COVER PAGE

STRONGER TOGETHER: BUILDING ON PROGRESS ON EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION IN CALIFORNIA

Birth to Five Water Cooler Conference

October 2 – 3, 2017

Sheraton Grand Sacramento Hotel, Sacramento, California

INSIDE COVER PAGE

WELCOME Building on progress on early care and education in California

Advancement Project California, the California Department of Education and our early care and education partners welcome you to our Fall 2017 Birth to Five Water Cooler conference.

By uniting and working together, we can ensure that California’s diverse children ages 0-5 benefit from access to quality early learning opportunities. These early years are crucial to every child’s overall development and well-being. Throughout the conference, national, state, and local experts will share their experiences and insights on a variety of early education topics, the impact that they have on our children, and how California can most effectively contribute to policy change. Key areas of include:

Exploring the early care and education (ECE) policy landscape. Supporting the whole child from the start: elevating the developmental, health and learning

needs of California’s infants and toddlers and their families. Expanding the discussion of quality to reflect the diverse needs of our youngest learners,

including dual language learners. Strengthening ECE policy and advocacy with the voice of community and the lens of racial

equity. Building on ECE principles and pedagogy for greater birth-12 alignment that strengthens

instructional practices for students beyond preschool.

The two-day conference is designed as an opportunity for ECE stakeholders across the state – representing preschool, infant/toddler, child care, birth to five, P-16 and higher education, providers, administrators, parents, activists, advocates, philanthropists, and elected officials – and other early learning supporters to highlight successes, strategies, and promising practices that meaningfully improve the lives of young children and their families.

While this year marks the end of our 10 years of the annual Birth to Five Water Cooler conferences, it also marks a new beginning. In Spring of 2018, we will live in to the systems alignment between ECE and K-12 we aim to see in California by launching the Birth to 12 Water Cooler conference. We look forward to engaging with an expanded network of education leaders at the next stage of the Water Cooler.

Birth to Five Water Cooler Conference Agenda October 2-3, 2017

Day 1: October 2, 2017 • 4:45 PM—6:30 PM

2:00pm Registration and Networking

4:45pm – 5:05pm

Birth to Five Water Cooler Conference Reception

Welcome & Opening Remarks John Kim, Executive Director, Advancement Project California Camille Maben, Executive Director, First 5 California

5:05pm – 5:45pm

National Analysis of the State of ECE Access Rasheed Malik, Policy Analyst, Early Childhood Policy, Center for American Progress

5:45pm – 6:00pm Long-Term Strategies to Closing the Opportunity Gap The Honorable Tony Thurmond, California State Assemblymember

6:00pm – 6:30pm Networking

6:30pm Adjourn

Day 2: October 3, 2017 • 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM

8:00am – 8:30am

Registration & Continental Breakfast

8:30am – 8:45am Welcome Remarks Camille Maben, Executive Director, First 5 California Vickie Ramos Harris, Associate Director of Educational Equity, Education Policy,

Advancement Project California

8:50am – 9:50am

Early Childhood Education Policy LandscapeIntroduction: Khydeeja Alam Javid, Director of Government Relations, Advancement Project California Facilitator: Karla Pleitéz Howell, Director of Educational Equity, Advancement Project California Amy Matsui, Senior Counsel and Director of Government Relations, National Women's

Law Center Sarah Neville-Morgan, Director, Early Education and Support Division, California

Department of Education (CDE) Lola M. Cornish, Co-Director of Public Policy and Membership Engagement, California

Child Care Resource & Referral Network Xilonin Cruz-Gonzalez, Board Vice-President, Azusa Unified School District

9:50am – 10:05am Break

10:05am – 11:15am

Addressing the Needs of Our Youngest LearnersIntroduction: Peter Barth, Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs, First 5 LA Facilitator: Ted Lempert, President, Children Now Michele Sartell, Child Care Planning Coordinator, County of Los Angeles Office for the

Advancement of Early Care and Education Anthony Tyson, CPAC Coordinator, San Francisco Child Care Planning & Advisory Council Matilda Soria, Coordinator, Early Care & Education, Office of Fresno County

Superintendent of Schools Christina Nigrelli, Senior Director of Programs, Zero-To-Three Sarah Soriano, Executive Director, Young Horizons

11:15am – 11:30am Break

11:30am – 12:00pm

Community Voice in Policy Initiatives Facilitator: Ernesto L. Saldaña, Associate Director of Education Programs, Advancement Project California Dr. Rigoberto Rodriguez, Governing Board Member, Santa Ana Unified School District

