE SEVEN DOMAINS.THAT'S AN AREA THAT THEY'RE FOCUSING ON.
HEAD START USES THE LAP THREE AS A MEASURE OF KINDERGARTEN READINESS.
THEIR MEASURE IS THAT IF STUDENTS ARE AT OUR ABOVE AVERAGE IN ALL SEVEN DOMAINS, THEY ARE CONSIDERED KINDERGARTEN READY, WHICH IS A HIGH MEASURE FOR KINDERGARTEN READINESS.
THEY HAD 74% OF THEIR STUDENTS LAST YEAR THAT WERE, BY LAP THREE, KINDERGARTEN READY.
AND I KNOW MEL WILL TALK A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THAT.
THIS CHART COMPARES THE DIFFERENCES AND WHY PRE-K 4 SA HAS THE ABILITY TO BE HIGHER QUALITY THAN HEAD START.
IT'S REALLY A FUNCTION OF HOW WE SET UP AND WHAT WE FOCUS ON.
WE ARE BOTH FOCUSED ON EDUCATION, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
THE DIFFERENCE IS WE HAVE LOCAL CONTROL.
SO OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS, YOU, THE STAFF, WE CAN MAKE THE DECISIONS TO FOCUS ON THE RESEARCH.
THE EXAMPLE THAT COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL POINTED OUT ABOUT THE COLORS.
WHEN WE OPENED UP PRE-K 4 SA, WE HAD ALL THESE RED AND BLUE AND IT WAS ALL BEAUTIFUL AND THEN WE READ THE RESEARCH AND SAID, WAIT.
THAT'S NOT REALLY THE BEST SITUATION.
THAT CAN ACTUALLY BE PROBLEMATIC FOR CHILDREN.
WE REALLY SHOULD BE USING MORE NATURAL MATERIALS AND NATURAL COLORS.
SO WE HAVE BEGUN TO IMPLEMENT THAT OVER TIME.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO.
HEAD START HAS SOME CONTROL BUT OUR PROGRAM IS HEAVILY REGULATED AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
OUR SOURCE OF FUNDING ARE DIFFERENT.
WE HAVE THE EIGHTH CENT SALES TAX.
OUR IMPACT IS ALSO VERY DIFFERENT.
OUR HEAD START PROGRAM WORKS WITH TWO SCHOOL DISTRICTS, EDGEWOOD AND SAISD.
WE WORK WITH ALL 15 DISTRICTS IN SOME CAPACITY.
WE SERVE ONLY 4-YEAR-OLDS, ALTHOUGH WE HAVE STAFF BEGGING FOR US TO SERVE 3-YEAR-OLDS.
BUT WE ARE FOCUSED ON THE 4-YEAR-OLDS.
OUR IMPACT IS MUCH GREATER IN TERMS OF NUMBERS SIMPLY BECAUSE WE ARE NOT JUST SERVING CHILDREN IN OUR EDUCATION CENTERS, WE ARE SERVING THEM THROUGH OUR GRANTS AND THROUGH PROFESSIONAL LEARNING.
ELIGIBILITY IS ALSO A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT IN THAT WE FOCUS ON STATE PRE-K ELIGIBILITY, WHICH IS SIMILAR FOR HEAD START BUT HEAD START HAS AN EXPLICIT MISSION TO FOCUS ON CHILDREN WHO ARE IDENTIFIED AS HAVING DISABILITIES AND CHILDREN WHO ARE HOMELESS AND IN FOSTER CARE.
WE SERVE THOSE CHILDREN TOO BUT NOT IN THE SAME NUMBERS THAT HEAD START DOES.
OUR CHILDREN ARE 185% OF POVERTY.
HEAD START REALLY FOCUSES ON THOSE CHILDREN THAT ARE 125% OF POVERTY.
MOST OF THEM ARE LOW-INCOME BUT IT VARIES IN THE ACTUAL INCOME LEVEL, ON AVERAGE.
AT PRE-K 4 SA WE OFFER A FULL DAY AND EXTENDED DAY AND THE COST IS $11,500 PER CHILD, WHICH INCLUDES THE FOOD, TRANSPORTATION, AND THE PARENT ENGAGEMENT.
THAT INCLUDES THE HEAD START MONEY THAT THEY PUT IN AS WELL AS WHAT THE DISTRICT SPENDS FOR THEIR FULL-DAY PROGRAM.
