Message from the CEO
There are several things to report at this time…
The 2012 legislative session is behind us and we now await the Governor’s signature or veto of the resulting Early Learning legislation.
Some of the highlights of the bill awaiting action include:
- Uniform statewide agreement and monitoring “method”. Coalitions cannot include any requirements not already in the statewide agreement unless the requirement is voluntary.
- Uniform statewide provider payment rate
- Uniform statewide Gold Seal rate
- Uniform statewide parent fee
- Developmental screening retained with addition of “appropriate referral process”
- Statewide pre/post assessment
- Severe limits on Quality Improvement investments
- Priority will now go to children from birth to entering kindergarten. Subsidized care for children ages 6 and older is only possible after all younger children are removed from the waitlist. Current school age children are” grandfathered” until they age out or the family becomes ineligible.
Several bills effecting VPK were introduced but none passed.
Funding for both School Readiness and VPK is flat…on the bright side we didn’t lose dollars.
The State Board of Education issued the VPK Readiness Rate threshold. The combination of the changes to the law last session and the requirement that 70% or more of VPK children be ready for school leaves Orange County with 161 low performing providers (though the designation is now referred to as “provider on probation” (POP). Coalition staff is awaiting clarity on how pre-assessments are to be done as part of preparation for a waiver request.
A number of individuals have been nominated for the vacant “private provider representative” seat on the Coalition Board of Directors. Each candidate will be invited to the April 19 provider meeting where they will each have an opportunity to speak to the group. The following week your election ballot will be mailed to all non-faith-based providers in Orange County and must be returned not later than June 1. The elected representative will be seated at the June Coalition meeting.
Coalition Board members Linda Landman Gonzalez (Orlando Magic) and Dr. Myrna Villanueza (Valencia College) and I will be interviewed by Local 6 award-winning anchor Lauren Rowe on FLASHPOINT to discuss how business leaders can support early learning efforts. This is an outgrowth of Lauren’s role as moderator of the Coalition’s 2nd Annual State of Early Education Summit. The segment aired April 1, 2012.
I will provide additional updates as they become available.
Sincerely,
Karen Willis
CEO Early Learning Coalition of Orange County