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Teachers who specialize in giving California’s youngest school children the care and attention they need for long-term success are in high demand; Cal State Long Beach has a new credentialing program to prepare educators for this crucial role.

The College of Education is set to launch the PreK-3 Early Childhood Education Specialist Instruction Credential program in fall 2025. Its coursework is designed to enhance teachers’ abilities to meet the developmental needs of very young children who, in turn, can build the social and emotional skills needed to flourish over their lifetimes.

“We’re centering children in a way that we’re really thinking about their needs and being able to have a sense of community,” Program Coordinator Ruth Piker said.

����Ӱ�� received an $11 million gift from Ballmer Group in 2023 to develop the new program in the college. This is the largest-ever donation made to the college and it is already helping Beach students who are committed to helping young children.

“We are thrilled to support Cal State Long Beach in preparing PK-3 teachers,” said Kim Pattillo Brownson, director of strategy, policy and partnerships at Ballmer Group. “Cal State Long Beach’s programs are a standout for creating pathways for economic mobility for young students in the long term, and also providing near-term economic mobility for PK-3 teachers as well.”

Creating magical, educational spaces

Several Beach students have already received scholarships supporting their work toward the new credential. Known as Ballmer Scholars, they include Willian Alfaro ‘24, now seeking a Master of Arts in Early Childhood Education. Alfaro is a teaching aide at Alessandro Elementary School in Los Angeles, where he draws upon his past experiences in the children’s entertainment industry to bring puppets into the classroom as learning tools.

“I don’t want my classroom to feel like a classroom,” he said. “I want it to feel like a magical safe space.”

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Alfaro wants to help families with young children who may be starting to show signs of special needs, such as living with dyslexia or ADHD. Another goal is serving as a positive male role model for young children. He aspires to be so effective that one day, a student will return to his life to affirm that he made a difference in theirs.

Another Ballmer Scholar, Fidelia Santos, is also enrolled in the master’s program. She is a full-time instructional assistant at Anaheim Elementary School, employing play-based learning to help a diverse group of students develop skills they will need in kindergarten. 

“If students are not learning social and emotional learning skills, they’re going to struggle through the later years,” Santos said. “Early childhood education really fosters a love for learning and builds a stronger relationship with their teachers.”

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Meeting California’s needs

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an education spending bill in 2021, setting ����Ӱ��on a path to implement universal transitional kindergarten as of the 2025-26 school year. The Learning Policy Institute, a think tank with offices in Palo Alto, projected in a 2022 report, “Building a Well-Qualified Transitional Kindergarten Workforce in California: Needs and Opportunities,” that more than 300,000 children will then enroll in transitional kindergarten programs. Golden State school districts will need to have hired some 11,900 to 15,600 teachers to meet this need. 

Ballmer Scholar Juan Cabrera Gonzalez is optimistic that programs like The Beach’s new offering will elevate awareness of early childhood education as an important profession. He and his wife run Mrs. Cabrera’s Neighborhood Preschool & In-Home Childcare in Irvine. Cabrera’s inspiration to enter the field blends his interest in STEM education and aspiration to be a good role model after having a turbulent childhood in his own life.

“The most rewarding thing for me is that we are supervising children in all aspects of development, so that they can be whatever they want to be in a healthy environment, where they are seen, where they are appreciated, where they are loved,” Cabrera said. “Everything will follow.”