The Children Now Action Fund just released its 2024 Candidate Questionnaire, where they asked candidates for the California legislature questions on a wide range of children’s issues across education, childcare, mental health, healthcare access, child welfare, and more. The candidate’s responses are available verbatim below. The questionnaire is intended for voter education purposes only and is a great way to learn exactly where candidates stand on supporting kids.
To find your Senate and Assembly District number, visit findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov
Assembly
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California ranks among the top states in per capita expenditures on a number of government programs (i.e. corrections, law enforcement, general government), but is just near or below the national average on expenditures for kids’ programs, including education and Medi-Cal. What are your thoughts on this prioritization of expenditures and what, if any, changes would you make in this regard?
California spent $128 billion on education in 2023 which was more than almost every other states budgets. The problem isn’t the amount of money being spent but how the money is used and what programs are receiving funding but showing no results. We need to find the programs that work and fund them with the additional money from programs that don’t work. We need accountability and not just throwing more money and hoping it works. As a retired school teacher and 20 year school board member I have seen the good programs and the bad.
Only 25% of working families have access to a licensed child care space. While the State has committed to expand subsidized child care slots by 200,000 over the next few years, many families will still lack affordable access to quality child care, especially families with infants and toddlers. What should the state government do to ensure that all families have access to high-quality affordable child care?
I believe that families need to take more responsibility for raising their children, not less. The state already has in place state funded preschools and has lowered the age for those programs. We have declining birth rates which means few children and less need for the centers. What is quality child care differs according to families but the government wants to define standards. The children are not entering school at a higher rate of achievement which tells me that there are a majority of programs that are not working except for the board of directors of non-profit agencies that are spending more on facilities and less on helping the children.
California ranks 49th among the 50 states in teacher-to-student ratio, 45th in school counselors, and 48th in school administrators. We also rank near the bottom in terms of school nurses, with approximately one nurse for every 2,400 students and no nurses at all in some smaller counties. What are your thoughts on these rankings, and what should be done in response?
As a special education teacher, specializing in Autism I recognize the shortage of nurses in the the educational system and until local teachers unions will allow the nurses to make what they deserve the problem of a shortage will continue to get worse. The problem for the higher ratio in California is the shortage of certificated teachers, counselors, and qualified administrators not the money. Well paid educational professionals are leaving the classroom because there is no longer any accountability for classroom behaviors and teachers are tired of babysitting.
California has the highest percentage of kids who are dual language learners, ages 0-5, (60%) and school-age English Learners (19%) in the country. How should the State support these students’ bilingual/multilingual potential? What are your thoughts on how educators in early education and TK-12 can be prepared to assist these students to meet their language development needs?
We need to help students learn English with innovative techniques and methods. I had 5 different languages at one time in my class of 15 students. I believe that additional classes should be held not just for the student but the parents as well. Saturday classes or evening classes a couple times a week. A language needs to be used to be learned and speaking English along with native language at home and school is the most effective way.
Over the past 45 years, state spending on higher education has dropped from 18% to 6% of the state budget. What is your position on funding for public higher education?
State institutions have been misspending their funds for a long time. The universities get federal funding for projects that enrich the school and do nothing to help the students. I would not increase their funding.
Over half (55%) of California’s kids are enrolled in Medi-Cal, but California performs near the bottom amongst all state Medicaid programs when it comes to children’s access to primary care physicians and important childhood screenings, especially for children of color. In addition, many California children lack access to oral health care, vision services, and mental health and substance abuse supports and services. What would you do to increase children’s timely access to these services?
The problem is the availability of care givers since the state pays them way under what private insurance companies do. We need to increase the number of care providers and pay them a higher amount and in a timely fashion. It’s not just children who lack access to medical care. Schools are doing some of the screening but they have the same problem of not enough providers to screen the children. We need to start dealing with the root problem not just results.
Over the past two decades, mental health issues have grown from 9% to 19% as a percentage of all child hospitalizations; however, many families report extreme difficulty in securing mental health services to help their kids. What should be done to ensure that more children receive needed mental health supports and services?
Many of the mental health issues in children are government and societal induced. We have spent billions of dollars on mental health issues but the problems continue to increase, why? We need to let children be children and not try to tell them what their sexual preference is or what pronoun they need to be called. Let families raise their children without the threat of local welfare agencies trying to do it for them. Most mental health money has been going to non-profit or for profit agencies that have had little success in their approaches. Schools are the best place to help children but we put to much on the teachers so they let outside agencies deal with the issues and the teacher who probably referred the student is cut out of the loop. Most mental health “professionals” have no clue as to what the everyday life of a student is and won’t ask the opinion of the teacher for information. Programs are in place but ineffective because of the lack of providers.
By 11th grade, roughly half of California students have used alcohol, misused cold medicines or pain prescriptions, or used marijuana. California’s current piecemeal approach to youth substance use means that kids who need help are often punished by school suspension and expulsion policies, forcing many students to “fail first” before they get help. For example, State-funded treatment programs are not available in some counties and often difficult to access where they do exist. Those programs tend to be mainly for adults, lacking a unique focus on young people’s concerns and developmental needs. What do you think should be done to prevent young people from being harmed by substance use?
I’m involved with the Teen Court where students with minor infractions are referred to by school personnel, probation officers, police officers, and other community agencies. The court has a jury and judge of the offenders peers and can pass sentences on the offender. Restorative justice has not shown to be effective in junior or senior high school but this program has been very effective for these grade levels. After the sentence in completed they have to serve on a jury for other students.
California assumes responsibility for abused and neglected children when we remove them from their homes, and the State is legally obligated to ensure that children and youth in foster care receive vital services and supports to meet their unique needs and find safety, stability and success. Yet a third of youth in foster care don’t receive timely medical exams and youth in foster care have the lowest high school graduation rates (61% compared to 87% overall). How would you strengthen the child welfare system?
The system it self has failed in numerous cases because of the nature of the problems it must deal with. Parents are assumed guilty before an investigation is even started. I would take away some the states power to remove and place back some of the children. Accountability is essential. If we have social workers who can’t do the job get rid of them but like most government workers you just can’t fire them. I would want to put in place a fast procedure to get rid of employees who can’t fulfill the responsibilities of their job.
While homelessness is a major issue in California, youth homelessness tends to get short shrift, even though 50% of the chronically homeless population had their first experience of homelessness before the age of 25. What would you do to sustain and increase funding specifically for housing programs for youth, and what other measures would you take to prioritize youth homelessness?
Why is it that children used be under age 15 and now it is 25. Individuals need to be responsible for their own actions. Our failed system has insured that homelessness is going to increase and there is no one way to fix it and the state has mismanaged the homeless problem that they created but refuse to take responsibility for. Housing programs need to include restrictions so that the individuals can better themselves and increase the education in different types of employment that might suit them. One size does not fit everyone and that is the problem with state ran programs and restrictions on grant money with a percentage that has be used for the client and not administrators and facilities. Accountability
Question
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California ranks among the top states in per capita expenditures on a number of government programs (i.e. corrections, law enforcement, general government), but is just near or below the national average on expenditures for kids’ programs, including education and Medi-Cal. What are your thoughts on this prioritization of expenditures and what, if any, changes would you make in this regard?
I have spent my entire time in the legislature as a leader on family care issues, most notably as a champion for child care and early education. I would fully fundchild care if I had a choice. There is no program where women and children more need our help for families to be healthy. I’ve also committed a great deal ofenergy, and legislative activity, to children’s mental health and health access and have fought for funding for various health programs for children and families.
Only 25% of working families have access to a licensed child care space. While the State has committed to expand subsidized child care slots by 200,000 over the next few years, many families will still lack affordable access to quality child care, especially families with infants and toddlers. What should the state government do to ensure that all families have access to high-quality affordable child care?
First and foremost we need to fully fund child care programs. As Vice Chair of the Legislative Women’s Caucus, this has been our main policy initiative each yearand was again this year.
California ranks 49th among the 50 states in teacher-to-student ratio, 45th in school counselors, and 48th in school administrators. We also rank near the bottom in terms of school nurses, with approximately one nurse for every 2,400 students and no nurses at all in some smaller counties. What are your thoughts on these rankings, and what should be done in response?
During these difficult budget times, it is hard to increase funding, but we need to adjust ratios so when funding is available, we can accomplish these criticalstaffing goals.
California has the highest percentage of kids who are dual language learners, ages 0-5, (60%) and school-age English Learners (19%) in the country. How should the State support these students’ bilingual/multilingual potential? What are your thoughts on how educators in early education and TK-12 can be prepared to assist these students to meet their language development needs?
We need to do everything we can to support bilingual education and change the cultural stigma around English being some children’s second language.Multilingualism should be treated as the strength it is, and we should bring our ESL students along, while placing a lot more emphasis on teaching all studentsmultiple languages earlier in their lives.
Over the past 45 years, state spending on higher education has dropped from 18% to 6% of the state budget. What is your position on funding for public higher education?
While higher education funding has dropped, tuition has increased substantially. Universities not only draw talent to our state, they keep our college-boundchildren here when they’ve successfully completed their degrees. We should redouble our efforts to provide state support when our budget situation improvesand work with our Congressional Delegation and the Biden Administration to secure more federal funding as well.
Over half (55%) of California’s kids are enrolled in Medi-Cal, but California performs near the bottom amongst all state Medicaid programs when it comes to children’s access to primary care physicians and important childhood screenings, especially for children of color. In addition, many California children lack access to oral health care, vision services, and mental health and substance abuse supports and services. What would you do to increase children’s timely access to these services?
I did nation-leading legislation on telehealth services to get more access by families, including those on Medi-Cal, to health and mental health services. I’vedone subsequent legislation to make sure those services are specifically available for Medi-Cal patients. I’m also working on legislation this year to assure thatwhen children on county mental health services move from county to county, their services continue while their new county confirms their eligibility. Undercurrent law, young persons have their services delayed for months while their new county confirms their eligibility at the most vulnerable time during manyyoung lives.
Over the past two decades, mental health issues have grown from 9% to 19% as a percentage of all child hospitalizations; however, many families report extreme difficulty in securing mental health services to help their kids. What should be done to ensure that more children receive needed mental health supports and services?
Continuity of care, and access to health professionals in the most convenient way for families, is critically important. Please see previous answer for how I’vesought to address these issues.
By 11th grade, roughly half of California students have used alcohol, misused cold medicines or pain prescriptions, or used marijuana. California’s current piecemeal approach to youth substance use means that kids who need help are often punished by school suspension and expulsion policies, forcing many students to “fail first” before they get help. For example, State-funded treatment programs are not available in some counties and often difficult to access where they do exist. Those programs tend to be mainly for adults, lacking a unique focus on young people’s concerns and developmental needs. What do you think should be done to prevent young people from being harmed by substance use?
We need to expand eligibility through tools such as telehealth, which is particularly successful in ensuring access to mental health and substance dependenceservices.
I am also working on legislation, AB 2223, to take any hemp products with intoxicating levels of THC out of retail establishments after some producers haveused loopholes in the Federal Farm Bill to sell them through retail outlets. No intoxicating cannabanoids should be sold outside of dispensaries, which mustconfirm customers are over 21 years old to purchase them.