12:00pm – 12:15pm Break

12:15pm – 1:20pm Lunch Keynote: Paving the Way for a More Inclusive Street: Connecting the Power of Race, Culture and Language to ECE Introduction: Kenji Treanor, Director of Strategic Grantmaking, Sobrato Family Foundation Sonia Manzano, Actress and Author, "Maria" on Sesame Street

1:20pm – 2:25pm

Providing Quality ECE to Dual Language LearnersIntroduction: Camille Maben, Executive Director, First 5 CaliforniaFacilitator: Vickie Ramos Harris, Associate Director of Educational Equity, Education Policy, Advancement Project California Dr. Marlene Zepeda, Professor Emeritus, Department of Child and Family Studies,

California State University, Los Angeles Lupe Jaime, Commissioner, First 5 California & Director of Early Care and Education,

Fresno County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Carola Oliva Olson, Assistant Professor of Education, Early Childhood Studies,

California State University, Channel Islands Chhandasi Pandya Patel, Program Officer, Education and Human Rights, Heising-Simons

Foundation

2:25pm – 2:40pm Break

2:40pm – 3:45pm Building the Foundation for a Birth to 12 SystemFacilitator: Deepa Fernandes, Early Childhood Development Correspondent, KPCC The Honorable Kevin McCarty, California State Assemblymember Scott Moore, Executive Director, Kidango Kim Pattillo Brownson, Vice President of Policy and Strategy, First 5 Los Angeles Edgar Zazueta, Senior Director of Policy and Governmental Relations, Association of

California School Administrators CTA Representative - TBD

3:45pm – 4:00pm Closing Remarks Karla Pleitéz Howell, Director of Educational Equity, Advancement Project California

4:00 pm Adjourn

The Birth to Five Water Cooler Conference organizers have adopted a "no solicitation" policy so that funders can fully engage and reflect on the key topics in the meeting. Please refrain from pitching funding ideas or using small group or Q&A time to engage in solicitation.

SPEAKERS

Khydeeja Alam Javid, Director of Governmental Relations, Advancement Project California As the Director of Governmental Relations, Khydeeja leads Advancement Project California's (APCA) statewide advocacy efforts. In her capacity, she develops and maintains relationships with elected officials, statewide agencies, Governor’s office and their staffs. She influences statewide policy and advocates for issues related to state budget, early care/education, K-12 education, health care, and civic engagement. Khydeeja has helped secure over half a billion dollars for early care and education programs for our state’s most vulnerable children, including leading an effort to ensure that all eligible children have an equal opportunity to access high quality preschool programs regardless of where they live. In the past, Khydeeja has worked on some major transforming state laws, including the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), Transitional Kindergarten, the California Dream Act and the College Readiness Block Grant. Khydeeja has been with APCA since 2008. Prior to joining Advancement Project, Khydeeja worked for the California State Legislature and a lobbying firm dedicated to K-12 education policy. She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley.

Peter Barth, Director of Public Policy and Governmental Affairs, First 5 LAAt First 5 LA, Peter leads a team working to advance policies on behalf of young children and their families, and coordinates grantmaking activities which strengthen the early childhood advocacy field in California. Projects include the Early Care and Education Policy Advocacy Fund and the state coalitions for Early Care and Education and Home Visiting. Peter joined First 5 LA in 2015 from Third Sector Capital Partners, a national nonprofit organization working to accelerate America’s transition to a performance-driven social sector. As a Director at Third Sector, Peter worked with high performing nonprofit service providers, private and philanthropic funders, and government leaders to develop data-driven projects focused on improving outcomes in health, education, criminal justice, foster care, and workforce development. Prior to Third Sector, Peter served as Assistant Secretary for Program and Fiscal Affairs at the California Health and Human Services Agency, appointed by then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and reconfirmed by Governor Jerry Brown. Peter coordinated the efforts of state departments including Public Health, Mental Health, Developmental Services, Community Services and Development, and Statewide Health Planning and Development. Peter received a Master’s degree in Public Policy from Harvard, a Bachelor’s Degree in Policy, Management, and Planning from the University of Southern California, and completed fellowships with the California Capital Fellows Program, Academy of Business Leadership, and American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research.

Lola Cornish, Co-Director of Public Policy and Membership Engagement, California Child Care Resource & Referral NetworkLola Cornish has been with the California Child Care Resource & Referral Network as the Director of Member Services since June 1, 2015. Lola has spent the past fourteen years with the Resource & Referral Network in Napa County, has served on numerous Network committees, and most recently served as the Bay Area Regional Vice President on the Network Board of Directors. Lola holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education and is a passionate advocate for children and those who care for them. She is a long-time member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Lola lives in Sacramento and has three daughters. She enjoys being involved in her community and volunteers for a variety of causes.