I'M JUST GOING TO WHIP THROUGH THE PRE-K COMPONENTS QUICKLY.
WE WERE DESIGNED TO BE THE HIGHEST QUALITY PROGRAM.
I SOMETIMES CRINGE WHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT COMPARING THIS BECAUSE WE WERE SET OUT TO SAY WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE IF YOU CREATED THE HIGHEST QUALITY EARLY LEARNING PROGRAM USING THE RESEARCH.
AND SO OUR EDUCATION CENTERS, AS WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT, THEY SPECIALIZE IN EARLY LEARNING.
WE PROVIDE EXTENSIVE TRAINING ON GOING FOR OUR TEACHERS.
OUR TEACHERS ARE WITH US THREE WEEKS BEFORE THE SCHOOL YEAR STARTS.
WE USE THE GOLD STANDARD IN EARLY LEARNING CURRICULUM.
TO HELP ROLL OUT TO OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT PARTNERS AND OTHER PROGRAMS. GARDEN TO TABLE.
OUR CHILDREN GROW VEGETABLES AND HERBS THAT GET INCORPORATED INTO THE FOOD THAT IS SERVED TO THEM SO THEY BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF HEALTHY EATING AND THE CONNECTION TO OVERALL HEALTH.
WE HAVE AN ARTS INFUSION PROGRAM THAT COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN TALKED ABOUT WINNING A PORTRAIT.
IT'S ACTUALLY CIVIC ENGAGEMENT.
OUR CHILDREN RAISED ALMOST $9,000 THIS YEAR TO DONATE TO THE CHILDREN'S SHELTER THROUGH OUR FIESTA MEDAL SALES AND ONLINE AUCTION.
THESE ARE PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE BEGINNING TO ROLL OUT TO OUR DISTRICT PARTNERS.
THERE'S HUGE INTEREST IN OUTDOOR LEARNING.
NEXT YEAR OUR CIVIC ENGAGEMENT INITIATIVE AND ARTS INFUSION WILL BE AVAILABLE TO ANY OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS INTERESTED IN DOING THIS.
WE'RE GOING TO HELP THEM DO THAT TOO.
THIS IS ABOUT BUILDING TOGETHER THE QUALITY.
THE CITY, WE HAVE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT TEACHER EXPERTISE.
NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE OUR 15 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SPECIALISTS.
THIS PERSON IS CLAUDIA VARGAS, A LEADING SPECIALIST IN SCIENCE EDUCATION FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS.
HE'S OUT OF BERKELEY AND HE CAME
[01:55:01]
LAST SUMMER TO WORK WITH TEACHERS TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND CONTENT.WE MADE THAT AVAILABLE NOT JUST TO OUR TEACHERS BUT TEACHERS ACROSS THE CITY.
WE TALKED ABOUT OUR COMPETITIVE GRANTS.
AND THEN OUR PARENT ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM, WHICH IS REALLY FOCUSED ON BUILDING ON THE STRENGTHS OF OUR FAMILIES, HELPING THEM DEVELOP AS LEADERS.
WE HAVE PARENT CAFES IN EACH OF OUR CENTERS WHERE THE FAMILIES CAN COME IN.
IT'S WHERE THEY GATHER TO NETWORK WITH EACH OTHER BUT ALSO WITH OUR FAMILY LIAISON SPECIALISTS.
THEY HAVE COMPUTERS IN THERE WHERE THEY CAN WORK ON THEIR SCHOOL WORK.
WHERE THEY CAN DO JOB SEARCHES.
IT REALLY IS ABOUT HELPING THE PARENTS BECOME LEADERS AND ADVOCATES AND DEVELOPING THEMSELVES AS WORKERS AND PARENTS AND THEN DOING THE BEST BY THEIR CHILDREN.
THIS IS REALLY TRYING TO CAPTURE WHAT IS IT THAT PRE-K 4 SA DOES.
SO WORKING WITH OUR EDUCATION CENTERS, OUR GRANTS, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, FAMILY ENGAGEMENT AND OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
WE WORK WITH A HUGE NUMBER OF COMMUNITY PARTNERS, EARLY LEARNING LEADERS, OTHER NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS TO INFUSE QUALITY THROUGHOUT THE PROGRAMS IN SAN ANTONIO.