California assumes responsibility for abused and neglected children when we remove them from their homes, and the State is legally obligated to ensure that children and youth in foster care receive vital services and supports to meet their unique needs and find safety, stability and success. Yet a third of youth in foster care don’t receive timely medical exams and youth in foster care have the lowest high school graduation rates (61% compared to 87% overall). How would you strengthen the child welfare system?
Our first priority must be to assist families caring for children to keep children out of the foster care system. This is why I’ve authored AB 2237 (Specialty MentalHealth Services) and AB 2703 (Federally Qualified Health Clinics) to continue care and increase the amount of mental health professionals available in the clinicenvironment so that more young people, and more people generally, have access to mental health professionals.This is why AB 32 provided for expandedTelehealth services, which can also be accessed by youth in state care.
While homelessness is a major issue in California, youth homelessness tends to get short shrift, even though 50% of the chronically homeless population had their first experience of homelessness before the age of 25. What would you do to sustain and increase funding specifically for housing programs for youth, and what other measures would you take to prioritize youth homelessness?
I have voted for every budget item during my eight budgets to provide and expand housing and homeless services. In addition, after four attempts (eachlegislative session I have been an Assemblymember), I have successfully placed ACA1 (ACA4 in my first term) on the ballot this November as Prop 5. Prop 5 willallow local governments to access local funding for affordable housing, homeless and infrastructure at a 55% vote threshold, meaning that local and regionalgovernments can work with their communities to approve locally-designed initiatives to provide homeless facilities, increasing the amount of places for familiesand individuals to safely leave the streets.
I am proud of my work supporting children. In 7 1/2 years, I feel my body of work has contributed greatly to a more healthy environment for our kids. All of theefforts I’ve described in previous answers, plus other bills I’ve had signed into law to facilitate more mental health professionals and access to services, my workas the Vice Chair of the Legislative Women’s Caucus supporting legislation and budget items that provide for families (and specifically women and girls) havebeen geared toward making life better for California families. I’ve specifically said my focus is on our State’s youngest and most vulnerable people, because ifwe start at the earliest moments of children’s lives, we can grow healthy adults.
Question
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California ranks among the top states in per capita expenditures on a number of government programs (i.e. corrections, law enforcement, general government), but is just near or below the national average on expenditures for kids’ programs, including education and Medi-Cal. What are your thoughts on this prioritization of expenditures and what, if any, changes would you make in this regard?
Investing in our children’s future is crucial. While safety and general welfare programs are important, reallocating funds to increase spending on education and Medi-Cal is essential. I would advocate for optimizing existing expenditures and seeking additional funding sources to ensure children’s programs are adequately funded.
Only 25% of working families have access to a licensed child care space. While the State has committed to expand subsidized child care slots by 200,000 over the next few years, many families will still lack affordable access to quality child care, especially families with infants and toddlers. What should the state government do to ensure that all families have access to high-quality affordable child care?
The state should increase investments in child care infrastructure and support provider training. Expanding subsidy programs and offering employer incentives for on-site child care can help. Streamlining licensing processes and reducing regulatory burdens can encourage more providers to enter the market.
California ranks 49th among the 50 states in teacher-to-student ratio, 45th in school counselors, and 48th in school administrators. We also rank near the bottom in terms of school nurses, with approximately one nurse for every 2,400 students and no nurses at all in some smaller counties. What are your thoughts on these rankings, and what should be done in response?
These rankings highlight the need for immediate action to improve support systems in schools. Increasing funding to hire more teachers, counselors, administrators, and nurses is essential. Creating incentives for educators and healthcare professionals to work in underserved areas, ensuring competitive salaries, and providing professional development opportunities will help address these disparities.
California has the highest percentage of kids who are dual language learners, ages 0-5, (60%) and school-age English Learners (19%) in the country. How should the State support these students’ bilingual/multilingual potential? What are your thoughts on how educators in early education and TK-12 can be prepared to assist these students to meet their language development needs?
The state should implement bilingual education programs and provide resources for dual language learners. Training educators in bilingual teaching methods and offering professional development focused on language development needs is crucial. Encouraging community support and providing access to culturally relevant materials will further support these students.
Over the past 45 years, state spending on higher education has dropped from 18% to 6% of the state budget. What is your position on funding for public higher education?
Investing in higher education is vital for the state’s economic future and personal growth of its residents. Increasing state funding for public higher education should be a priority. This can be achieved by reallocating funds and exploring alternative funding sources, such as partnerships with the private sector and federal funding opportunities.
Over half (55%) of California’s kids are enrolled in Medi-Cal, but California performs near the bottom amongst all state Medicaid programs when it comes to children’s access to primary care physicians and important childhood screenings, especially for children of color. In addition, many California children lack access to oral health care, vision services, and mental health and substance abuse supports and services. What would you do to increase children’s timely access to these services?
Expanding Medi-Cal funding and ensuring it increases the availability of primary care physicians and specialists in underserved areas is essential. Programs that provide incentives for healthcare providers to serve these communities and integrate oral health, vision, mental health, and substance abuse services into primary care settings can improve access and coordination of care for children.
Over the past two decades, mental health issues have grown from 9% to 19% as a percentage of all child hospitalizations; however, many families report extreme difficulty in securing mental health services to help their kids. What should be done to ensure that more children receive needed mental health supports and services?
Expanding mental health services in schools and communities is essential. Increasing funding for mental health programs and training more professionals to work with children can help meet the demand. Awareness campaigns to reduce stigma and encourage early help-seeking are crucial. Comprehensive mental health education in schools can help students understand and manage their mental health better.
By 11th grade, roughly half of California students have used alcohol, misused cold medicines or pain prescriptions, or used marijuana. California’s current piecemeal approach to youth substance use means that kids who need help are often punished by school suspension and expulsion policies, forcing many students to “fail first” before they get help. For example, State-funded treatment programs are not available in some counties and often difficult to access where they do exist. Those programs tend to be mainly for adults, lacking a unique focus on young people’s concerns and developmental needs. What do you think should be done to prevent young people from being harmed by substance use?
Implementing comprehensive substance use education and prevention programs in schools is crucial. These programs should focus on early intervention and provide support rather than punishment. Expanding access to youth-specific treatment programs and ensuring they are available in all counties can help address the issue. Collaborating with community organizations and healthcare providers to create a supportive network for youth dealing with substance use can also be beneficial.
California assumes responsibility for abused and neglected children when we remove them from their homes, and the State is legally obligated to ensure that children and youth in foster care receive vital services and supports to meet their unique needs and find safety, stability and success. Yet a third of youth in foster care don’t receive timely medical exams and youth in foster care have the lowest high school graduation rates (61% compared to 87% overall). How would you strengthen the child welfare system?
Increasing funding to ensure timely medical exams and comprehensive health services for foster youth is essential. Implementing programs that provide educational support and mentoring for foster youth can improve graduation rates. Creating a robust support network for foster families, including training and resources, can enhance stability and success in foster care placements.
While homelessness is a major issue in California, youth homelessness tends to get short shrift, even though 50% of the chronically homeless population had their first experience of homelessness before the age of 25. What would you do to sustain and increase funding specifically for housing programs for youth, and what other measures would you take to prioritize youth homelessness?
Increasing funding for housing programs targeting youth, including transitional housing, emergency shelters, and supportive housing programs, is essential. Collaborating with community organizations, schools, and social services to identify at-risk youth early and provide preventative support can help reduce youth homelessness. Ensuring access to education, job training, and mental health services is crucial for the long-term success and stability of homeless youth.
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California ranks among the top states in per capita expenditures on a number of government programs (i.e. corrections, law enforcement, general government), but is just near or below the national average on expenditures for kids’ programs, including education and Medi-Cal. What are your thoughts on this prioritization of expenditures and what, if any, changes would you make in this regard?
Our children’s health and education are most important in my opinion. I will propose legislation to protect our children from indoctrination and from exposureto sexual content in library books. The welfare system needs a complete overhaul, with new direction and accountability.
Only 25% of working families have access to a licensed child care space. While the State has committed to expand subsidized child care slots by 200,000 over the next few years, many families will still lack affordable access to quality child care, especially families with infants and toddlers. What should the state government do to ensure that all families have access to high-quality affordable child care?
This answer is similar to the one above. It’s an accountability problem. There are plenty of taxpayer dollars that are available for this program. The problem isthat There are not the correct people in place to implement childcare programs. This program worked tremendously in the 80s with the right people running itthey can be done and sufficient.
California ranks 49th among the 50 states in teacher-to-student ratio, 45th in school counselors, and 48th in school administrators. We also rank near the bottom in terms of school nurses, with approximately one nurse for every 2,400 students and no nurses at all in some smaller counties. What are your thoughts on these rankings, and what should be done in response?
Hire people according to their capabilities and their proven background. DEI has distracted from firing and hiring the best qualified person for the benefit of thechildren. Again, the funds are there, they’re not spent correctly. Common sense is all the programs need.
California has the highest percentage of kids who are dual language learners, ages 0-5, (60%) and school-age English Learners (19%) in the country. How should the State support these students’ bilingual/multilingual potential? What are your thoughts on how educators in early education and TK-12 can be prepared to assist these students to meet their language development needs?
Close the border and a lot of this problem goes away. Secondly, when people come into our country, simply do what other countries do. Put them to workwhere their native language can benefit their acclamation to our country and benefit the children as well.
Over the past 45 years, state spending on higher education has dropped from 18% to 6% of the state budget. What is your position on funding for public higher education?
The main problem is the outrageous cost for higher education. This can be solved with common sense allocation and funding accountability. Common sensehiring, training and management.
Over half (55%) of California’s kids are enrolled in Medi-Cal, but California performs near the bottom amongst all state Medicaid programs when it comes to children’s access to primary care physicians and important childhood screenings, especially for children of color. In addition, many California children lack access to oral health care, vision services, and mental health and substance abuse supports and services. What would you do to increase children’s timely access to these services?
The funds, healthcare workers and access are already in place. The only thing more that can be done is bringing awareness to parents in this regard.
Over the past two decades, mental health issues have grown from 9% to 19% as a percentage of all child hospitalizations; however, many families report extreme difficulty in securing mental health services to help their kids. What should be done to ensure that more children receive needed mental health supports and services?
This is an awareness problem. Parents and caretakers are not aware of the programs available.
By 11th grade, roughly half of California students have used alcohol, misused cold medicines or pain prescriptions, or used marijuana. California’s current piecemeal approach to youth substance use means that kids who need help are often punished by school suspension and expulsion policies, forcing many students to “fail first” before they get help. For example, State-funded treatment programs are not available in some counties and often difficult to access where they do exist. Those programs tend to be mainly for adults, lacking a unique focus on young people’s concerns and developmental needs. What do you think should be done to prevent young people from being harmed by substance use?
This is a complex question: many aspects are in play here.
Parents need to discipline without persecution. School administrators need to be able to discipline without repercussions.
Church and God needs to be first in all situations. When children are raised with values and discipline, they tend to make better choices.
California assumes responsibility for abused and neglected children when we remove them from their homes, and the State is legally obligated to ensure that children and youth in foster care receive vital services and supports to meet their unique needs and find safety, stability and success. Yet a third of youth in foster care don’t receive timely medical exams and youth in foster care have the lowest high school graduation rates (61% compared to 87% overall). How would you strengthen the child welfare system?
Simple, it’s an administration problem no one is being held accountable. Therefore nothing will get done correctly. It’s common sense accountability. Theprogram is broken and the kids suffer for it.