Xilonin Cruz-Gonzalez, Board Vice-President, Azusa Unified School DistrictXilonin Cruz-Gonzalez is Board Vice-President of the Azusa Unified School District Board of Education. In her fifteenth year as a school board member, she believes strongly that the economic success of our country will only truly be achieved through educational equity, and that belief drives her educational advocacy work. Xilonin currently works for Californians Together, directing a project entitled ‘Support for Immigrant and Refugee Students’. She also serves on the CSBA Board of Directors, representing the greater San Gabriel Valley. In the past, Xilonin has served as President of Californians Together and President of the California Latino School Boards Association. She has served on a variety of national and state nonprofit boards, including the National Association of Latino Elected Officials, Education Trust-West Allies for Equity, and Opportunity Action. She has extensive experience in the development of local, state and federal education policy with a focus on connecting policy to successful local implementation.

Deepa Fernandes, Early Childhood Development Correspondent, KPCC Deepa Fernandes is an award-winning journalist who has covered guerrilla insurgencies, natural disasters and political coups in countries from Haiti to East Timor. She currently covers global stories of children, women, immigrants and the environment for PRI's The World. Most recently she was the Early Childhood Development Correspondent for KPCC. Prior to Southern California Public Radio, Deepa founded and ran a national non-profit that aimed to diversify the ranks of journalism by training new reporters in communities of color, and she was a Knight Journalism Fellow at Stanford in 2012. She has an MA from Columbia University. In June 2017, the Los Angeles Press Club awarded Deepa "Radio Journalist of the year."

Lupe Jaime, Commissioner, First 5 California & Director of Early Care and Education, Fresno County Superintendent of SchoolsAs Director of Early Care and Education at Fresno County Superintendents of Schools, Lupe Jaime oversees early learning programs and initiatives, including the Child Care and Development Local Planning Council; Early Stars Quality Rating which includes IMPACTS and QRIS Block grants, Workforce Support programs, such as AB212 and the California Transitional Kindergarten Stipend Program and Lighthouse for Children Child Development Center. Prior to this position, she was Deputy Director of Central Valley Children’s Services Network and managed the Resource & Referral, Subsidized Childcare, and First 5 Fresno County contracts. She also served as an Infant & Toddler Specialist Trainer for WestEd, and a Child Development adjunct instructor at Willow International College and Fresno State University. She serves as a member of the Fresno County Child Care & Development LPC and co-chair of the California State University- Central Valley Bilingual Dual Language Consortium. She was a Board Member for the California Childcare Resources and Referral Network and the California Child Development Administrators Association. She holds a Professional Clear Multiple-Subject Teaching Credential and Child Development Director’s Permit, and earned a Master’s degree in Education and a post graduate certificate in Infant Family Mental Health from the University of Massachusetts, Boston. Currently, she is pursuing her Doctorate in Educational Leadership at Fresno State University.

John Kim, Executive Director, Advancement Project CaliforniaSince joining Advancement Project in 2002, John has been lifting up the voice and needs of low-income communities of color to transform systems and expand opportunity for all. Through coalition building and by utilizing innovative tools and strategies, he has helped redirect hundreds of millions of public and private dollars to the most underserved communities. He has developed advocacy and research initiatives on issues such as community health, redistricting, community engagement, voting rights, early care and education, and public finance. Under his leadership, many of these initiatives have transformed the way that large public institutions allocate funding and provide programs and services to the most underserved communities. John has a long track record as a coalition-builder and facilitator of multi-stakeholder collaborations, and has established a wide-range of partnerships with community-based organizations, elected officials, governmental agencies, academic researchers, and foundations across the state. Prior to joining Advancement Project, John started his community-building work as an activist, organizer, and cultural artist in the Bay Area. In 1999, he became the Executive Director of the Korean Community Center of the East Bay, where he was instrumental in launching new programs in the areas of domestic abuse, community development, and community organizing.

Ted Lempert, President, Children NowTed Lempert is President of Children Now and lecturer in the Political Science Department at UC Berkeley. Previously, he was the founding CEO of EdVoice and a California State Assembly member for four terms representing Silicon Valley. He served as chair of the Assembly Higher Education Committee and co-chair of the Joint Committee to Develop a Master Plan for Education. He had more than 75 bills signed into law, including major education, health care, children and family, and environmental policies. Mr. Lempert also served on the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, where he was the founder of the County’s Youth Commission and chaired the Task Force on Violence Against Women, and the San Mateo County Board of Education. Prior to holding public office, he was special counsel and an associate for the law firm of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter and Hampton. Mr. Lempert received the “Al Rodda Lifetime Service Award”; was named “Legislator of the Year” by leading education groups; and was recognized five times with the “High-Tech Legislator of the Year” award. He graduated from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and earned his law degree from Stanford University.