AND REALLY OUR GOAL IS THAT EVERY PRE-K PROGRAM, EVERY EARLY LEARNING PROGRAM IN SAN ANTONIO MEETS THE HIGHEST QUALITY STANDARDS SO THAT ALL OF OUR CHILDREN HAVE ACCESS.
THE STATE OF TEXAS, THERE ARE TEN STANDARDS FOR EARLY LEARNING QUALITY THAT ARE PUT OUT NATIONALLY.
TEXAS MEETS ONLY FOUR OF THOSE.
WE'LL ALSO SHARE WITH YOU SOMETHING WITH WHAT COUNCILMAN PELAEZ TALKED ABOUT WAS THEY HAVE NOW COME OUT WITH A LIST OF CONDITIONS THAT ARE REQUIRED FOR HIGH-QUALITY EARLY LEARNING.
AND NUMBER ONE ON THAT IS POLITICAL WILL AND LEADERSHIP.
SO YOU NEED TO HAVE THE POLITICAL WILL AND THE LEADERSHIP AT THE CITY COUNCIL LEVEL, AT YOUR ORGANIZATION LEVEL IN ORDER TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
AND IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WHEN OTHER CITIES COME TO VISIT SAN ANTONIO AND THEY SAY HOW DID YOU MAKE THIS HAPPEN? I SAY DO I THINK IT'S POSSIBLE TO REPLICATE THIS? YES.
BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT ANY OTHER CITY HAS THE COMMITMENT OR THE POLITICAL WILL, NOT ONLY AMONG OUR CITY COUNCIL, OUR POLICY MAKERS, BUT OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND PHILANTHROPISTS TO DO THIS.
I APPLAUD YOU FOR DOING SOMETHING THAT IS VERY HARD TO DO AND NOT EVERYBODY IS IN COMPLETE SUPPORT OF IT.
I'M GOING TO LET MEL COME UP AND TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HEAD START.
>> THAT, SARAH AND SO NOW HEAD START.
HEAD START FITS SQUARELY INTO THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES' LONG-TERM -- THERE WE GO.
LONG-TERM OUTCOME TO ENSURE THAT CHILDREN ARE SAFE, HEALTHY, RESILIENT, AND HAVE THE ABILITY AND ARE PREPARED FOR SCHOOL AND LIFE.
THIS WAS PART OF THE GOALS THAT WE DEVELOPED WHEN WE WENT THROUGH OUR EQUITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT.
AND WE FEEL LIKE HEAD START AND THE OTHER PROGRAMS THAT WE OFFER TO CHILDREN IN THE COMMUNITY REALLY DEMONSTRATE THE DEFINITION OF EQUITY.
THE HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT HEAD START PROGRAM IS PART OF A CONTINUUM OF EARLY EDUCATION AND CARE PROGRAMS THAT SERVE OVER 6,000 CHILDREN 0 TO 5 EVERY DAY.
THROUGH HEAD START, EARLY HEAD START, AND CHILD CARE SERVICES.
THESE PROGRAMS SERVE OUR MOST VULNERABLE CHILDREN.
FAMILIES, INCLUDING CHILDREN LIVING IN AREAS OF CONCENTRATED POVERTY, WHO ARE DISABLED, HOMELESS, AND ARE IN THE CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES SYSTEM.
THESE PROGRAMS CONNECT FAMILIES AND CHILDREN TO CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND EARLY LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS.
AND THEY ALSO SERVE AS PROTECTIVE FACTORS FOR CHILDREN AT RISK OF ABUSE, NEGLECT, AND FAILURE TO THRIVE.
AS SARAH DESCRIBED, OUR HEAD START PROGRAM PROVIDES A FULL DAY OF EARLY EDUCATION TO 3 AND 4-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN LIVING IN SAN ANTONIO AND EDGEWOOD ISDS AS WELL AS WRAPAROUND HEALTH AND CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES FOR THE CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES.
WE PARTNER WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO PROVIDE EDUCATION COMPONENT OF THE PROGRAM IN THEIR FACILITIES.
HEAD START IS A FEDERAL PROGRAM.
IT WAS CREATED IN 1965 AS PART OF THE JOHNSON ADMINISTRATION'S WAR ON POVERTY AS AN ANTI-POVERTY INITIATIVE.
IT WAS REALLY DESIGNED TO MEET THE SOCIAL, HEALTH, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS OF THE LOWEST INCOME CHILDREN AND FAMILIES.