While homelessness is a major issue in California, youth homelessness tends to get short shrift, even though 50% of the chronically homeless population had their first experience of homelessness before the age of 25. What would you do to sustain and increase funding specifically for housing programs for youth, and what other measures would you take to prioritize youth homelessness?
Get them in the job training programs that are already available. Encourage teens to get envisioned and involved in futuristic projects that promote a positiveimpact on their lives and careers.
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California ranks among the top states in per capita expenditures on a number of government programs (i.e. corrections, law enforcement, general government), but is just near or below the national average on expenditures for kids’ programs, including education and Medi-Cal. What are your thoughts on this prioritization of expenditures and what, if any, changes would you make in this regard?
During my first term in the Assembly, I have fought to preserve Medi-Cal funding and ensure that the
state’s budget deficit did not roll back expenditures for social safety net programs, including those for
children. As a member of the Assembly Budget Committee, I also supported and helped pass:
- Approving MediCal provider rate increases, effective January 1, 2025 and 2026.
- Providing $40 million in 2026-27 for Medi-Cal Workforce Pool, Labor Management
Committees. - Retaining funding for the Indian Health Program and free clinics.
- Protecting classroom funding.
- Rejecting cuts to CalWORKs, foster care, and Multifamily Housing Program.
- Funding for food and basic need programs like CNIP.
I continue to support increasing expenditures for kids’ programs, education, and MediCal services to
better support families and Californians who are most in need. I believe meeting and exceeding the
national average on expenditures should be the Legislature’s immediate goal in this regard.
Only 25% of working families have access to a licensed child care space. While the State has committed to expand subsidized child care slots by 200,000 over the next few years, many families will still lack affordable access to quality child care, especially families with infants and toddlers. What should the state government do to ensure that all families have access to high-quality affordable child care?
In the State Assembly, I have supported the continuation of fully funding expansion slots for child care spaces in California. The state’s commitment to expanding subsidized child care slots by 200,000 is a good start, but more work needs to be done to create an equitable child care system that has availability and affordability to all parents in the state. The Legislature should start by ensuring the goal of expanded, subsidized slots is met, followed by a continuation of slot expansion and a coordinated effort with organizations like Children Now to reduce existing barriers to access and eligibility.
California ranks 49th among the 50 states in teacher-to-student ratio, 45th in school counselors, and 48th in school administrators. We also rank near the bottom in terms of school nurses, with approximately one nurse for every 2,400 students and no nurses at all in some smaller counties. What are your thoughts on these rankings, and what should be done in response?
California needs to increase the number of teachers, school nurses, and school counselors throughout our educational institutions. This starts with our ability to hire and retain individuals in these positions. In the State Assembly, I have supported full funding for the Golden State Teacher Grant Program (GSTG) and funding in the 2024-25 budget for professional support for educators in addressing student mental health needs, as well as increasing TK-12 funding. I believe expanding incentive programs to recruit and retain teachers, counselors, and administrators is needed, particularly in rural areas. Ranking at the bottom in these ratios is unacceptable. In the Assembly, I will continue to improve these conditions and secure the resources needed for additional hiring and the retention of teachers, counselors, administrators, and nurses.
California has the highest percentage of kids who are dual language learners, ages 0-5, (60%) and school-age English Learners (19%) in the country. How should the State support these students’ bilingual/multilingual potential? What are your thoughts on how educators in early education and TK-12 can be prepared to assist these students to meet their language development needs?
California’s diversity continues to be one of its greatest assets. Our dual language learners must receive the support necessary to succeed educationally, which starts with the proper training for our TK-12 teachers. I support ongoing investment from the state in Dual Language Learner and English Learners teacher education to focus on closing equity and educational gaps. In the Assembly, I have continued to advocate for increasing professional development opportunities for teachers to learn how to better support DLL and EL students. As we move into the next legislative session, my door remains open to advocates and organizations like Children Now for policy and budgetary ideas on this issue, to better address gaps in our education system.
Over the past 45 years, state spending on higher education has dropped from 18% to 6% of the state budget. What is your position on funding for public higher education?
California should continue to prioritize robust state funding for our public higher education system, including focusing on college affordability, financial aid, reducing student debt and expanding student housing. As a former School Board member, education has always been an issue of great importance to me. I believe community college is an important component in this system and have worked in the Assembly to support greater access to degrees and pathways from community colleges to the CSU and UC systems. In the 2024-25 budget, I also supported establishing the financing structure for a statewide lease revenue bond program to support the construction of 13 community college affordable student housing facilities. As tuition costs continue to increase, we need to increase efforts to fund public higher education and remove barriers for students of all backgrounds to apply.
Over half (55%) of California’s kids are enrolled in Medi-Cal, but California performs near the bottom amongst all state Medicaid programs when it comes to children’s access to primary care physicians and important childhood screenings, especially for children of color. In addition, many California children lack access to oral health care, vision services, and mental health and substance abuse supports and services. What would you do to increase children’s timely access to these services?
Expanding all areas of healthcare access for children on Medi-Cal has been a priority during my first term in the State Assembly. This budget, I worked with legislative colleagues to reject cuts to IHSS programs and Medi-Cal investments in services for undocumented Californians. I continue to support a multifaceted approach by investing in our healthcare workforce to hire more physicians, funding a better referral and early-screening system, and subsidizing the most important items for children in California Additionally, I support investment in youth mental health and substance abuse issues by funding early intervention programs and educational policies that strengthen social-emotional learning and deter children from drug use.
Over the past two decades, mental health issues have grown from 9% to 19% as a percentage of all child hospitalizations; however, many families report extreme difficulty in securing mental health services to help their kids. What should be done to ensure that more children receive needed mental health supports and services?
I support reducing barriers to mental health access by investing in resources for Medi-Cal to strengthen coverage and by requiring insurance companies to do more for families and children. This includes reforming prior authorizations for mental health treatments and step therapy options, which can delay treatment deemed necessary by a doctor for weeks and even months. We also need to look into reducing barriers for mental health professionals to receive reimbursement through the state to encourage more providers to serve Medi-Cal patients, including children.
By 11th grade, roughly half of California students have used alcohol, misused cold medicines or pain prescriptions, or used marijuana. California’s current piecemeal approach to youth substance use means that kids who need help are often punished by school suspension and expulsion policies, forcing many students to “fail first” before they get help. For example, State-funded treatment programs are not available in some counties and often difficult to access where they do exist. Those programs tend to be mainly for adults, lacking a unique focus on young people’s concerns and developmental needs. What do you think should be done to prevent young people from being harmed by substance use?
I support treatment options for youth substance abuse rooted in education and mental health, not punishment. We need to expand eligibility for young people to access treatment programs and ensure access is available throughout the state. I continue to support the hiring of more school counselors who are trained in this particular issue to be able to help students immediately. Additionally, I have helped pass legislation strengthening retail prohibitions on flavored tobacco products and believe strongly that the state has a role to play in restricting youth access to dangerous, addictive products.
California assumes responsibility for abused and neglected children when we remove them from their homes, and the State is legally obligated to ensure that children and youth in foster care receive vital services and supports to meet their unique needs and find safety, stability and success. Yet a third of youth in foster care don’t receive timely medical exams and youth in foster care have the lowest high school graduation rates (61% compared to 87% overall). How would you strengthen the child welfare system?
Children and youth in California’s foster care system must receive comprehensive health, behavioral, and education services that will allow them to thrive. As a member of the Assembly Budget Committee, I worked to reject proposed cuts to the foster care system and supported increasing housing supplements for foster youth in supervised independent living placements. We know how vulnerable our foster youth are and must work to reduce the barriers they face when trying to find safety and stability. I continue to support additional oversight of our foster services to ensure children of color and LGBTQ+ youth are mreceiving adequate services that are culturally sensitive and responsive to unique needs and believe we must increase the ability for medical providers to meet youth in foster care where they are, and ensure such providers are trained to assess trauma and mental health issues for this population.
While homelessness is a major issue in California, youth homelessness tends to get short shrift, even though 50% of the chronically homeless population had their first experience of homelessness before the age of 25. What would you do to sustain and increase funding specifically for housing programs for youth, and what other measures would you take to prioritize youth homelessness?
I continue to support early intervention for homelessness and believe in the state prioritizing investments to prevent individuals from falling into homelessness or catching them before they become chronically homeless. Part of this solution is the maintenance and continued expansion of programs like Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) and Project Homekey, to ensure that resources are available before and after someone experiences homelessness. I also support focusing on programmatic guidelines to emphasize support for youth and the continuation of local government’s ability to receive grant funding for affordable housing, substance use treatment, job programs, and intervention programs.
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California ranks among the top states in per capita expenditures on a number of government programs (i.e. corrections, law enforcement, general government), but is just near or below the national average on expenditures for kids’ programs, including education and Medi-Cal. What are your thoughts on this prioritization of expenditures and what, if any, changes would you make in this regard?
I strongly agree that prioritizing funding for education and kids’ health programs is a top priority. Education: I passed AB 39, the Education Finance Bill, to fundpublic schools by bringing education spending up to the national per pupil average or higher. I pressed to guarantee funding for universal pre-schoolthroughout our state so every child has the opportunity to succeed. When COVID-related budget decisions threatened California’s public schools, I held myground to protect funding for our schools. I also pushed hard to have our schools reopened as soon and as safely as possible during Covid, and was a strongsupporter of AB 86 to reopen schools, so that every child could return to an in-person, quality education. My AB 2626 would have exempted public schoolsfrom being charged state sales tax – freeing up budgets. I introduced AB 3001 to make it easier for school districts to construct workforce housing so excellentteachers can be recruited. I meet regularly with teachers, administrators and parents to keep abreast of the latest challenges schools face. Children’s Health: I’veworked hard to increase access for kids to quality, affordable health care. My bill AB 1481, now law, increased and ensured Medi-Cal coverage for low-incomepregnant women and their developing infants. I’ve voted to support state budget bills increasing Medi-Cal funding. When the Trump Administration tried tooverturn the Affordable Care Act and end protections for persons with pre-existing conditions, I fought to preserve that coverage. My staff provides immediatehelp for families having trouble qualifying for or accessing Medi-Cal programs. I authored AB 1309 to increase California families’ access to affordable healthcare by streamlining the open enrollment period for Covered California. I’ve authored numerous bills removing harmful chemicals from our environment inorder to improve children’s health.
Only 25% of working families have access to a licensed child care space. While the State has committed to expand subsidized child care slots by 200,000 over the next few years, many families will still lack affordable access to quality child care, especially families with infants and toddlers. What should the state government do to ensure that all families have access to high-quality affordable child care?
I agree that this issue is an important concern. We need to increase funding levels for subsidized childcare and provide incentives to childcare providers that willresult in more childcare slots being available, and in ensuring existing providers can stay open. In my over 6 years in the Assembly, I have consistentlysupported increasing access to subsidized childcare in order to lift up and support families. I voted in 2023 to support SB 140, now law, that extendedenrollment-based state funding for all childcare and preschool programs. I also voted in 2024 to support AB 2774, the Childcare for Working Families Act, whichwould address challenges faced by working families in accessing flexible, affordable, and quality childcare options. I also voted for AB 2476 in 2024, whichwould increase childcare by alleviating inequities that exist between families paying for childcare privately and families using subsidized childcare vouchers. Ibelieve that our state should also consider implementing a 24-month eligibility period for all childcare programs — SB 1047, for which I voted, became law in2022 and extended the eligibility window from 12-months to 24-months for all childcare programs except CalWORKs. I also voted recently in support of AB1808, a new bill which would extend that 24-month period to CalWORKs as well, therefore increasing eligibility. Our state should work to align subsidizedchildcare with the private childcare market, by paying childcare providers up front for providing care to subsidized families, and by making it easier forproviders to accept more families who utilize subsidized care. I note that I pressed to guarantee funding for universal pre-school for children throughout ourstate, which assisted families who can now enroll their four-year-old children in preschool in their local school districts instead of needing to pay for childcareproviders.