Sonia Manzano, Actress and Author, "Maria" on Sesame StreetFor over 30 years, Sonia Manzano inspired, educated, and delighted children and families as "Maria" on Sesame Street. Named among the “25 Greatest Latino Role Models Ever” by Latina Magazine, Manzano broke ground as one of the first Hispanic characters on national television. Throughout her career, she has continued to contribute to enriching diversity on television, on stage, and in the educational realm. A first generation American of Latin descent, Manzano’s tale is one of perseverance and courage as she overcame countless obstacles to become one of the most influential Latinas in television. An award-winning television writer and children’s book author, Manzano is a master storyteller. She won 15 Emmys as part of the Sesame Street writing team, and wrote for the Peabody Award-winning children's series Little Bill. Continuing to inspire children off screen, Manzano’s children’s book, No Dogs Allowed, was selected by the General Mills initiative "Spoonfuls of Stories" to become a children’s musical to encourage childhood literacy. Manzano has also written a parenting column for the Sesame Workshop website called “Talking Out Loud” and is an advisor for literary NY institution Symphony Space. A staunch advocate for education, Manzano shares her extraordinary talent to help children to succeed.

Camille Maben, Executive Director, First 5 CaliforniaAs Executive Director of First 5 California, Camille Maben is responsible for staffing the California Children and Families Commission, in addition to directing the work of the agency and its staff. Through her leadership, First 5 California is implementing evidence-based and results-driven Signature Programs targeted to children, parents, and teachers that focus on quality. Prior to First 5 California, Camille served as the Division Director of the Child Development Division at the California Department of Education. She provided leadership and oversight to over 700 early care and education contractors with a $1.7 billion dollar budget. She served as Co-Chair of the State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care, and helped win and implement the $52.6 million federal Race to the Top – Early Learning Challenge Grant. She was previously appointed by the Governor to serve as Chief of Staff for the Office of the Secretary of Education. She worked closely with the Secretary on the coordination and development of the Governor's education policy agenda. Camille also served as the Superintendent's representative to the California Interscholastic Federation, as Senior Advisor to former State Superintendent Delaine Eastin, and worked as a consultant to the Assembly Education Committee.

Rasheed MalikRasheed Malik is a policy analyst for Early Childhood Policy at the Center for American Progress, in Washington, D.C. There his research is focused on child care infrastructure and supply, the economic benefits of child care, and the disparate impacts of early childhood policy. Since joining CAP, his research has been covered by The Washington Post, Slate, ThinkProgress, NPR, Chicago Tribune, and CityLab. Malik earned his Master of Public Policy from the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan, with a concentration in Policy Analysis and Family and Child Policy. Prior to graduate school, Malik was a government affairs and communications associate for the Waterfront Alliance, an environmental justice non-profit with the goal of making the New York Harbor a shared, resilient, and accessible resource for all New Yorkers. He lives in Arlington, VA, with his wife and two young children.

Amy Matsui, Senior Counsel and Director of Government Relations, National Women’s Law CenterAmy K. Matsui is Senior Counsel and Director of Government Relations at the National Women’s Law Center. She works on economic issues affecting low- and moderate-income women and families, with special emphasis on federal and state tax policy and child care policy. Her work comprises policy analysis, federal advocacy, and public education and outreach. She also directs the Center’s advocacy efforts around federal judicial nominations and diversity in the federal judiciary. Ms. Matsui has worked at the Center since 2002. Prior to joining the Center, Ms. Matsui practiced commercial law in the private sector. She clerked for the Honorable Carolyn Dineen King, then-Chief Judge of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, in 2000. She is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, and Stanford Law School.

The Honorable Kevin McCarty, California State Assemblymember Kevin McCarty was elected to the California State Assembly in 2014 to represent the 7thAssembly District, which includes Sacramento, West Sacramento and parts of unincorporatedSacramento County. McCarty currently Chairs the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance, which oversees the largest component of California’s multi-billion dollar budget. As Chair, McCarty made historic investments in public education – from Pre-K to K-12 schools to higher education. A lifelong Sacramentan, McCarty began his public service career as a Member of theSacramento City Council from 2004 to 2014. McCarty earned a B.A. in Political Science fromCSU, Long Beach and a M.A. in Public Policy and Administration from CSU, Sacramento.McCarty and his wife live in the historic Elmhurst neighborhood of Sacramento with their twin daughters.