AND THAT'S THE STATED -- ORIGINAL STATED MISSION OF HEAD START.
YOU WILL NOTICE IT DOESN'T INCLUDE EARLY EDUCATION, SCHOOL READINESS, HIGH QUALITY.
IT TALKS ABOUT THE SOCIAL HEALTH
[02:00:02]
AND PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS OF THE CHILDREN.THAT, OF COURSE, HAS CHANGED NOW.
ALMOST ONE IN FOUR CHILDREN IN SAN ANTONIO LIVE BELOW THE POVERTY LINE.
AND SO WE PROVIDE THESE PROGRAMS TO ENSURE ALL CHILDREN HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SUCCEED IN SCHOOL.
TO THIS END THE PROGRAM TARGETS FAMILIES BELOW THE POVERTY LEVEL LINE, REQUIRES 10% OF ENROLLED CHILDREN TO HAVE A DISABILITY.
AND PRIORITIZES CHILDREN WHO ARE HOMELESS AND IN FOSTER CARE.
AS SHERYL MENTIONED EARLIER, PRIOR TO 2011 WE SERVED AS THE SOLE GRANTEE FOR BEXAR COUNTY SERVING 6,789 CHILDREN DAILY.
BUT CHANGES TO THE HEAD START ACT LED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL COMPETITIVELY BIDDING THE BEXAR COUNTY GRANT FOR THE FIRST TIME.
HUMAN SERVICES SUBMITTED A GRANT APPLICATION PROPOSING TO SERVE ONLY THE INNER CITY AND PARTNERING WITH SAN ANTONIO AND EDGEWOOD ISD TO DO THAT.
WE WERE AWARDED 45% OF THE TOTAL ALLOCATION FOR BEXAR COUNTY TO SERVE 3,020 CHILDREN EVERY YEAR.
WE ALSO SUPPORTED OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO SUBMIT APPLICATIONS TO SERVE AS DIRECT GRANTEES.
BY CREATING A HEAD START CONSORTIUM THAT WE CONTINUE TO LEAD TODAY.
WE WORK TOGETHER TO PREVENT DUPLICATIVE SERVICES AND APPLICATION FOR SERVICE AREAS AND TO ENSURE THE AREAS OF HIGHEST NEED IN THE COUNTY WERE SERVED.
A TOTAL OF SIX AGENCIES WERE AWARDED THE HEAD START GRANTS TO SERVE BEXAR COUNTY.
AND SO WE CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER TO COORDINATE HEAD START SERVICES ACROSS THE COMMUNITY A HIGH MOBILITY RATE.
YOU KNOW, I MENTIONED SEVERAL TIMES HEAD START IS DESIGNED TO SERVE AT-RISK CHILDREN, AND THAT IS WHO WE SERVE.
THE MEDIUM HOUSEHOLD INCOME IS $14,400 PER YEAR.
AND ALTHOUGH WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO -- WE ARE ALLOWED TO SERVE FAMILIES UP TO 125% OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL, 84% OF OUR FAMILIES LIVE BELOW 100% IN INTENSE CONCENTRATED POVERTY.
11% OF THE CHILDREN WERE HOMELESS WHEN THEY ENTERED THE PROGRAM IDENTIFIED DISABILITY, INCLUDING A LEARNING DISABILITY, AN EMOTIONAL DISABILITY, A DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY AND PHYSICAL DISABILITIES.
THESE INCLUDE THINGS SUCH AS HEARING DEFICITS, AUTISM OR SPEECH DIFFICULTIES.
DISABLED CHILDREN REQUIRE A HIGHER LEVEL OF INTERVENTION.
THEY ARE MORE EXPENSIVE TO SERVE AND THEY CAN IMPACT THE CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT WHEN NOT APPROPRIATELY DIRECTED.
SO IMPROVING HEAD START FOR SCHOOL READINESS ACT OF 2007 SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGED THE PHILOSOPHY, FRAMEWORK, AND REQUIREMENTS OF HEAD START.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WAS ACKNOWLEDGING THAT RESEARCH SHOWED THE VERY LITTLE DEMONSTRATEBLE LASTING IMPACT FROM HEAD START.
