logo_edsource_sow4_v1-0-0Debra McMannis is the new managing director of the child development segmentation at the California Department of Didactics. The division has been without a leader since Camille Maben left in late 2022 to pb the statewide First 5 commission. In her new position McMannis will oversee the state's publicly funded preschool programme, the effort to marshal early babyhood programs with the Mutual Core standards and the growth of the state'southward newest grade, transitional kindergarten.

McMannis has been in early child care for more than 25 years and joined the country section later working as a teacher and administrator at the San Juan Unified Schoolhouse District, where she focused on early learning programs. She has worked with the land preschool program, the federal Head Start and Early on Head Start programs, and others, the education section said in a news release.

McMannis sat down with EdSource Today to discuss her goals to restore funding to early childhood programs, develop a quality rating system for preschools and participate in the national Preschool for All program proposed by President Barack Obama.

Excerpts of the interview are below.

Debra McMannis Credit: San Juan Unified School District

Debra McMannis. Credit: San Juan Unified Schoolhouse District

EdSource Today: What exercise yous meet every bit your main goal in your new function equally the child development partitioning director?

Debra McMannis: My goals are to focus on the Race to the Superlative (Early Learning Claiming) grant – that'south very heady work that'south happening. Another piece is focusing on aligning our systems with Common Core. (That will hateful) actually looking at a nascence-through-third-form system for California's children. That's always been a passion of mine. Likewise, the department has lost funding for California'southward children and preschool children over the past several years, so we want to restore that funding.

EdSource: Can you tell me a lilliputian flake more about the Race to the Acme Early on Learning Claiming grant? What's been done so far and what will be done this year?

McMannis: Race to the Top has many different components to it. One of the of import components is the quality rating improvement system. (We're) really looking at what quality programs look like and how we help programs go there. The (rating system) is going to provide a lot of information for parents then that they can choose quality programs for their children, and it's going to provide data for programs to know what they need to do to go quality programs.

EdSource: Will aligning the Common Core with early childhood programs mean you are irresolute the standards for the state preschool program?

McMannis: Nosotros accept babe/toddler foundations* and we have the preschool foundations. So nosotros're really aligning the systems for young children by looking at their growth and development so that they are ready for school and ready for kindergarten. That is also aligned with the Mutual Core Standards, so it fits nicely with what's happening and what's going to be happening with Mutual Cadre and kindergarten.

* EdSource note: "Foundations" are like to learning standards for older children.

EdSource: Are you optimistic that the child development programs volition get fully funded at some signal in the hereafter?

McMannis-2 McMannis: We have to be optimistic because we always have to exist looking ahead and working hard for what's best for children and families. Restoring funding is ever going to be key. (That ways) working with the Legislature and with the governor. I know information technology'southward important for (land Superintendent of Public Education Tom Torlakson). We've lost more than 165,000 preschool and early learning spots in California, and so those are children who are non getting early learning programs before kindergarten.

EdSource: President Barack Obama has proposed a federal grant program to expand state preschool. If that became a reality, would California exist interested in participating?

McMannis: We're looking forward to being able to employ for those grants at the federal level and then that we can increase admission for preschool children in California. We definitely want to exist function of the president'due south plan on that.

EdSource: Is at that place anything that you specifically bring to the role?

McMannis: The thing I'k most proud of is my experience out in the field. I did family child care, I was an baby/toddler teacher, I taught preschool and, well-nigh recently, I was an administrator. I want to bring that perspective to the department.

McMannis-1 EdSource: The public early childhood care system in California is a patchwork of a lot of different programs and a lot of dissimilar funding streams. What role do you see the state department of instruction having in pre-kindergarten care in California?

McMannis: The California Section of Education takes a leading role in bringing together all of those pieces so that nosotros have a comprehensive organisation and a system of selection for children and families in California. The superintendent has worked through advisory councils that bring all of these people together. We're all in communication, we're all working together and we're aligning our systems. We're working to accept a cohesive organisation.

Lillian Mongeau covers early on childhood education. Contact her and follow her @lrmongeau.

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