Scott Moore, Executive Director, KidangoScott brings over 20 years of education policy and management experience to Kidango. As Chief Policy Advisor for Early Edge California, he helped lead the expansion of preschool access to over 170,000 children each year through the establishment of the new Transitional Kindergarten grade and the consolidation of existing preschool programs into the new California State Preschool Program. In 2014, Scott served as a Senior Fellow at the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley. In 2011, he was appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to be Executive Director of the California Early Learning Advisory Council. Scott was also the former Director of Early Education at Kidango, where he led program operations, and co-founder of a private Montessori school in Oakland. Scott received his BA in Political Science from UCLA, his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern, and has taken early childhood education courses at Pacific Oaks College.

Sarah Neville-Morgan, Director, Early Education and Support Division, California Department of EducationSarah oversees a division that provides leadership and support to the early learning and care community, providers, and contractors statewide, ensuring high-quality early education programs for young children and their families. Part of her responsibilities includes providing leadership and oversight to over 700 early care and education contractors and managing statewide quality improvement projects. Sarah most recently served as Deputy Director of Program Management at First 5 California where she managed a team and investments focused on closing the achievement gap, supporting quality early learning across the continuum of care settings as part of CA-QRIS, and launching a Dual Language Learner Pilot. Sarah was a key author of California’s successful Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge application and helped lead the implementation of the grant. She previously worked at the CDE as a Child Development Consultant in the Policy Office and also worked as the Deputy Executive Director of the California Early Learning Council and as an Academic Child Development Specialist at the UC Davis Center for Child and Family Studies. In her earlier career, she worked at a child care resource and referral agency, as adjunct faculty for a Foster Care Education Program, and as a Program for Infant/Toddler Care trainer consulting with the Yolo County Teen Parent Centers.

Christina Nigrelli, Senior Director of Programs, Zero-To-ThreeMs. Nigrelli has worked in the early care and education field for over 25 years. She has extensive experience in local and statewide workforce development including teaching higher education in Child Development and Family Studies as well as Early Childhood. Ms. Nigrelli began her career as an Infant and Toddler Specialist for a privately funded child care program in Irvine, California. As Senior Director of Programs, Ms. Nigrelli has helped to oversee the Prenatal to Age Five Cross Sector Core Competencies Project and parent engagement activities. She received a B.A. in Child Development and Family Studies as well as an M.A. in Early Childhood Education from California State University, Long Beach and an Ed. S. in Early Childhood Education from Walden University. Ms. Nigrelli is most proud of her continued support for the Health and Well Being of all children and families.

Carola Oliva Olson, Associate Professor at California State University Channel IslandsDr. Oliva has extensive local, state and national experience working with Spanish-speaking dual language learners and their families, teachers, administrators and policy leaders. This work includes preparing early care and education teachers to effectively work with children and their families from birth to age eight. Dr. Oliva prepares undergraduate students who are underrepresented minorities and first-generation students, to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in Early Childhood Studies at California State University Channel Islands. Dr. Oliva is a fellow on several Hispanic Serving Institution short-term grants to explore pathways and strategies to eradicate some of the barriers experienced by local transfer students. In addition, Dr. Oliva is an early scholar for a national award from the Foundation for Child Development to analyze the relative significance of three measures of classroom quality, two classroom language models, and initial language performance in predicting language outcomes for preschool Head Start and Migrant Head Start dual language learners. She is a member of the First 5 Santa Barbara Ventura Commissions, and is a member of the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing Early Childhood Advisory Group. Dr. Oliva-Olson is a bilingual former toddler, preschool, kindergarten, first and second grade teacher and coach.

Chhandasi Pandya Patel, Program Officer, Education and Human Rights, Heising-Simons FoundationChhandasi Pandya Patel is a program officer at the Heising-Simons Foundation, where she focuses on child policy and on immigrant communities, including young children of immigrants, and undocumented communities. Her prior experience includes demographic and policy research on immigrant issues at the Migration Policy Institute and federal program evaluation at the U.S. Government Accountability Office. She earned a master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University and completed her undergraduate work in journalism and economics at the University of Maryland, College Park. Chhandasi joined the Heising-Simons Foundation in 2013.