AND SO THEY MADE THESE CHANGES SHIFTING TOWARDS HIGH-QUALITY EARLY EDUCATION AND INCREASING EDUCATIONAL PERFORMANCE STANDARDS AND AN EMPHASIS ON RESEARCH-BASED CURRICULUM IN CLASSROOM PRACTICES IN ORDER TO IMPROVE SCHOOL READINESS.
OUR PARTNERSHIP OFFERS KEY BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES.
CHILDREN ARE CO-ENROLLED IN DISTRICT PRE-K AND STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDING IS BLENDED TO PROVIDE THAT FULL DAY OF EDUCATION.
WHICH WE KNOW IS A KEY ELEMENT OF QUALITY PROGRAMS FOR SUSTAINABLE IMPACT.
ADDITIONALLY, FAMILIES HAVE THE OPTION OF ENROLLING THEIR CHILDREN IN A NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL AND IN THE SAME SCHOOL AS THEIR OLDER SIBLINGS.
THIS IS BOTH A STRENGTH AND A WEAKNESS ENTIRELY TO PRE-K EDUCATION, THEIR EARLY EDUCATION CENTERS.
WE SEE BETTER OUTCOMES WITH THE CHILDREN THAN WHEN THE CLASSROOMS ARE IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
AND SIMILAR TO NORTH SIDE AND NORTHEAST NOT PROVIDING A FULL DAY OF CARE BECAUSE OF CAPACITY.
ESPECIALLY SAN ANTONIO ISD JUST DOESN'T HAVE THE CAPACITY TO HAVE ALL CHILDREN IN EARLY LEARNING CENTERS.
SO ON ONE HAND IT'S A BENEFIT BECAUSE THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ARE LOCATED IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
THE FAMILIES DON'T HAVE TO TAKE THE CHILDREN FAR, IF THEY ARE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH TRANSPORTATION.
THE CHILDREN CAN WALK TO SCHOOL.
AT THE SAME TIME, THEY DO BETTER WHEN THEY ARE ALL -- ALL CHILDREN BEING SERVED TOGETHER ARE IN THE PRE-K ENVIRONMENT AND
[02:05:01]
THEY ARE LED BY A PRINCIPAL OR DIRECTOR THAT HAS A BACKGROUND IN EARLY EDUCATION.AND SO 80% OF OUR HEAD START GRANT DOES SUPPORT INDIVIDUALIZED QUALITY EARLY EDUCATION THAT ALIGNS WITH HEAD START EARLY LEARNING FRAMEWORK AND THE TEXAS PRE-K GUIDELINES AROUND RESEARCH BASED CURRICULUM.
FOCUS ON ATTENDANCE WAS ALSO A KEY ELEMENT OF THE 2007 ACT.
OUR PROGRAM CONSISTENTLY EXCEEDS HEAD START AND STATE REQUIREMENTS WITH A 95% ATTENDANCE RATE TODAY.
AND ALL OF THIS IS TO SAY THAT HEAD START CHILDREN MAKE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR TO THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR IN THE AREAS OF LANGUAGE, LITERACY, REASONING, SCIENCE, MATH, AND PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT.
THESE ARE THE AREAS THAT ARE PART OUR DOMAIN ASSESSMENT.
YOU HEARD EARLIER THAT 74% OF HEAD START CHILDREN, HUMAN SERVICES HEAD START CHILDREN WERE ASSESSED AS KINDERGARTEN READY LAST YEAR.
MEANING THAT 74% SCORED AT OR ABOVE THE STANDARD IN ALL SEVEN LAP SCORE AREAS.
WHAT THE CHART DIDN'T SHOW IS THAT AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS SCHOOL YEAR ONLY 42% SCORED AT OR ABOVE IN ALL SEVEN LAP SCORE AREAS.
THOSE CHILDREN CONTINUED TO LEARN AT AN AGE-APPROPRIATE PACE AND THE 32% OF THOSE WHO WERE BEHIND AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR CAUGHT UP AND SOME EVEN EXCEEDED THEIR LEVEL OF DEVELOPMENT THEY SHOULD BE AT.
WE WANT IT TO BE HIGHER, THOUGH.
LATER IN THE PRESENTATION I'LL TALK ABOUT HOW WE ARE ACTUALLY PARTNERING WITH PRE-K 4 SA TO GET US TO THAT PLACE.
ALTHOUGH THE 2007 ACT DID SHIFT DRAMATICALLY, THE FOCUS TO EDUCATION FAMILIES AS BEING ESSENTIAL TO THE HEAD START MODEL.