California ranks 49th among the 50 states in teacher-to-student ratio, 45th in school counselors, and 48th in school administrators. We also rank near the bottom in terms of school nurses, with approximately one nurse for every 2,400 students and no nurses at all in some smaller counties. What are your thoughts on these rankings, and what should be done in response?
I strongly believe that we need to spend a greater proportion of our state budget on school funding, in order to address these issues. Without increasedfunding, school districts simply don’t have the financial means to hire more teachers or counselors. (Please see my answer to Question 2 above, explaining thehard work I have been doing and the bills I have introduced since I was elected in 2018, to increase the amount of money we spend as a state on education andour schools.) I voted in support of 2023’s AB 1722, now law, which helps small and rural school districts to recruit and hire much-needed school nurses. I havefought particularly hard to combat the rising crisis in student mental health on several fronts, hosting expert workshops on this issue and becoming a statechampion to improve the mental health of children and adults. To combat the troubling shortage of counselors and increase the pipeline for this desperatelyneeded workforce for our schools and communities, I passed AB 2754, which modernizes requirements by allowing counselors to enroll in digital training. InSeptember 2022, Governor Newsom signed into law my landmark bill AB 988, the Miles Hall Lifeline and Suicide Prevention Act, which transforms the wayCalifornia responds to mental health emergencies to ensure that teens and adults in crisis receive the appropriate urgent care they need. AB 988 implements 9-8-8, the national Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Crisis telephone hotline, an alternative to police response for people experiencing a mental health crisis.I believe our state needs to step up to increase funding for more counselors in our schools generally, and to provide for more teen wellness centers in ourmiddle schools and high schools, to combat this mental health crisis head-on.
California has the highest percentage of kids who are dual language learners, ages 0-5, (60%) and school-age English Learners (19%) in the country. How should the State support these students’ bilingual/multilingual potential? What are your thoughts on how educators in early education and TK-12 can be prepared to assist these students to meet their language development needs?
As a state, we cannot ignore the needs of the tremendous number of young children in our schools whose first language is not English, but who absolutelydeserve an equal opportunity to succeed and thrive in school. That equality in education can only be achieved by students when we properly allocate increasedstate funding for multilingual teaching and learning, and allocate critical resources for these children’s development. In 2023, I voted to support AB 1127, nowlaw, that improves the bilingual teachers professional development program to address the growing need for more bilingual teachers for children in preschooland TK. In 2024, I voted to support AB 2071, which would require the state to develop and adopt a CA English Learner Roadmap Parent Toolkit and prioritizecertain grants to school districts with a high percentage of English Learners. When I noticed a critical injustice in my local school district that impeded theeducation of English Learners, I immediately introduced AB 1838 to require schools to provide parents with notices and report cards in the parents’ primarylanguage, so that parents could be key partners with schools in their children’s education and their success. Much work remains to be done in this arena.
Over the past 45 years, state spending on higher education has dropped from 18% to 6% of the state budget. What is your position on funding for public higher education?
I have been very vocal about my belief that we must fund state-provided higher education at levels that will provide an outstanding public college educationfor as many students as possible. We must double down on our commitment to ensure that California’s historically excellent 115 community colleges, CSUuniversities and UC system universities remain excellent and do not suffer from a lack of funding. To achieve that objective, my voting record has been in favorof providing robust funding for public higher education. I continue to fight in the Legislature to keep college affordable so that every child has the opportunityto earn a college degree, including passing a bill that removed income exclusions which had penalized families who receive CalWORKs benefits (AB 807). And Iworked to provide key protections for the nearly 100,000 California students who attend online, for-profit, and out-of-state schools by requiring these schoolsto comply with state accreditation requirements (AB 1344). I introduced AB 769 to ensure that forgiven student loan debt from higher education does notbecome taxable income to the borrower. I have also supported funding vocational and career technical education programs that help our economy to growand efforts to help college students graduate without crippling debt, and have held workshops for youth on how to finance a college education.
Over half (55%) of California’s kids are enrolled in Medi-Cal, but California performs near the bottom amongst all state Medicaid programs when it comes to children’s access to primary care physicians and important childhood screenings, especially for children of color. In addition, many California children lack access to oral health care, vision services, and mental health and substance abuse supports and services. What would you do to increase children’s timely access to these services?
Please see my answer regarding the need for increased funding for Medi-Cal programs in Question 2 above, and the support I have given to new bills seekingto do just that. ALL of our children deserve access to quality, timely healthcare and, with proper funding, we will be able to provide that healthcare — such aschildhood screenings and access to primary care doctors. It is imperative that we increase state funding for Medi-Cal programs affecting children so that accessto healthcare is fair and just. With respect to better access for our youth to mental health services, please see my answer to Question 3 above, which explainsmy efforts in that arena. My history of votes in the Assembly emphasizes my strong position concerning lifting up families and children in this area. Our childrenare our future and their needs are a top priority.
Over the past two decades, mental health issues have grown from 9% to 19% as a percentage of all child hospitalizations; however, many families report extreme difficulty in securing mental health services to help their kids. What should be done to ensure that more children receive needed mental health supports and services?
The issue of mental health for children and adults is a top priority for me and I am proud to be recognized as a state champion in combatting the rising mentalhealth crisis in our communities, including amongst children. The issue needs to be attacked not only from the perspective of increased funding and increasedresources, but also in the way our communities have traditional viewed mental health issues. Developing a true understanding that excellent mental healthservices for kids is of equal importance as other types of healthcare services for children is the critical first step towards a solution. In September 2022, GovernorNewsom signed into law my landmark bill AB 988, the Miles Hall Lifeline and Suicide Prevention Act, which transforms the way California responds to mentalhealth emergencies to ensure people in crisis receive the appropriate urgent care they need. AB 988 implements the 9-8-8 crisis hotline, an alternative to policeresponse for people experiencing a mental health crisis. Recognizing the need for substantial change in this arena, I have introduced important legislationrelating to mental health. My bill AB 2089, signed into law, protects patients’ privacy by implementing HIPPA and other patient protections for the first time todata collected from teens and adults by mental health apps in California, preventing those apps from their current practice of harvesting and selling thisinformation. To combat the shortage of psychiatric professionals and increase the pipeline of counselors for this desperately needed workforce so individualscan get the care they need, I also passed AB 2754, which modernizes requirements by allowing for digital training.
By 11th grade, roughly half of California students have used alcohol, misused cold medicines or pain prescriptions, or used marijuana. California’s current piecemeal approach to youth substance use means that kids who need help are often punished by school suspension and expulsion policies, forcing many students to “fail first” before they get help. For example, State-funded treatment programs are not available in some counties and often difficult to access where they do exist. Those programs tend to be mainly for adults, lacking a unique focus on young people’s concerns and developmental needs. What do you think should be done to prevent young people from being harmed by substance use?
I recently held an expert educational workshop for parents and teens called the “Adolescent Brain and Marijuana,” specifically in recognition of this importantproblem. The state’s proper response to this issue should embrace both: an increase in funding to expand the number of available treatment programs for ouryouth, and an increased focus by our schools and communities on formally educating our parents and youth on the dangers of youth substance abuse. The CADepartment of Education should develop for directed use by our school districts a consistent statewide program that emphasizes prevention and treatment ofsubstance abuse, rather than harsh discipline of substance abuse that may permanently disrupt a child’s well-being and ability to graduate from school.
California assumes responsibility for abused and neglected children when we remove them from their homes, and the State is legally obligated to ensure that children and youth in foster care receive vital services and supports to meet their unique needs and find safety, stability and success. Yet a third of youth in foster care don’t receive timely medical exams and youth in foster care have the lowest high school graduation rates (61% compared to 87% overall). How would you strengthen the child welfare system?
It is imperative that we as a state ensure that our children and youth who are placed in foster care are lifted up with properly-funded programs to supportthem. I have historically supported and continue to fight for the rights of our youth and for critical services to support them. For example, I am a strongsupporter of AB 2137 (2023-24) because it would improve the educational outcomes and graduation rates for foster youth by removing barriers for fosteryouth to receive essential educational services such as tutoring, mentoring, and counseling. I also supported AB 3223, which increases the stability ofplacements for foster children by expanding eligibility for the state’s foster youth coordinating program. I voted to support 2024 bill AB 2508, which expandsthe existing eligibility for a CalKIDS college savings account for foster youth in the first grade, by expanding it to include all foster youth in grades 1 through 12.
While homelessness is a major issue in California, youth homelessness tends to get short shrift, even though 50% of the chronically homeless population had their first experience of homelessness before the age of 25. What would you do to sustain and increase funding specifically for housing programs for youth, and what other measures would you take to prioritize youth homelessness?
I will continue to vote for and fight for programs that are targeted to improve the lives of homeless youth, including social service programs that aim toincrease our housing supply for homeless youth. I voted in favor of AB 589 in 2023, which would have provided transitional housing for homeless LGBTQ+youth. I generally support funding for programs that will provide for the construction, rehabilitation, and preservation of more housing for families with childrenwho are experiencing homelessness, and I support setting aside funding in the state’s existing Homekey program for projects that will serve youth experiencinghomelessness or at risk of homelessness. I am a strong supporter of AB 2137, which would improve the educational outcomes and graduation rates forhomeless youth by removing barriers for receiving essential educational services such as tutoring, mentoring, and counseling.
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California ranks among the top states in per capita expenditures on a number of government programs (i.e. corrections, law enforcement, general government), but is just near or below the national average on expenditures for kids’ programs, including education and Medi-Cal. What are your thoughts on this prioritization of expenditures and what, if any, changes would you make in this regard?
Our kids are our most precious gifts we have in this state. Their welfare should be at top of our agendas.
Only 25% of working families have access to a licensed child care space. While the State has committed to expand subsidized child care slots by 200,000 over the next few years, many families will still lack affordable access to quality child care, especially families with infants and toddlers. What should the state government do to ensure that all families have access to high-quality affordable child care?
My wife and I are in this situation, we have a high schooler, a first grader and a toddler.
I believe the state should provide tax breaks for the cost of child care.
California ranks 49th among the 50 states in teacher-to-student ratio, 45th in school counselors, and 48th in school administrators. We also rank near the bottom in terms of school nurses, with approximately one nurse for every 2,400 students and no nurses at all in some smaller counties. What are your thoughts on these rankings, and what should be done in response?
Our State needs to change the way we are spending our education dollars.
I think counselors and nurses should be well supported and helped in providing needed mental health care to our students.
California has the highest percentage of kids who are dual language learners, ages 0-5, (60%) and school-age English Learners (19%) in the country. How should the State support these students’ bilingual/multilingual potential? What are your thoughts on how educators in early education and TK-12 can be prepared to assist these students to meet their language development needs?
My step daughter came to our State without knowing a word of english. We started her in the second grade and supported her through summer school thefirst year. She has done fantastic.