Kim Pattillo Brownson, Vice President of Policy and Strategy, First 5 Los AngelesAs the Vice President for Policy and Strategy, Kim Pattillo Brownson is responsible for strengthening First 5 LA’s profile and influence on local and statewide early childhood policy, legislative and advocacy efforts. In addition to leading partnership strategies with local, state and federal policy makers, Kim ensures First 5 LA’s external strategic relationships, public policy and government affairs, and communications and marketing efforts are integrated to expand early opportunities for all of LA County’s children and families. Kim previously served as the Managing Director of Policy and Advocacy at the Advancement Project, and provided strategic direction to their work on early education, school funding, and school facilities, public budgeting transparency, governmental relations, and state and local campaign advocacy. Prior to this position, Kim was an education attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, where she focused on educational equity issues in California schools. She also worked in private sector litigation at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. Kim began her legal career as a law clerk to the Honorable Dolores Sloviter on the Third Circuit Court of Appeal, and the Honorable Louis H. Pollak in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Prior to law school, Kim worked at the Boston Consulting Group. Kim earned a Doctor of Law degree from Yale Law School and graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Studies.

Karla Pleitéz Howell, Director of Educational Equity, Advancement Project CaliforniaKarla Pleitéz Howell is a public interest lawyer with experience in direct client services, systems change, and advocacy. She is currently the Director of the Advancement Project’s Education team and is responsible for managing operations. In addition, Karla works with key stakeholders to identify education priorities to assure equity in California’s education system. Prior to joining the Advancement Project, Karla was the Supervising Attorney for Public Counsel’s Early Care & Education Law Unit. She offered legal advice to small businesses and nonprofits; advocated for increased child care facilities throughout Los Angeles County; and led policy work in the Southeast cities to increase green space and educational opportunities for young children. Karla also worked as the Directing Attorney for El Rescate Legal Services, a nonprofit focused on assisting families with immigration legal issues. Karla began her legal career as a law clerk for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Karla attended UCLA as an undergraduate and holds a J.D. from U.C. Hastings.

Vickie Ramos Harris, Associate Director of Education Policy, Advancement Project CaliforniaVickie Ramos Harris serves as Associate Director of Education Policy for Advancement Project, leading early childhood policy and advocacy in Los Angeles and across California. She works to increase education equity in the public education system, including supporting the diverse needs of our English Learners and communities of color. Vickie brings a “community-based policy making” lens to her education equity and social justice work in early childhood, K-12, and English Learner education and has served the communities of Boston, New York City, Los Angeles, and engaged in statewide efforts in California. Prior to Advancement Project, Vickie served as Chief of Staff to LAUSD Board Vice-President Yolie Flores, and as State Policy Director at Early Edge California engaging in local, state, and federal advocacy in early care and education. Vickie’s prior work includes research, curriculum and program design, professional development, family and community engagement, and after school and summer programs with the Boyle Heights Learning Collaborative, Families In Schools, Upward Bound, Children’s Aid Society, and the Carrera Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program. Vickie holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Pomona College, and a master’s degree from Harvard University Graduate School of Education, and serves as Board President of the Children’s Collabrium. She is a Fellow with the English Learner Leadership & Legacy Initiative, a Californians Together project in collaboration with the California Association of Bilingual Education.

Rigoberto Rodriguez, Ph.D., Governing Board Member, Santa Ana Unified School DistrictDr. Rigo Rodríguez is a Governing Board Member of the Santa Ana Unified School District, driven by a deep passion for improving early learning outcomes in the seventh largest school district in California. He is an Associate Professor of Latina/o Public Policy in the Department of Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies at California State University, Long Beach, and a nationally recognized expert in community planning, action research, and grassroots leadership development. Born in Salinas, California, as the youngest of thirteen of a Mexican farmworker family, Dr. Rodríguez graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Comparative Literature and Spanish Literature from the University of California, Irvine. He went on to earn his Master’s Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of California, Irvine, and his Ph.D. in Geography at the University of Southern California.

Ernesto L. Saldaña, Associate Director of Programs, Educational EquityErnesto serves as the Associate Director of Programs for Educational Equity. His primary responsibilities are to oversee the organization’s first effort in leadership and advocacy in community mobilization and advocacy for parents with children ages 0-8 and supporting the team’s education policy advocacy. Prior to Advancement Project, he served as Vice President of Partnerships and Local Engagement for Early Edge California, where he led the state field campaign to establish transitional kindergarten. He also served as the executive director for Public Allies Los Angeles where he worked to develop the next generation of non-profit leaders through a social justice framework. Ernesto also led the national communications strategies for the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund, the leading organization that trains the nation’s top Latina/o leaders. He also served as a diversity consultant and adjunct lecturer advancing social justice and promoting increased assets-based, culturally responsive leadership development with communities of color. He earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from California State University, Fullerton and juris doctorate from Whittier College School of Law. Ernesto is a proud son of Mexican Bracero farm worker parents who was born and raised in Santa Ana, California.

