In parts of Long Beach, low income Pre-K students continue to lag

A recent report found that an increasingly diverse California needs a drastic surge in early childhood educators, and that classroom instability and a lack of able teachers and childcare facilities are setting up Spanish-speaking pre-schoolers for academic underachievement. According to the report, pre-K teachers in California lack adequate training and don't stay long due to low salaries—$24,000 annually, on average. "Research shows that from birth, interactions with adults provide a crucial foundation for learning as children grow. Yet, the quality of experiences in infant-toddler settings, such as child care centers, and in pre-K and early elementary classrooms, are often mixed at best." The full story is on Voicewaves.