As transitional kindergarten expands across the state, California’s child-care industry is left scrambling to fill empty spots they once depended on.L.A. Unified enrolled 13,800 transitional kindergartners last year and aimed to increase that number by an additional 10,000 to 11,000 this year, with TK classes for the first time at all 488 elementary schools.
California’s 4-year-olds are entering transitional kindergarten. But many young learners aren’t fully potty-trained, an issue public schools are grappling with. This year, TK teachers will use a new curriculum, which MacDonald Mateo received late last week, that is intended to be more creative.Parents with students of all ages have an important change of direction to absorb: Put the pandemic behind you and send students to school“I understand maybe the surprise of some parents, but we have always been informed as a school system by the expert voices of medical entities,” Carvalho said Friday. “Times have changed.”L.A.
The school system serves about 540,000 meals per day and for some students is the main source of sustenance, providing breakfast and lunch — and dinner in some situations. About 80% of students qualify for a free or reduced-price lunch, although allkitchens still lack functional cooking facilities, but more than 500 do have them.
The overall menu is more inventive, although in previous years it has been challenging to get many students beyond pizza and chicken wings. Food service training specialist Bryan Flores was handing out popcorn shrimp po’ boy sandwiches with fresh chopped jalapenos on the side during a Friday taste test at a donated event space in the downtown arts district.