Our youngest students need to be taught routines and behavior expectations — just like you would teach academic subjects. Educators must create learning environments where students feel physically and emotionally safe to learn the important social-emotional skills that will support lifelong success.

Universal TK invites leaders to rethink school readiness by centering joy, belonging, identity, family partnership and play-based learning in classrooms designed for every young child to flourish.

The Parent Empowerment Program helps families and educators address early behavior challenges together by building children’s regulation, communication and school-readiness skills.

LAUSD’s Early Childhood Micro-Credential shows how cross-divisional collaboration can expand TK access, strengthen educator preparation and build a more equitable educational experience for California’s youngest learners.

California’s Universal TK expansion offers education leaders a chance to address equity gaps before they widen. Early intervention, strong supports and family trust can help make TK the true starting point of opportunity in the K-12 pipeline.