Public Comment at the Board of Supervisors
Our voices are being heard and making a difference. We’re grateful and proud of those advocating for family and children of Monterey County:
On May 11, Dina Lozoya Escobedo from Mexican-American Opportunity Foundation advocated for the need for more ECE funding. She stated, “One of the issues we have faced as a whole, is the lack of qualified applicants for our teacher positions. Vacancies are open for months at a time, part of the problem is the low wages. Advocacy for an increase of wages in ECE is greatly needed.”
On May 4, Laura Dunn from Carmel Unified School District shared “One of the many reasons it is hard to expand child care is that there is a staffing crisis that will only get worse as the pandemic continues. I ask that you support additional pay, stipends, and incentives for the ECE workforce to seek a career working with young children, and retention incentives for those who continue in the field.”
On April 27, Barbara Martinez from Pacific Grove – Adult School and Early Childhood Education program shared, “I am a passionate advocate for children and public education. I’d like to make the Board aware of a staffing shortage in early childhood education. We need to continue funding coming from the recovery CARES Act.”