On August 9, LACOE Superintendent Dr. Duardo and HSEL staff celebrated the graduating UPK-CDI cohort.
On August 9, LACOE honored new early childhood educators who completed the Assistant Teacher Pathway during an event in Santa Fe Springs. LACOE’s Universal Pre-Kindergarten Career Development Initiative (UPK-CDI) launched in 2022 to break down barriers that may keep parents out of the workforce. Through the program, 41 Head Start parents now have the education and training to enter classrooms as assistant preschool teachers.
“This successful first year is a testament to Head Start’s promise not only to prepare children for school, but to disrupt the cycle of poverty by changing trajectories and transforming lives,” shared Los Angeles County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Debra Duardo. “I am so proud to celebrate the 41 of you who rose above all your unique challenges and lived experiences and were able to finish as part of LACOE’s inaugural UPK Career Development Initiative cohort.”
For more, please see “LACOE Breaks Down Barriers to Help Parents Become Teachers.” To listen to an interview with a UPK-CDI participant, please check out “This Program Turns Parents into Preschool Teachers” from EdSource.
