Getting to Know You

Preliminary report on input from Alameda County Early Care and Education Council

Steering Committee

July 18, 2014

Purposes of the Survey

• Input on direction and topics the Planning Council should explore

• Input from Council members on their needs, wishes, and questions

• Input on Council members contributions to the Council

• Assist Council and staff in planning for future

Timeline and Current Response

• May and June – surveys emailed and returned

• July – phone interviews and preliminary analysis

• July – August – finish interviews and final data compilation/analysis

• As of today, we have 19 responses (almost 2/3’s of Steering Committee)

• Will continue soliciting responses through July

A Few Findings

• We asked 13 questions; not all respondents answered all; some more than once

• Questions focused on why, what, and how

• Following slides show top responses on:• What are important topics for Council over next two years, and what

cross-domain work should we do

• Ways to pursue that work

• What would you like to learn from the Council and contribute to work of the Council

Areas of Importance – Next Two YearsCross Domain Work

• Public policy, legislation, advocacy

• Improving quality in all programs/who is defining quality

• ECE professional development

• Work with Social Services, health (including toxic stress, neighborhoods and housing)

• Work with higher education

• Work with public schools (e.g. align learning standards) and Licensing

• Work with economic development and family stabilization

How Best to Conduct Council Work

• Committees and short term workgroups/taskforces

• Continue CLASS, QRIS, and other professional development efforts

• Roundtable discussions on all services in order to collaborate and find better services for families; help people think outside the “bucket syndrome”

• Change meeting times; post minutes from previous meetings; post agenda for new meetings; encourage every agency to send a representative

• Narrow down choices, develop goals and action steps

• Plant seeds

What Do You Want to Learn From the Council

• Policy and funding 101: use charts and other visuals as well as text; include current policy issues, and how the puzzle works (17 requests)

• How to be a better advocate; how to make a difference; how to find out if we made a difference

• How other members’ work relates to mine

• Resources

What you would like to “do” or contribute to the Council -- full list• Support my colleagues; lead where I can

• Always be present and available

• Learn how to be a leader

• Build relationships

• Increase my knowledge and engagement

• Freely express my views and be relevant in order to impact discussions

• Help with strategic thinking

• Participate in workgroups

Cont.

• Work on professional development for teachers and administrators

• Work with colleagues to align professional development opportunities

• Provide outreach for Council; share with others and get their support for the Council

• Learn issues and concerns/local politics

• Support state contractors

• Look at licensing and how best to approach it

• Partner with higher education

Cont.

• Support the gaps in resources; leverage resources

• Find a way to provide more resources to immigrant families, kids and families where ever they are

• Work on mapping and analysis of cross domain data (Social Services, ECE, child care, health, economic development, etc)

• Learn more, contribute more

Thanks and More to Come