The important thing is to immerse the child in english as soon as you can.
Over the past 45 years, state spending on higher education has dropped from 18% to 6% of the state budget. What is your position on funding for public higher education?
All of my higher education was subsidized by the State. I went all four years to Cal State East Bay in Hayward. I support our State Universities and our JuniorColleges, 100%.
Over half (55%) of California’s kids are enrolled in Medi-Cal, but California performs near the bottom amongst all state Medicaid programs when it comes to children’s access to primary care physicians and important childhood screenings, especially for children of color. In addition, many California children lack access to oral health care, vision services, and mental health and substance abuse supports and services. What would you do to increase children’s timely access to these services?
I support small clinics that may be located in or near drug stores. I believe we improve our care at a lower cost. Over half (55%) of California’a kids are enrolledin Medical-Cal, that is a tragedy. The children of this State deserve better.
Over the past two decades, mental health issues have grown from 9% to 19% as a percentage of all child hospitalizations; however, many families report extreme difficulty in securing mental health services to help their kids. What should be done to ensure that more children receive needed mental health supports and services?
Let’s start by improving our mental health services in our public schools.
By 11th grade, roughly half of California students have used alcohol, misused cold medicines or pain prescriptions, or used marijuana. California’s current piecemeal approach to youth substance use means that kids who need help are often punished by school suspension and expulsion policies, forcing many students to “fail first” before they get help. For example, State-funded treatment programs are not available in some counties and often difficult to access where they do exist. Those programs tend to be mainly for adults, lacking a unique focus on young people’s concerns and developmental needs. What do you think should be done to prevent young people from being harmed by substance use?
This is a major issue and a huge concern of mine. We need to help our children at a very early age. I went to our public schools here in Hayward and Danvillefor my whole school career. We can improve our focus on helping our kids in elementary school. The earlier the better.
California assumes responsibility for abused and neglected children when we remove them from their homes, and the State is legally obligated to ensure that children and youth in foster care receive vital services and supports to meet their unique needs and find safety, stability and success. Yet a third of youth in foster care don’t receive timely medical exams and youth in foster care have the lowest high school graduation rates (61% compared to 87% overall). How would you strengthen the child welfare system?
We should ensure our focus stays on the kids of this State. The current way things operate in Sacramento seems to be on every other topic other than thewelfare of children of this State.
While homelessness is a major issue in California, youth homelessness tends to get short shrift, even though 50% of the chronically homeless population had their first experience of homelessness before the age of 25. What would you do to sustain and increase funding specifically for housing programs for youth, and what other measures would you take to prioritize youth homelessness?
We must first get our homeless kids off the streets. Then we must get treatment for them and their parents. Homelessness can be reduced if we focus ontreatment first over just housing.
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California ranks among the top states in per capita expenditures on a number of government programs (i.e. corrections, law enforcement, general government), but is just near or below the national average on expenditures for kids’ programs, including education and Medi-Cal. What are your thoughts on this prioritization of expenditures and what, if any, changes would you make in this regard?
When we fail to address people’s basic needs, we are not addressing the root causes of crime. Public safety is about more than policing; when people havewhat they need, our communities are safer. We live in the richest state in the US, with one of the largest economies in the world. We should not be at thebottom when it comes to providing basic social services. I have supported rebalancing these priorities and reimagining public safety at the local level byincreasing resources for young families, early education, childcare, and job training for good-paying jobs, and would support this agenda at the state level.
Only 25% of working families have access to a licensed child care space. While the State has committed to expand subsidized child care slots by 200,000 over the next few years, many families will still lack affordable access to quality child care, especially families with infants and toddlers. What should the state government do to ensure that all families have access to high-quality affordable child care?
The cost of childcare is an enormous burden on working families. This issue has a disproportionate impact on the career paths and economic independence ofwomen, who are often primary caregivers. As a nation, the United States under-invests in supporting young families, lagging behind nearly every developedcountry. But California can and should lead the way on this issue. We must increase funding for childcare subsidies while also supporting childcare workers andchildcare centers. We must work with childcare advocates and caregivers to identify gaps in the system and how state dollars can be most effectively spent tosupport more families and children.
California ranks 49th among the 50 states in teacher-to-student ratio, 45th in school counselors, and 48th in school administrators. We also rank near the bottom in terms of school nurses, with approximately one nurse for every 2,400 students and no nurses at all in some smaller counties. What are your thoughts on these rankings, and what should be done in response?
I have been proud to stand with teachers and school staff in advocating for better staffing and more funding for our public education system and will continueto do so. Under-staffing of schools is one of our biggest obstacles. The lack of staffing creates a vicious cycle that leads to burnout and turnover, perpetuatingthe teacher shortage. We should be working to attract the best and the brightest to the teaching profession with higher pay, better working conditions, andmore staff.
I was glad to see the legislature’s historic investment in K-12 funding in the recent state budget, but much of this was one-time funds and there is not a plan inplace to continue resourcing our schools. I support greater long-term funding for our schools, better staffing, and more progressive taxation to support publiceducation from pre-K through college.
California has the highest percentage of kids who are dual language learners, ages 0-5, (60%) and school-age English Learners (19%) in the country. How should the State support these students’ bilingual/multilingual potential? What are your thoughts on how educators in early education and TK-12 can be prepared to assist these students to meet their language development needs?
California’s children are incredibly diverse linguistically. This is both a strength and an equity challenge. We must apply evidence-based approaches tosupporting dual language learners in achieving proficiency in both English and their home language. Teachers should receive the training and resources theyneed to support language learners and help them realize the benefits and potential of our state’s great language diversity.
Over the past 45 years, state spending on higher education has dropped from 18% to 6% of the state budget. What is your position on funding for public higher education?
I support better funding for our public higher education system. As political director with AFSCME 3299, the largest union representing employees at theUniversity of California, I worked to increase funding and to ensure that it was allocated to the classroom, to supporting the staff who make the UC run, and tomaking the UC more accessible by keeping tuition low and increasing financial aid, . Sufficiently funding higher education is also vital to addressing studentdebt, which is a crisis that has a disparate effect on communities of color―especially black women. Higher education is a crucial engine of economic mobilityand must remain accessible. This means not only funding the UC, but also the CSUs and our community college system, which is the largest higher educationsystem in the country and the first stop for nearly one half of UC graduates and the majority of CSU grads.
Over half (55%) of California’s kids are enrolled in Medi-Cal, but California performs near the bottom amongst all state Medicaid programs when it comes to children’s access to primary care physicians and important childhood screenings, especially for children of color. In addition, many California children lack access to oral health care, vision services, and mental health and substance abuse supports and services. What would you do to increase children’s timely access to these services?
Our healthcare system is expensive, wasteful, and broken. It is driven by profit-seeking insurance and pharmaceutical companies that put profit before people. Isupport universal healthcare.
Over the past two decades, mental health issues have grown from 9% to 19% as a percentage of all child hospitalizations; however, many families report extreme difficulty in securing mental health services to help their kids. What should be done to ensure that more children receive needed mental health supports and services?
We must increase access to mental healthcare for all, but especially to youth of color. While there is a shortage of providers in our state, there is also anunwillingness among HMOs and insurers to recognize that mental healthcare is healthcare. We must put significant resources into expanding our workforcetraining for mental healthcare providers, make mental healthcare more accessible, and work to remove the stigma of mental health issues through education.
By 11th grade, roughly half of California students have used alcohol, misused cold medicines or pain prescriptions, or used marijuana. California’s current piecemeal approach to youth substance use means that kids who need help are often punished by school suspension and expulsion policies, forcing many students to “fail first” before they get help. For example, State-funded treatment programs are not available in some counties and often difficult to access where they do exist. Those programs tend to be mainly for adults, lacking a unique focus on young people’s concerns and developmental needs. What do you think should be done to prevent young people from being harmed by substance use?
When I got to the legislature, I started to hear more stories from families and in the news about the opioid crisis – particularly fentanyl – and the number ofpeople that were dying. One of the stories that stood out to me when I was learning about it was the number of kids that were dying from fentanyl overdoses.As a mother, all I kept thinking about were my kids and how I would feel if my baby was playing in the park and accidentally overdosed, like we saw in SanFrancisco, or if my daughter – she’s 17 years old – what if she goes to a party and someone gives her a pill, god forbid, she takes it and dies? These are thestories that I started to hear over and over again.
When the FDA announced that they would make Narcan available over-the-counter, public health experts noted that a package could cost as much as $100 ormore―a price point that put it out of reach for many. I decided I needed to take action. In 2023, I introduced AB 1060, which capped out of pocket costs forOTC naloxone at $10 by requiring MediCal and private insurers to cover the drug. While my bill did not receive a signature from the Governor, it did start aconversation. Months ago, the Governor announced that California would begin manufacturing naloxone and making it available at $24 per package. Whilethere is still more work to do in this space, we are moving in the right direction. We need more education on the effects of opioids and the danger of buyingpills on the street. We also know that much of the dealing is happening through apps, so we need to look at holding big tech accountable for the role thatsocial media plays in facilitating the youth drug crisis.
California assumes responsibility for abused and neglected children when we remove them from their homes, and the State is legally obligated to ensure that children and youth in foster care receive vital services and supports to meet their unique needs and find safety, stability and success. Yet a third of youth in foster care don’t receive timely medical exams and youth in foster care have the lowest high school graduation rates (61% compared to 87% overall). How would you strengthen the child welfare system?
Our foster care system must provide safe, stable, and loving homes to the children in our care, as well as opportunities to pursue education and develop intoindependent adults. I admire the work of Children Now in holding the state accountable for this crucial responsibility. This work is vital to creating safe andthriving communities. As your assemblymember, I pledge to work with your organization and other child welfare advocacy groups to address foster care issuesand identify ways we can improve this very important system.
While homelessness is a major issue in California, youth homelessness tends to get short shrift, even though 50% of the chronically homeless population had their first experience of homelessness before the age of 25. What would you do to sustain and increase funding specifically for housing programs for youth, and what other measures would you take to prioritize youth homelessness?
I believe that housing is a human right. The housing crisis is also an affordability crisis. East Bay working families are getting priced out of the region. So manyare falling behind and can no longer afford to live in the places where they work. This is especially true in communities of color, for young people just startingtheir careers and for many of our essential workers. To address this issue, I’ll champion development that generates local jobs and home ownershipopportunities for teachers, firefighters, essential workers, and future generations. Both homeowners and renters should have the protection they need to stay intheir East Bay homes. My leadership in creating more family-supporting jobs and housing goes hand in hand with expanding family shelters, transitionalhousing, substance abuse, and mental health programs.
During the 2023 session, I supported several bills to address the housing crisis during, including AB 12, which was signed by the Governor and will limit whatlandlords can charge for rental deposits; as well as several bills aimed at increasing the supply of affordable housing in California.
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California ranks among the top states in per capita expenditures on a number of government programs (i.e. corrections, law enforcement, general government), but is just near or below the national average on expenditures for kids’ programs, including education and Medi-Cal. What are your thoughts on this prioritization of expenditures and what, if any, changes would you make in this regard?
California spending on education does seem to be about average among states, even though California is an expensive state. And disparities between school
districts that have persisted for decades persist. The questions are whether spending more per student would improve learning and how this state, facing a
monumental budget shortfall, would find a way to spend more on education. I lack the expertise to know the answers at this juncture.
