Call for sustained funding for California’s UPK program

This fall, California achieved something extraordinary: full implementation of universal prekindergarten (UPK) through a mixed-delivery system that includes transitional kindergarten for all 4-year-olds among a variety of options available to families. According to Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has championed this historic endeavor, this milestone means “every 4-year-old in California, from here on out, can start their schooling on the right track, setting them up for success further down the road.” 

As someone who works closely with educators, families and school districts across Los Angeles County, I see every day how transformative this opportunity can be. We know from decades of research that children who participate in high-quality early education arrive in kindergarten more confident and prepared. They are less likely to be chronically absent or held back, more likely to graduate from high school and attend college, and more likely to be in good health as adults. UPK is a long-term investment that pays dividends across a lifetime. 

Full implementation of universal prekindergarten is a great cause for celebration, but our work is by no means complete. The rapid ramp-up is behind us; statewide transitional kindergarten enrollment is expected to reach 229,000 students in 2025-26, more than triple what it was just five years ago. But the work of educating a much larger, and younger, group of children remains before us. Now we must ensure that this historic expansion has the support, quality and workforce needed to endure.  

I believe that we must always talk to the people most affected by the work. A recent report from UC Berkeley, “Building the Plane While Flying It: California Transitional Kindergarten Teachers’ Experiences of TK Expansion,” amplifies the voices of those most affected: teachers of 4-year-olds, a group that has rapidly expanded in a few short years. Their responses in surveys and focus groups highlight ongoing needs that include 1) professional development for school administrators on developmentally appropriate practice for 4-year-olds, 2) clear curriculum resources and adequate support for teachers, and 3) affordable and time-efficient pathways to build the workforce. 

With great foresight, Newsom and the Legislature tasked these priorities to county offices of education, as we are well-positioned to support educators and administrators in our respective counties, and provided the Universal PreKindergarten Planning and Implementation and Early Education Teacher Development grants to support this critical work. 

Through these grants, the Los Angeles County Office of Education has convened quarterly institutes and communities of practice for educators and administrators, equipped model classrooms to demonstrate best practices and delivered tailored professional development, site-based technical assistance, coaching and high-quality classroom materials. We have also expanded the early education workforce by bringing more than 100 new educators into classrooms through compensated apprenticeships, and — building on earlier work with UCLA — are actively partnering with West L.A. College and East L.A. College to support more than 200 aspiring educators as they earn the qualifications to teach in transitional kindergarten and preschool. 

These efforts are strengthening classrooms today and shaping the workforce our state will rely on for years to come. But they are also at risk. No new funding has been allocated in more than three years, and the remaining dollars in the Planning and Implementation and Teacher Development grants will soon dry up. Without dedicated, ongoing support, teachers, administrators and communities will lose access to the training and expertise that have been essential to success.  

That’s why the Los Angeles County Office of Education and our partners from across the state are calling on the governor and the Legislature to strengthen and reinforce this vital program for the long term. Sustained annual funding, starting with the 2026-27 state budget, will allow county offices to continue supporting UPK implementation throughout the mixed-delivery system of school districts, charters and early learning providers. 

We have come too far to let this transformational initiative stall. California’s youngest learners deserve more than access; they deserve quality, consistency and the skilled educators who make early learning meaningful. 

The state made a bold commitment when it promised universal access to early education. Now it must ensure that commitment lasts. Our children’s future cannot wait. 

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Debra Duardo, M.S.W., Ed.D., is the Los Angeles County superintendent of schools. 

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