CHILDREN ABSOLUTELY LEARN BETTER IN A STABLE FAMILY ENVIRONMENT BY STABLIZING AND HELPING PARENTS, IMPROVE THEIR FINANCIAL STABILITY, THEIR EDUCATION, THEIR WORKFORCE ATTACHMENT.
WE ALSO IMPROVE THE WELL-BEING OF THE CHILDREN THAT WE SERVE AND HELP THEM START OUT IN A MANNER THAT LEADS TO SUCCESS AND IMPROVEMENT.
THE HUMAN SERVICES FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES ARE PROVIDED BY A TEAM OF 60 CITY EMPLOYEES WHO PROVIDE COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES AND FOLLOW UP TO IMPROVE FAMILY STABILITY IN THE HOME ENVIRONMENT.
HUMAN SERVICES FAMILY SUPPORT STAFF ARE HOUSED IN THE SCHOOLS AND COORDINATE CLOSELY WITH TEACHERS TO PROVIDE WRAPAROUND SUPPORT OF SERVICES INTENDED TO MOVE FAMILIES GUARD.
THEY MAKE HOME VISITS AND HELP THEIR FAMILIES SET GOALS INCLUDING CONNECTING PARENTS TO EDUCATION AND JOB SKILLS OPPORTUNITIES .
LAST YEAR MORE THAN 450 PARENTS PARTICIPATED IN ADULT EDUCATION AND JOB SKILLS TRAINING.
270 RECEIVED EITHER THEIR HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA OR A GED.
AND 96 ACTUALLY RECEIVED AN ASSOCIATES OR BACHELOR'S DEGREE.
HEALTH IS ALSO A BIG PART OF THE HEAD START MODEL.
AND WE CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON THE HEALTH OF OUR CHILDREN.
HEALTH SCREENINGS AND LEAD SCREENING IS PROVIDED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF THE INCARNATE WORD.
WHEN CHILDREN DO NOT HAVE A PRIMARY PHYSICIAN.
DENTAL AND FOLLOW UP ARE PROVIDED BY OUR METRO HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
THEY ALSO PROVIDE THAT SERVICE FOR A NUMBER OF OTHER HEAD STARTS IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE WORK WITH FAMILIES TO ESTABLISH MEDICAL HOMES AND DENTAL HOMES AND APPLY FOR MEDICAID AND CHIP WHEN THEY DON'T HAVE THAT PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN AND WHEN FOLLOW UP IS NEEDED FOR MEDICAL AND DENTAL SERVICES.
ALL HEAD START CHILDREN RECEIVE LEAD SCREENING.
AS AN EXAMPLE OF THE VALUE OF THIS FOCUS ON HEALTH SERVICES, THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY, GREEN AND HEALTHY HOMES INITIATIVE, 55 FAMILIES HAVE RECEIVED LEAD AND HOME HAZARD ABATEMENT VALUED AT ALMOST A MILLION DOLLARS OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
THROUGH A PILOT WITH U.T. HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER AND THE LOUIS BATS PATIENT SAFETY FOUNDATION, THIS YEAR 1500 FAMILIES ARE RECEIVING A COMMUNITY HEALTH EMPOWERMENT TOOL KIT TO HELP THEM RECORD MEDICAL INFORMATION AND KEEP ALL MEDICAL RECORDS IN ONE PLACE.
AND JUST AS A LITTLE MORE BACKGROUND, DHS IS THE FEDERAL
[02:10:02]
HEAD START GRANTEE AND THE FISCAL AGENT FOR SAN ANTONIO AND EDGEWOOD ISD PROGRAM.AND IS RESPONSIBLE FOR GRANT ADMINISTRATION.
OVERSIGHT AND MONITORING IS SHARED WITH BOTH THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WHO CONDUCTS FIVE FEDERAL REVIEWS EVERY THREE YEARS.
CITY COUNCIL, THROUGH THE COMMUNITY HEALTH AND EQUITY COMMITTEE, SERVES AS THE GOVERNING BODY FOR HEAD START AND DHS COORDINATES BETWEEN THE CITY COUNCIL GOVERNORRING BODY.