Only 25% of working families have access to a licensed child care space. While the State has committed to expand subsidized child care slots by 200,000 over the next few years, many families will still lack affordable access to quality child care, especially families with infants and toddlers. What should the state government do to ensure that all families have access to high-quality affordable child care?
This issue lies well beyond my expertise. I would welcome the opportunity to learn more about it.
California ranks 49th among the 50 states in teacher-to-student ratio, 45th in school counselors, and 48th in school administrators. We also rank near the bottom in terms of school nurses, with approximately one nurse for every 2,400 students and no nurses at all in some smaller counties. What are your thoughts on these rankings, and what should be done in response?
It is difficult to answer these questions without being able to verify their premises. It would be irresponsible for me simply to assume that they are accurate. If in
future candidate surveys you can provide sources for the stated data, that will be helpful.
California has the highest percentage of kids who are dual language learners, ages 0-5, (60%) and school-age English Learners (19%) in the country. How should the State support these students’ bilingual/multilingual potential? What are your thoughts on how educators in early education and TK-12 can be prepared to assist these students to meet their language development needs?
Learning another language is crucial for all students who are capable of it, not just English-language learners. I have read this book and recommend it, although it’s focused not just on school but the issue generally: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/i-can-be-bilingual-a-guide-for-dual-language-development-in-the-early-
years_rebecca-green/39119647/item/57650493/#edition=67256753&idiq=57650493
Over the past 45 years, state spending on higher education has dropped from 18% to 6% of the state budget. What is your position on funding for public higher education?
Among other things, we’d have to look at all funding sources: state, federal, and local. Another criterion would be the growth of the state budget overall in the
past 45 years. If the budget rose by a factor of 10 and the percentage of education spending dropped by a factor of 3 as stated in the question, that would
mean that education spending went up 3.33 times over 45 years in absolute terms. But I don’t know if the question accounts for inflation. Without undertaking
that research, it is difficult for me to provide a meaningful answer.
Over half (55%) of California’s kids are enrolled in Medi-Cal, but California performs near the bottom amongst all state Medicaid programs when it comes to children’s access to primary care physicians and important childhood screenings, especially for children of color. In addition, many California children lack access to oral health care, vision services, and mental health and substance abuse supports and services. What would you do to increase children’s timely access to these services?
(No response)
Over the past two decades, mental health issues have grown from 9% to 19% as a percentage of all child hospitalizations; however, many families report extreme difficulty in securing mental health services to help their kids. What should be done to ensure that more children receive needed mental health supports and services?
As you know, federal legislation is correctly premised on the concept that mental health is part of overall health. The Biden administration has stated that it
“recently updated [the] Medicaid School Claiming and Administrative Guide and proposed a rule that would make it easier for schools to bill Medicaid by
streamlining billing processes and permissions.” Obviously, these issues involve mental health care for minor generally. It is worrisome to read reviews of
Jonathan Haidt’s new book that asserts, I gather, that smartphones are damaging teenagers’ mental health. Smartphone should not be allowed in schools
during the school day and parents will have to get over the idea that they must be able to reach their children instantly while they are in school. In a true
emergency, they can call the school office.
By 11th grade, roughly half of California students have used alcohol, misused cold medicines or pain prescriptions, or used marijuana. California’s current piecemeal approach to youth substance use means that kids who need help are often punished by school suspension and expulsion policies, forcing many students to “fail first” before they get help. For example, State-funded treatment programs are not available in some counties and often difficult to access where they do exist. Those programs tend to be mainly for adults, lacking a unique focus on young people’s concerns and developmental needs. What do you think should be done to prevent young people from being harmed by substance use?
That responsibility lies with their parents. As former Gov. Jerry Brown once famously said, “Not every human problem deserves a law. I believe parents have the
ability and responsibility to make good decisions for their children.” Schools should be primarily devoted to teaching; they cannot be surrogate parents. Of course teachers should be able to alert parents to evidence of substance abuse that they suspect.
California assumes responsibility for abused and neglected children when we remove them from their homes, and the State is legally obligated to ensure that children and youth in foster care receive vital services and supports to meet their unique needs and find safety, stability and success. Yet a third of youth in foster care don’t receive timely medical exams and youth in foster care have the lowest high school graduation rates (61% compared to 87% overall). How would you strengthen the child welfare system?
I was not aware of these two issues, if the data are accurate, and would need to learn more about them. I am familiar with the child welfare institutions in four
California counties and believe that they do a good job.
While homelessness is a major issue in California, youth homelessness tends to get short shrift, even though 50% of the chronically homeless population had their first experience of homelessness before the age of 25. What would you do to sustain and increase funding specifically for housing programs for youth, and what other measures would you take to prioritize youth homelessness?
If a minor is homeless, that minor must be placed in foster care or receive some sort of equivalent relief, such as placement with relatives, so that he or she no
longer is homeless. As stated above, I am familiar with the child welfare institutions in four California counties and believe that they do a good job.
Question
Reply
California ranks among the top states in per capita expenditures on a number of government programs (i.e. corrections, law enforcement, general government), but is just near or below the national average on expenditures for kids’ programs, including education and Medi-Cal. What are your thoughts on this prioritization of expenditures and what, if any, changes would you make in this regard?
Our spending priorities are deeply misaligned when we invest more in prisons than in our children’s future. Investments in children’s programs are not just morally right—they are cost-effective. When we prioritize education, childcare, and healthcare for kids, we get a return on our investment by reducing future costs related to incarceration, health care, and unemployment. We know that a high-quality early learning is key to closing our academic achievement gap. Early childhood education programs like transitional kindergarten and quality childcare can dramatically improve a child’s academic success and economic mobility, reducing reliance on social safety nets later in life. Programs like Medi-Cal ensure kids grow up healthy and ready to learn, while proper funding for K-12 education is key to creating a skilled workforce that can strengthen our economy.
Only 25% of working families have access to a licensed child care space. While the State has committed to expand subsidized child care slots by 200,000 over the next few years, many families will still lack affordable access to quality child care, especially families with infants and toddlers. What should the state government do to ensure that all families have access to high-quality affordable child care?
The State of California must finally recognize child care as a key force in allowing families to uplift themselves. California has a major gap when it comes to
affordable child care, especially for infants and toddlers. Right now, only 1 in 9 kids who qualify for subsidized care actually get a spot, and this shortage hits low-income families the hardest. The state needs to fast-track the creation of the additional childcare slots and child care providers need better pay and support. Right now, many are struggling with low wages, and this is driving people out of the field, making it even harder for families to find care. Simplifying the eligibility process and making sure subsidies actually cover the cost of care are also critical.
California ranks 49th among the 50 states in teacher-to-student ratio, 45th in school counselors, and 48th in school administrators. We also rank near the bottom in terms of school nurses, with approximately one nurse for every 2,400 students and no nurses at all in some smaller counties. What are your thoughts on these rankings, and what should be done in response?
As a Trustee on the Santa Clara County Board of Education, I have supported wide-scale initiatives to strengthen our education workforce and pipeline, including efforts to expand teacher residency programs. Recently, our Office became a Statewide Residency Technical Assistance Center, and we are working to enhance support for teachers and school counselors through residency programs. I believe this initiative can serve as a statewide model for how we can better recruit, train, and retain educators across California, focusing on best practices, cost reduction, and sustainability planning. To tackle our workforce shortages, we need to expand residency and credentialing programs that streamline pathways to teaching and counseling careers. We must also offer financial incentives, such as loan forgiveness and competitive salaries, to attract more individuals into these fields.
California has the highest percentage of kids who are dual language learners, ages 0-5, (60%) and school-age English Learners (19%) in the country. How should the State support these students’ bilingual/multilingual potential? What are your thoughts on how educators in early education and TK-12 can be prepared to assist these students to meet their language development needs?
The state should prioritize expanding dual language immersion programs and increasing the number of bilingual educators. As a County Board of Education
Trustee, our Office hosts the Seal of Biliteracy initiative to recognize high school seniors who have mastered two or more languages upon graduation. This initiative is part of a broader effort to promote multilingualism from preschool through high school. Programs like the Seal of Biliteracy provide a strong foundation for promoting biliteracy and multicultural competency. As part of my work, I’ve supported efforts that encourage teacher training focused on bilingual education and cultural competency. This includes expanding partnerships between school districts and programs like the California Association for Bilingual Education (CABE) to strengthen support for educators. Educators in early education and TK-12 need better access to professional development that equips them with the tools to help students meet their language development needs.
Over the past 45 years, state spending on higher education has dropped from 18% to 6% of the state budget. What is your position on funding for public higher education?
We spend more on our prison system in the State of California than on our UC’s and CSU’s combined. In the 2023-24 budget, the Governor and Legislature
allocated $14 billion from the General Fund to Corrections, while only $4.8 billion went to the University of California and $5 billion to the California State University system. This disparity in funding priorities must be addressed. For higher education to fulfill its promise, we need accountability in how funds are spent. Universities and colleges must prioritize teaching, research, and student success over administrative overhead, ensuring that investments benefit students directly. This requires transparency and a focus on outcomes. I am committed to increasing state investment in public higher education and holding institutions accountable for using these funds to high-quality education. This includes expanding financial aid programs, addressing student housing and food insecurity, and providing debt-free pathways.
Over half (55%) of California’s kids are enrolled in Medi-Cal, but California performs near the bottom amongst all state Medicaid programs when it comes to children’s access to primary care physicians and important childhood screenings, especially for children of color. In addition, many California children lack access to oral health care, vision services, and mental health and substance abuse supports and services. What would you do to increase children’s timely access to these services?
My work on the Santa Clara County Board of Education has been centered on increasing access to healthcare services for students. Our Office collaborated with
Community Health Partnerships and the School Health Clinics of Santa Clara County to open the Gilroy Neighborhood Health Clinic and the Santa Clara County
Office of Education South County Annex. South County is an historically under resourced area and our Board has strongly advocated for bringing more services
to this area. Since 2021, the South County Annex has expanded special education services and served as a COVID-19 testing site, administering over 75,000 tests in partnership with Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. The location continues to provide medical care through a partnership with the School Health Clinics of Santa Clara County, focusing on affordable and accessible care for children and families.
Additionally, during the COVID-19 pandemic, I worked closely with community health centers to ensure equitable vaccine distribution. In Senator Dave Cortese’s Office, I worked with a wide coalition to help secure $7.6 million in funding for the Bay Area, which was used to expand vaccination sites in hard-hit communities, ensuring that underserved populations, including students and families, had access to vaccinations. To improve Medi-Cal access, I would advocate for increasing reimbursement rates and expanding partnerships between schools and community health centers to provide on-site care for children. Having worked with frontline heroes during the pandemic, I understand the barriers that prevent many families from accessing healthcare. I will continue to push for policies that expand Medi-Cal’s reach. I have listened to the personal stories of individuals rationing medication, delaying treatment, and struggling to afford necessary care. These experiences underscore the urgent need for comprehensive healthcare reform in California. As a State Assembly candidate, I am deeply committed to ensuring that every Californian has access to quality and affordable healthcare, regardless of income, employment, or pre-existing conditions.
Over the past two decades, mental health issues have grown from 9% to 19% as a percentage of all child hospitalizations; however, many families report extreme difficulty in securing mental health services to help their kids. What should be done to ensure that more children receive needed mental health supports and services?