Michele P. Sartell, Child Care Planning Coordinator, Los Angeles County Office for the Advancement of Early Care and EducationMs. Sartell joined the Los Angeles County Office for the Advancement of Early Care and Education (ECE) to work with ECE stakeholders on developing strategies to meet the needs of children at risk for or with developmental disabilities and/or other special needs. Her responsibilities include identifying, tracking and responding to state and administrative policy proposals impacting the field of ECE, on behalf of the Policy Roundtable for Child Care and Development and Child Care Planning Committee. In July 2013, Ms. Sartell began serving as staff to the Planning Committee, facilitating the work of 50 members to conduct data collection, analyses, and strategic planning with the aim of improving the overall ECE infrastructure of the County of Los Angeles, including the quality, continuity, affordability, and accessibility of ECE services for all families. Prior to this role, Ms. Sartell was the Child Care Coordinator for the City of Long Beach. Ms. Sartell convened local stakeholders to engage in the development and implementation of a community plan for shaping the ECE system in Long Beach. Ms. Sartell has a nearly 40 year history working with and on behalf of children, youth and families, including over 20 years in the private, non-profit sector. Ms. Sartell earned a Master of Social Work from the University of Southern California and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Hamline University located in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Matilda Soria, Coordinator, Early Care & Education, Office of Fresno County Superintendent of SchoolsDr. Matilda Soria was born and raised in Fresno, CA. Matilda has earned a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Psychology and a Minor degree in Ethnic Studies from California State University, Fresno; a Master’s degree in Human Development and Psychology, with a specialization in Risk and Prevention from Harvard University; and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from California State University, Fresno. Matilda serves as an Early Care and Education Coordinator of Fresno County Superintendent of Schools, wherein she leads the Fresno County Child Care & Development Local Planning Council (LPC). She also serves as an Adjunct Professor at California State University-Fresno in the Kremen School of Education. Matilda has extensive experience conducting scientific and behavioral research among ethnic and at-risk populations, as well as in the development, management, and evaluation of educational and social service programs for children and families. She serves on the Evaluation and Research Advisory Committee of California Department of Education’s After School Division; the Fresno City College Child Development Department Advisory Committee; the California State University-Fresno Institutional Research Review Board; and Events Committee Co-Chair of the California Child Development Administrators Association (CCDAA). She also serves as Associate Editor of the Journal of Expanded Learning Opportunities (JELO) and as a Board Member for non-profit, Fresno Metro Ministries.

Sarah Soriano, Executive Director, Young HorizonsMs. Sarah Soriano is a passionate advocate for early education. She serves as Executive Director for Young Horizons, an early education organization in Long Beach. For the past 15 years she has overseen the overall management of Young Horizons and led the organization in fulfilling its philosophy, mission, strategy, and annual goals and objectives. Ms. Soriano is highly knowledgeable regarding early childhood education and is very active in the community, serving on several boards. In addition to leading Young Horizons, she is a member of the Long Beach Early Childhood Education committee and serves as the Co-Chair of the Kindergarten Festival Committee. In 2012, Ms. Soriano was appointed as the Fourth District Representative to the L.A. County Child Care Planning Committee and served as Chair from 2015-2017. She is a member of the California Child Development Administrators Association and serves as their Southern Section President.

The Honorable Tony Thurmond, California State AssemblymemberAssemblymember Tony Thurmond represents California’s 15th Assembly District which includes the East Bay communities that stretch along the I-80 corridor from Hercules to Oakland. He serves as Chair of the Assembly Committee on Labor and Employment and a member of the Assembly Committees on Education, Health, Human Services, and Water, Parks and Wildlife. The Assemblymember was also appointed to Chair the Assembly Select Committee on STEM Education. Prior to his election to the Assembly, he served on the Richmond City Council from 2005 to 2008, the West Contra Costa Unified School District from 2008 to 2012 and served as Senior Director of Community and Government Relations at Lincoln Child Center. A Fellow in the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Children and Family Fellowship program, Assemblymember Thurmond is a graduate and former student body president of Temple University. Assemblymember Thurmond did his graduate work at Bryn Mawr College (Bryn Mawr, PA) where he received dual Masters Degrees in Law and Social Policy and Social Work. He lives in Richmond, California.