ALTHOUGH THE PROGRAM IS HIGHLY REGULATED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THERE ARE NUMEROUS OPPORTUNITIES FOR PROGRAM INNOVATION AND TO ADDRESS OUR UNIQUE CULTURAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN OTHER PROGRAMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SCOBEE CENTER AT SAN ANTONIO COLLEGE, WE DEVELOPED A CURRICULUM FOR MICRONAUTS, WHICH IS A STEAM-BASED SPACE EXPLORATION PROGRAM.
WE CREATED A SUMMER PROGRAM AT TEXAS A&M TO HELP TEACHERS GAIN THEIR MASTERS DEGREES.
YOU KNOW, AS I MENTIONED, WE COLLABORATE IN A NUMBER OF WAYS, ESPECIALLY IN THE AREA OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WITH PRE-K 4 SA.
HUMAN SERVICES AND PRE-K 4 SA COLLABORATE TO REALLY TO IMPROVE EARLY LEARNING ACROSS THE COMMUNITY.
WE BOTH HAVE CENTRAL PARTNERSHIPS WITH SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND ARE COLLABORATING WITH EACH OTHER AND THE DISTRICTS TO SHARE DATA AND EXPAND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
WE HAVE STRUGGLED, LIKE PRE-K 4 SA, WE HAVE STRUGGLED TO GET DATA FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
AND SO WE ARE FOLLOWING PRE-K 4 SA'S LEADS IN MAKING CHANGES TO OUR CONTRACTS AND WORKING WITH EVALUATORS TO BE ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE THE PROGRAM'S SUSTAINED IMPACT OVER TIME.
WE HAVE OUR LAP DATA AND OUR ASSESSMENTS THAT WE PERFORM WHEN THE CHILDREN ARE IN THE HEAD START PROGRAM.
BUT JUST LIKE PRE-K FOR HEAD START, WE NEED TO MEASURE ACROSS TIME TO KNOW THAT THE PROGRAM IS WORKING.
PRE-K 4 SA, AS YOU KNOW ALSO PROVIDES GRANTS TO SAN ANTONIO AND EDGEWOOD ISD THAT BENEFITS OUR HEAD START CHILDREN.
AND HUMAN SERVICES HAS BEEN PART OF TRAINING AND ASSISTANCE TO PRE-K 4 SA REGARDING THE CLASS ASSESSMENT TOOL.
HEAD START IMPLEMENTED CLASS SEVERAL YEARS BEFORE PRE-K WAS IMPLEMENTED, AND SO WE HAD THAT EXPERIENCE WHEN THE PROGRAM STARTED.
THE HIGHEST PRIORITY FOR HUMAN SERVICES RIGHT NOW IS TO RAISE THE QUALITY OF CLASSROOMS AND CENTERS IN HEAD START.
AND ALSO IN OUR EARLY HEAD START AND OUR CHILD CARE SERVICES PROGRAM WHICH WE WORK WITH OVER 600 CHILD CARE VENDORS ACROSS THE COMMUNITY.
AND PRE-K 4 SA IS REALLY A HUGE PART OF BEING ABLE TO DO THAT.
THIS PARTNERSHIP INCLUDES WORKING TOGETHER TO DEVELOP CHILD DEVELOPMENT CREDENTIALING CLASS FOR OUR HEAD START PARENTS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN ENTERING THE FIELD OF EARLY EDUCATION.
WE COORDINATE TO HOLD A EARLY LEARNING SUMMIT ON AN ANNUAL BASIS THAT IS OPEN TO ALL EARLY EDUCATION ACROSS THE COMMUNITY.
AND WE ARE ALSO HEAVILY INVOLVED IN RAISING AWARENESS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF HIGH-QUALITY EARLY LEARNING AND ADVANCING THE FIELD.
SO WE COLLABORATED TOGETHER TO DEVELOP A COMMUNITY GRADE LEVEL READING CAMPAIGN AND THE CITY WAS AWARDED THE ALL AMERICA CITY AWARD FOR THIS EFFORT IN 2012 AND 2017.
AND REALLY THAT CONCLUDES OUR FORMAL PRESENTATION TODAY.
DR. BARAY AND I ARE HAPPY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MELODY.
GOOD WORK IN THIS AREA AS WELL.
I REALLY ONLY HAVE ONE QUESTION.
I'M NOT SURE IF YOU CAN ANSWER IT.