On the Santa Clara County Board of Education, we have championed groundbreaking and comprehensive initiatives to address the escalating mental health crisis among students, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. We collaborated with schools across the county, responding to the urgent need
highlighted by increasing mental health issues, suicides, substance abuse, and self-harm among middle and high school students. A pivotal step was the creation of the Department of Student Health and Wellness, focused on enhancing student well-being and engagement. We launched dozens of wellness centers in our schools. These centers, offering a variety of services including counseling, were guided by the insights of individual Youth Advisory Groups, ensuring alignment with student needs. The initiative’s success was marked by positive outcomes, widespread acceptance, and further expansion, demonstrating a seamless integration of health and educational goals. Building on this, the state can further support mental health by expanding stigma-free, peer-driven school-based wellness programs. Increasing funding for programs that foster partnerships between schools and counties, similar to the Mental Health Student Services Act, is crucial. Additionally, the state should focus on expanding mental health bed availability, especially in underserved areas, and shifting from a criminal to a medical approach for mental health issues,
particularly in the justice system.
By 11th grade, roughly half of California students have used alcohol, misused cold medicines or pain prescriptions, or used marijuana. California’s current piecemeal approach to youth substance use means that kids who need help are often punished by school suspension and expulsion policies, forcing many students to “fail first” before they get help. For example, State-funded treatment programs are not available in some counties and often difficult to access where they do exist. Those programs tend to be mainly for adults, lacking a unique focus on young people’s concerns and developmental needs. What do you think should be done to prevent young people from being harmed by substance use?
As a Santa Clara County Board of Education Trustee, I was proud to support opioid prevention initiatives that saved the lives of students in our County. I also
helped write and pass SB 10, which protects youth from fentanyl overdoses. Working with educators, students, families, and administrators, we successfully
pushed to get opioid antagonists like Narcan at school campuses, training for school employees about administering Narcan, prevention and education programs, and school safety plans at the local level. We need a holistic approach to substance use prevention that includes comprehensive education programs in schools and expanding access to mental health counseling.
California assumes responsibility for abused and neglected children when we remove them from their homes, and the State is legally obligated to ensure that children and youth in foster care receive vital services and supports to meet their unique needs and find safety, stability and success. Yet a third of youth in foster care don’t receive timely medical exams and youth in foster care have the lowest high school graduation rates (61% compared to 87% overall). How would you strengthen the child welfare system?
Approximately 4,000 youth age out of foster care in California every year, and one fifth of them end up homeless. To address this, I supported Senator Dave Cortese’s SB 9, which extends the age for youth in extended foster care, giving them an additional year of access to payment benefits and transitional support services. This extension is crucial for providing vulnerable youth with the support they need to transition into adulthood, whether that means attending college, securing employment, or finding stable housing. To strengthen the child welfare system, we must also address the root causes of instability. Programs like Santa Clara County’s universal basic income initiative for transition-age foster youth, which I helped work on back in 2019, provide direct financial assistance to help youth transition into adulthood with stability. I have and will continue to advocate for statewide expansion of similar programs, combined with comprehensive wraparound services, including mental health support, counseling, financial literacy, and housing assistance, to ensure these youth have the resources they need.
While homelessness is a major issue in California, youth homelessness tends to get short shrift, even though 50% of the chronically homeless population had their first experience of homelessness before the age of 25. What would you do to sustain and increase funding specifically for housing programs for youth, and what other measures would you take to prioritize youth homelessness?
There are over 15,000 unhoused 12th grade students in the state of California that graduate into homelessness each year. As Legislative Director to Senator
Dave Cortese, I was the lead staffer on SB 333 to provide financial support to homeless high school seniors as they transition to adulthood. I’ve worked with
Senator Dave Cortese and Supervisor Susan Ellenberg to start up this program as a pilot in Santa Clara County. This program gives graduating seniors $1,000
per month for four months to help them secure stable housing, enroll in college, or enter the workforce. Throughout this process, I encountered numerous obstacles and saw firsthand the lack of statewide programs supporting these youth, as well as the insufficient coordination between school districts, county offices of education, and the California Department of Education. To truly address youth homelessness, we need to break through these bureaucratic barriers and improve collaboration across all levels. I will continue to advocate for sustained state and federal funding to address youth homelessness, working with schools, social services, and housing providers to identify at-risk youth and connect them with essential resources.
Early intervention and support are key to breaking the cycle of homelessness.
Question
Reply
California ranks among the top states in per capita expenditures on a number of government programs (i.e. corrections, law enforcement, general government), but is just near or below the national average on expenditures for kids’ programs, including education and Medi-Cal. What are your thoughts on this prioritization of expenditures and what, if any, changes would you make in this regard?
The late Honorable Delaine Eastin frequently said that “budgets are a statement of our values.” That said, our spending on education, Medi-Cal, and anything
related to the well being of children and youth is concerning. As someone who grew up in foster care and experienced homelessness I know firsthand the
impact that investing in kids can have. When we don’t prioritize education, healthcare, and support for our children, we’re setting them up to struggle—and I’ve
lived that reality. I’ve seen how access to a good education and quality healthcare can make all the difference. These are not just government programs; they’re lifelines. They help kids stay healthy, stay in school, and have a shot at a brighter future. But right now, California’s spending doesn’t reflect the importance of these programs, and that needs to change. If elected, I’ll fight to shift our state’s budget to put kids first. This means more funding for schools, starting from early childhood all the way through college, so every kid has a fair shot at success. I’ll also work to expand Medi-Cal and other healthcare services for children, especially those in historically underinvested areas, because no child should be left behind when it comes to their health. I’ll also push to find and fix wasteful spending in other areas to make sure we’re using our resources wisely. By investing in kids now, we can reduce the need for spending on things like prisons and emergency services later. It’s about making smart, compassionate choices that support our kids because children represent the future of our communities.
Only 25% of working families have access to a licensed child care space. While the State has committed to expand subsidized child care slots by 200,000 over the next few years, many families will still lack affordable access to quality child care, especially families with infants and toddlers. What should the state government do to ensure that all families have access to high-quality affordable child care?
First, I want to acknowledge the incredible work Children Now and coalitions across the State of California did in advocating for the Governor to sign the
budget, securing funding for child care slot expansion.
I remember the first time I ever tasted a kiwi—it was in my Head Start classroom. Due to my difficult upbringing, it was the only place I ever had fruit. Programs
like Head Start gave me, and so many other kids, a safe space to learn and grow, offering things we otherwise wouldn’t have had. That experience drives my
passion for ensuring all families have access to high-quality, affordable early childhood education.
Infant and toddler child care slots are the most expensive and hardest to access in the system. It’s unacceptable that only 25% of working families can access
licensed child care. Child care is crucial for child development, essential for working parents, and the foundation of a stable economy. While the State’s
expansion of 200,000 subsidized child care slots is a step in the right direction, it’s not enough.
To truly support families, we need to increase funding for child care subsidies, particularly for families with infants and toddlers. We must also invest in the child
care workforce by improving pay, training, and benefits to attract and retain quality caregivers. Additionally, we should reduce barriers to access by encouraging
businesses to provide on-site care and streamline licensing processes for providers.
California ranks 49th among the 50 states in teacher-to-student ratio, 45th in school counselors, and 48th in school administrators. We also rank near the bottom in terms of school nurses, with approximately one nurse for every 2,400 students and no nurses at all in some smaller counties. What are your thoughts on these rankings, and what should be done in response?
These rankings are alarming and underscore a critical issue in California’s education system, revealing that our students are not receiving the individualized
attention they need to succeed. The shortage of counselors, administrators, and nurses significantly impacts both academic and emotional support. To address
this, we must increase funding for education with a focus on hiring more teachers, counselors, nurses, and administrators, particularly from diverse
communities. This approach would not only improve the student-to-staff ratio but also ensure that our diverse student population has access to professionals
who reflect their communities. We must prioritize equitable distribution of resources, ensuring that even smaller counties have access to qualified professionals.
Investing in our education system now is key to improving outcomes and giving every student a chance to thrive.
California has the highest percentage of kids who are dual language learners, ages 0-5, (60%) and school-age English Learners (19%) in the country. How should the State support these students’ bilingual/multilingual potential? What are your thoughts on how educators in early education and TK-12 can be prepared to assist these students to meet their language development needs?
California’s high percentage of dual language learners and English learners presents both a challenge and an opportunity for our education system. To support
these students, we should invest in comprehensive language development programs and resources. This requires collaboration with students and their families
to identify the specific support each student needs and to implement the most effective strategies. We also need to expand access to high-quality bilingual
education and immersion programs that nurture students’ native languages while building proficiency in English.
We need to support our educators to meet the needs of these learners with targeted professional development and cultural competency. As someone who
grew up in a low-income household and faced academic challenges due to a learning disability, I know firsthand the difference that dedicated support can
make. The guidance of my teachers and counselors, along with access to after-school programs, were instrumental in my success. I firmly believe that with the right support, every student has the potential to succeed. Therefore, we must increase access to counselors, tutors, mentors, after-
school programs, and other critical resources to help dual language learners succeed academically.
Over the past 45 years, state spending on higher education has dropped from 18% to 6% of the state budget. What is your position on funding for public higher education?
As the first in my family to attend college, I understand the importance of a quality education. One of my top priorities is advocating for increased funding to
strengthen and invest in our public education system. I will work to expand opportunities for students to pursue higher education affordably, ensuring that
families aren’t weighed down by excessive debt.
Over half (55%) of California’s kids are enrolled in Medi-Cal, but California performs near the bottom amongst all state Medicaid programs when it comes to children’s access to primary care physicians and important childhood screenings, especially for children of color. In addition, many California children lack access to oral health care, vision services, and mental health and substance abuse supports and services. What would you do to increase children’s timely access to these services?
For low-income families, accessing medical care can be a significant challenge, often due to obstacles like transportation, high costs, or long wait times for
appointments, which can severely impact their ability to access primary care, oral health, vision services, and mental health support.To ensure access, we must
address the structural barriers that prevent them from receiving timely care and bring healthcare services directly into communities. Mobile optometric clinics,
for example, can provide essential eye exams for students within their communities. Locally, Healthier Kids Foundation provides routine early vision and hearing
screenings at school sites, child care providers, and in partnership with community based organizations by meeting the families where they are. By bringing
these services to local schools and neighborhoods, we can ensure that all children receive the eye care they need without the added burden of travel and
expense, thereby improving their overall health and academic performance.
To sustain and scale this access, we should also invest in building a robust healthcare workforce infrastructure. This involves increasing funding for training and education programs to attract more primary care physicians, dentists, mental health professionals, and specialists who can serve historically disinvested & low-
income communities. Special attention should be given to recruiting a diverse workforce that reflects the communities they serve, particularly to improve outcomes for children of color. As a community college trustee, I’m proud to report that Foothill DeAnza Community College District offers a menu of
affordable options to educate and train Community Health Workers, apprentices, and those in health technology. Which is why we should also explore
partnerships between state and local governments, schools, colleges and healthcare providers to incentivize and train the workforce to work directly in
communities.
Over the past two decades, mental health issues have grown from 9% to 19% as a percentage of all child hospitalizations; however, many families report extreme difficulty in securing mental health services to help their kids. What should be done to ensure that more children receive needed mental health supports and services?