Kenji Treanor, Director of Strategic Grantmaking, Sobrato Family FoundationKenji Treanor leads all of SFF’s grantmaking, including the strategic portfolios in the 21st Century Education and the Pathways to Success programs, as well as the General Operating Support grants. His responsibilities include strategy development, program design, grantee and project identification, proposal review, funding recommendations, impact evaluation, supervision of program staff, and representing Sobrato to other funders and partners. Mr. Treanor joined SFF as Senior Program Officer in 2013, focused on education, with his role expanding in 2015 to encompass all of the foundation’s funding programs. In addition to grantmaking, Mr. Treanor also provides strategic leadership and holds top-line management responsibility for the Sobrato Early Academic Language (SEAL) initiative, including creating and directing SEAL’s scaling plan, and supervising senior SEAL staff. Prior to SFF, Mr. Treanor served nine years at the James Irvine Foundation, most recently as Program Officer, managing grants to build college and career pathways in low-income communities across California. He is also co-founder and board chair of Next Generation Scholars, an educational nonprofit that serves disadvantaged youth and families in Marin County. Mr. Treanor received his Master’s in Public Administration from the University of San Francisco and holds a BA in American Studies, with emphasis in Ethnic Studies and Socio-Political Analysis, from UC Santa Cruz.

Anthony Tyson, CPAC Coordinator, San Francisco Child Care Planning & Advisory CouncilTony Tyson is the Child Care Planning & Advisory Council (CPAC) Coordinator at the San Francisco Office of Early Care and Education (OECE). Tony received a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Bowling Green State University in 2000 and immediately began facilitating environmental and experiential education programs for low-income urban youth. This experience sparked his passion for improving the lives of children, youth and families and has led to a 16+ year career providing leadership at non-profit organizations. Tony relocated to San Francisco in 2008 and joined the leadership team at Telegraph Hill Neighborhood Center (TEL HI) as the Director of Programs. While there, Tony provided the leadership for all child and youth development programs ages birth-12 years old. His biggest accomplishments at TEL HI were improved program quality and increased funding; allowing the organization to serve twice as many low-income children who did not have access to high quality early care and education programs. Tony brings his passion for identifying and addressing the needs of children, youth and families to CPAC, OECE, and serves on the California Child Care Coordinators Association (CCCCA) as Co-Chair of the Legislation and Public Policy Committee.

Edgar Zazueta, Senior Director of Policy and Governmental Relations, Association of California School AdministratorsEdgar Zazueta currently serves as the Senior Director of Policy and Government Relations for the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA). In this role, he oversees the advocacy efforts in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. on behalf of the largest umbrella administrator organization in the United States. Prior to joining ACSA in 2015, Zazueta served as the Chief of External Affairs for Los Angeles Unified School District. In this capacity, Zazueta represented the superintendent and board of education before community organizations and led legislative advocacy at the federal, state, and local levels. Prior, Zazueta worked as a legislative consultant for state Senator Denise Moreno Ducheny, where he provided advice on K-12 education, higher education and numerous other state budget-related issues. As a Hispanic Caucus Institute Fellow in 2002, he worked for the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans and developed an advisory report on the status of Hispanic education in the United States. A native of Southern California, Zazueta received his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from California State University, Fullerton and a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Southern California. Zazueta is currently an education doctoral candidate at the Rossier School of Education at USC.

Dr. Marlene Zepeda, Professor Emeritus, Department of Child and Family Studies, California State University, Los AngelesDr. Zepeda’s scholarship focuses on dual language learning in Spanish speaking preschool children and child development in Latino infants and toddlers. For the California State Department of Education, she led a group of national experts in the development of California’s Early Learning Foundations for English Language Development for 3 and 4 year olds – the first effort of its kind in the nation – and contributed to a series of research papers and video material associated with California’s Best Practices for dual language learners (DLLs). She authored publications focused on the development of DLLs, including a set of teacher competencies for DLLs, and contributed a commissioned paper focused on workforce development for the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine's report entitled, Promoting the Educational Success of Children and Youth Learning English: Promising Futures. She is currently developing a Policy Roadmap for Young DLLs in California for the Heising-Simons Foundation and is a contributing writer to California's Infant-Toddler Guidelines (2nd Edition). Dr. Zepeda is a member of the Campaign for Quality Early Education, a California advocacy group that lobbies on behalf of DLLs and is a member of Los Angeles First 5 Commission. She received her BA in Child Development from California State University, Los Angeles and MA and Ph.D. in Developmental Studies and Early Childhood Education from the University of California, Los Angeles.

PHOTO AND BIO FROM CTA REPRESENTATIVE – To be confirmed

THANK YOU!We are grateful to our partners and presenters who have generously contributed their time to ensure the success of the Birth to Five Water Cooler conference. The pursuit of a caring, inclusive, and just system of early learning is made stronger by their collective guidance.