BUT WHAT ARE WE ANTICIPATING WITH REGARD TO THE FUNDING PROPOSALS, THE FEDERAL FUNDING PROPOSALS WITH REGARD TO HEAD START AND HOW ARE WE PLANNING FOR THE OUT-YEARS '19, '20 AND SO FORTH?
>> WITH HEAD START, OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS AND ALSO IN THE WHITE HOUSE PROPOSED BUDGET RIGHT NOW WE DO NOT SEE ANY CHANGES TO THE HEAD START PROGRAM.
IN FACT, THE FUNDING IS ACTUALLY PROPOSED FOR AN INCREASE.
WE'RE ANTICIPATING AN INCREASE IN THE COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENTS WE RECEIVE FOR HEAD START.
ALSO POTENTIALLY AN INCREASE IN AVAILABILITY OF EARLY HEAD START DOLLARS, WHICH WOULD BE TRULY HELPFUL BECAUSE WE HAVE EARLY HEAD START 216 KIDS AND HAVE OVER 400 ON A WAITING LIST.
SO THAT'S REALLY WHERE WE SEE A HUGE NEED IS THE 0 TO 3 SERVICES.
[02:15:04]
VERY WELCOME.IN TERMS OF BUDGETING THEN WE'RE KEEPING EVERYTHING STATUS QUO FOR NOW?
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: AS WE ARE PROJECTING FORWARD.
I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER FURTHER QUESTIONS.
ANY QUESTIONS FROM MY COLLEAGUES? COUNCILMAN TREVINO.
>> TREVINO: I'LL BE BRIEF BUT I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T ASK SOMETHING, BECAUSE I AM A HEAD START KID.
AND CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THESE UPDATES, MELODY, DR. BARAY.
THIS IS REALLY SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS, AS WAS STATED EARLIER BY EVERYBODY, SO IMPORTANT FOR ALL OF US.
WE TALKED ABOUT HOW PRE-K 4 SA ONLY SERVES 4-YEAR-OLDS AND HEAD START IS 3 AND 4-YEAR-OLDS.
HAVE THERE EVER BEEN ANY CROSS OVER WHERE A 3-YEAR-OLD ONCE A 4-YEAR-OLD GOES OVER TO THE PRE-K SYSTEM?
>> I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.
MICHAEL, DO YOU? NOT THAT WE KNOW OF.
>> TREVINO: I WOULD JUST BE CURIOUS TO SEE.
YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE REALLY GREAT TO KIND OF ASK WHAT THAT EXPERIENCE WAS LIKE TO TRANSITION.
IT'S OBVIOUS HERE ARE SOME OF THE FACTS, ONCE AGAIN AS POINTED OUT EARLIER, IS THAT WE DO DEDICATE CERTAINLY A LOT MORE RESOURCES HERE LOCALLY.
AND THAT HAS MADE A BIG IMPACT.
BUT TO THAT POINT, I AM A HEAD START KID MYSELF AND WILL JUST BE THANKFUL THAT WE HAVE BOTH PROGRAMS AND SAY THAT I APPRECIATE THE HARD WORK OF DR. BARAY AND YOU, MELODY, FOR CHAMPIONING THESE EFFORTS.
BOTTOM LINE IS WE WANT TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO HELP AS MANY KIDS AS POSSIBLE.
>> AND JUST TO ADD IN OUR CHILD CARE SUBSIDY PROGRAM WE DO REFER AS MANY 4-YEAR-OLDS TO THE PRE-K 4 SA AND THE HEAD START PROGRAM.
SO THERE IS REFERRALS THERE WHERE A CHILD MAY HAVE BEEN AT A PRIVATE CHILD CARE PROVIDER AND THEN MOVED INTO PRE-K OR HEAD START AS A 3 OR 4-YEAR-OLD.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN TREVINO.
GREAT WORK TO YOU AND TO SARAH AND TO YOUR TEAMS. THE TIME NOW IS 4:28 P.M. ON THIS 9TH DAY OF MAY, 2018.
PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY GRANTED BY CHAPTER 551 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT, THE CITY COUNCIL WILL RECESS INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS PODIUM 551.087, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
THE PURCHASE, EXCHANGE, LEASE, OR VALUE OF REAL PROPERTY PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 551.072, REAL PROPERTY.
AND LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO THE COMPETITIVE MATTERS OF CPS ENERGY AS A PUBLICLY OWNED UTILITY PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 551.071, CONSULTATION
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.