California’s diversity means that mental health is viewed differently across cultures, and many of my friends have shared how it’s often stigmatized in their
communities. Since the pandemic, student mental health challenges have increased significantly, making it even more urgent to normalize mental health and
create an environment where seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness or shame. We can start by encouraging culturally sensitive conversations around
mental wellness and expanding the number of counselors and psychologists in schools to support students. Additionally, we need to make mental health
services more accessible through telehealth, which is especially important for families who may face barriers to in-person care.
For our low-income families on Medi-Cal, it’s essential to increase reimbursement rates to ensure more providers are available. Higher reimbursement rates will
incentivize more mental health professionals to accept Medi-Cal, expanding access to care for those who need it most and ensuring that no child is left without
critical mental health support.
By 11th grade, roughly half of California students have used alcohol, misused cold medicines or pain prescriptions, or used marijuana. California’s current piecemeal approach to youth substance use means that kids who need help are often punished by school suspension and expulsion policies, forcing many students to “fail first” before they get help. For example, State-funded treatment programs are not available in some counties and often difficult to access where they do exist. Those programs tend to be mainly for adults, lacking a unique focus on young people’s concerns and developmental needs. What do you think should be done to prevent young people from being harmed by substance use?
I grew up with parents who abused drugs, so I understand firsthand the impact substance use can have on a young person’s life. It’s tragic that many young
people struggling with addiction are having difficulty accessing the care they need. To address this, we must prioritize education and early intervention in our
schools, helping students understand the risks of substance use and develop healthier coping strategies. We also need to expand access to state-funded
treatment programs specifically designed for youth, particularly in underserved counties, to ensure young people receive the support and care they need to
recover. By focusing on prevention, early intervention, and accessible treatment, we can better safeguard young people from the harmful effects of substance
use and support their overall well-being.
California assumes responsibility for abused and neglected children when we remove them from their homes, and the State is legally obligated to ensure that children and youth in foster care receive vital services and supports to meet their unique needs and find safety, stability and success. Yet a third of youth in foster care don’t receive timely medical exams and youth in foster care have the lowest high school graduation rates (61% compared to 87% overall). How would you strengthen the child welfare system?
Having grown up within the foster care system, I understand the importance of a coordinated support network for children in care. Family members, social
workers, and other professionals must work together to support each child. Many foster children experience trauma and need access to counseling, therapy,
medical care, and educational assistance. I believe, whenever possible, children should be placed with relatives or extended family members instead of in group
homes. To make this option viable, we need to provide adequate rates, support, and resources to these relatives.
While homelessness is a major issue in California, youth homelessness tends to get short shrift, even though 50% of the chronically homeless population had their first experience of homelessness before the age of 25. What would you do to sustain and increase funding specifically for housing programs for youth, and what other measures would you take to prioritize youth homelessness?
Youth homelessness is a deeply personal issue for me. As someone who faced multiple bouts of homelessness in my youth, including living in my car as a full-
time college student, I understand the urgent need to address this crisis. This is a passion project of mine, and I am not waiting to get elected to the State Assembly to take action. As a community college trustee, I helped shepherd an historic $890 million bond for Foothill-De Anza Community College, enabling us
to build affordable housing for students and teachers.
To truly address youth homelessness, we must build more affordable housing and create a housing stipend program for youth. This stipend would provide
young people, especially students, with the stability they need to focus on their education and future without the constant worry of housing insecurity.
But this is not something young people struggling with homelessness should have to figure out on their own. We must work together as a community—
housing providers, lawmakers, and all jurisdictions—to tackle this issue head-on. It’s unacceptable to expect someone working multiple jobs just to survive to
also navigate a broken system. All stakeholders need to pitch in, as my community college district is doing by building affordable housing on our property for
both students and staff.
Finally, we also need to expand wraparound services, such as mental health support, job training, and financial literacy programs, to ensure once housed, youth
have the resources to remain stable and independent. By investing in both housing and these critical services, we can break the cycle of youth homelessness
and ensure a safe and secure future for our children and youth.
Question
Reply
California ranks among the top states in per capita expenditures on a number of government programs (i.e. corrections, law enforcement, general government), but is just near or below the national average on expenditures for kids’ programs, including education and Medi-Cal. What are your thoughts on this prioritization of expenditures and what, if any, changes would you make in this regard?
As a former educator, a product of public schools and someone who grew up in a working class family, I know first hand how life changing youth and
education programs can be for children. Making the needed investment to provide these opportunities to all children is not only the right thing to do but also
the most prudent. That is why I voted to invest $2.8 billion to increase preschool and childcare participation (SB101), expand state subsidized childcare (SB 163),
and voted to increase Medi-Cal reimbursement rates to help protect and expand access.
Only 25% of working families have access to a licensed child care space. While the State has committed to expand subsidized child care slots by 200,000 over the next few years, many families will still lack affordable access to quality child care, especially families with infants and toddlers. What should the state government do to ensure that all families have access to high-quality affordable child care?
I voted in favor of the plan to create 200,000 new subsidized childcare slots. I see it as an important step towards continually growing the number of available
slots to meet demand. In order to do so, I am pursuing a number of strategies, including: 1) a continually budgetary increase year over year to expand slots, 2) a
dedicated revenue stream perhaps through ballot initiative, and 3) incentives for employers to provide or subsidize child care.
California ranks 49th among the 50 states in teacher-to-student ratio, 45th in school counselors, and 48th in school administrators. We also rank near the bottom in terms of school nurses, with approximately one nurse for every 2,400 students and no nurses at all in some smaller counties. What are your thoughts on these rankings, and what should be done in response?
The low staffing ratios in California’s schools are unacceptable. Teachers, counselors, and nurses play critical roles in a student’s education and well-being. We need to increase funding to hire more educators and support staff while also offering competitive salaries to attract and retain talent. Expanding programs that
provide grants or student loan forgiveness for individuals entering the teaching or school health professions could also help fill these gaps. Our students
deserve a safe and supportive learning environment, and staffing is a critical component of that. I was proud to introduce a bill earlier this year that will allow
our community colleges to credential nurses. This program would expand the availability and accessibility of attaining a nursing degree, allowing constituents
like mine in the Central Valley to receive education where they live and ultimately work in the communities that they understand best.
California has the highest percentage of kids who are dual language learners, ages 0-5, (60%) and school-age English Learners (19%) in the country. How should the State support these students’ bilingual/multilingual potential? What are your thoughts on how educators in early education and TK-12 can be prepared to assist these students to meet their language development needs?
California’s diversity is one of its greatest strengths, and our large population of dual language learners reflects that. Expansion of language immersion
programs as well as dual language classroom environments as a norm will not only benefit dual language learners but also native English speakers.
Multilingualism is an asset, not a barrier, and by fostering these skills early, we set students up for long-term success. To ensure students are successful, we need
to invest in bilingual education programs, expand professional development for educators, and ensure that early education and TK-12 teachers are equipped
with the tools they need to support language development. That’s why I championed AB 1106, which focuses on incentivizing bilingual teacher credentialing
programs for early childhood education, helping address the shortage of qualified multilingual educators.
Over the past 45 years, state spending on higher education has dropped from 18% to 6% of the state budget. What is your position on funding for public higher education?
The decline in funding for higher education is deeply troubling. Public universities and community colleges are critical pathways to economic mobility for
California’s students. I support restoring higher education funding to ensure tuition remains affordable and students have access to quality education. I have
witnessed firsthand the transformative power of education, having attained my undergraduate and law degrees from California’s public universities. In my
tenure as a professor at Fresno City College, I saw the difference attainable education makes for students. I have and will continue to be a champion for
increased public higher education funding.
Over half (55%) of California’s kids are enrolled in Medi-Cal, but California performs near the bottom amongst all state Medicaid programs when it comes to children’s access to primary care physicians and important childhood screenings, especially for children of color. In addition, many California children lack access to oral health care, vision services, and mental health and substance abuse supports and services. What would you do to increase children’s timely access to these services?
Expanding healthcare access for children, particularly those on Medi-Cal, is a top priority. We need to ensure that children receive timely access to primary care,
dental, vision, and mental health services. To achieve this, I support expanding reimbursement rates for healthcare providers who serve Medi-Cal patients to
incentivize more providers to participate in the program. Additionally, we need better outreach to families, ensuring they are aware of the services available to
them. This year I held 12 back to school health resource fairs to help bridge the gap in resources for children living in rural communities.
Over the past two decades, mental health issues have grown from 9% to 19% as a percentage of all child hospitalizations; however, many families report extreme difficulty in securing mental health services to help their kids. What should be done to ensure that more children receive needed mental health supports and services?
Children’s mental health must be a priority. With the rise in child hospitalizations for mental health issues, we need to address the shortage of mental health
services in schools and communities. I support increasing funding for school-based mental health professionals, expanding telehealth options, and ensuring
children in underserved areas have access to these critical services. Early intervention is key, and by providing children with the resources they need, we can
prevent larger issues down the road.
By 11th grade, roughly half of California students have used alcohol, misused cold medicines or pain prescriptions, or used marijuana. California’s current piecemeal approach to youth substance use means that kids who need help are often punished by school suspension and expulsion policies, forcing many students to “fail first” before they get help. For example, State-funded treatment programs are not available in some counties and often difficult to access where they do exist. Those programs tend to be mainly for adults, lacking a unique focus on young people’s concerns and developmental needs. What do you think should be done to prevent young people from being harmed by substance use?
The current approach to youth substance abuse is not working. Rather than punishing students, we should focus on early prevention and intervention
programs. This includes increasing access to school counselors and health education programs that focus on substance abuse prevention. Additionally, we
need more youth-specific treatment programs that are accessible to students regardless of their location or income level. By taking a more proactive,
compassionate approach, we can help students before they reach a crisis point.
California assumes responsibility for abused and neglected children when we remove them from their homes, and the State is legally obligated to ensure that children and youth in foster care receive vital services and supports to meet their unique needs and find safety, stability and success. Yet a third of youth in foster care don’t receive timely medical exams and youth in foster care have the lowest high school graduation rates (61% compared to 87% overall). How would you strengthen the child welfare system?
California’s foster care system needs serious reform. Ensuring timely access to medical care, mental health services, and educational support is critical for the
success of these children. I support increasing funding for foster care services, ensuring that every child has access to a caseworker who can advocate for their
needs, and expanding programs that support foster youth as they transition into adulthood. Education is key to breaking the cycle of poverty and instability,
and foster youth deserve every opportunity to succeed.
While homelessness is a major issue in California, youth homelessness tends to get short shrift, even though 50% of the chronically homeless population had their first experience of homelessness before the age of 25. What would you do to sustain and increase funding specifically for housing programs for youth, and what other measures would you take to prioritize youth homelessness?
Youth homelessness is a growing issue that requires immediate attention. To address this, we need to expand housing programs specifically designed for youth,
with wraparound services that address their unique needs, such as mental health support, job training, and education. I support increasing funding for youth
shelters and transitional housing programs, and I believe we must work with local governments to ensure that young people have access to the resources they
need to break the cycle of homelessness.
Question
Reply
California ranks among the top states in per capita expenditures on a number of government programs (i.e. corrections, law enforcement, general government), but is just near or below the national average on expenditures for kids’ programs, including education and Medi-Cal. What are your thoughts on this prioritization of expenditures and what, if any, changes would you make in this regard?
Kid programs need to be supplemented for homeschoolers. Unfortunately the public, charter and state funded schools are no longer teaching children what
they need to learn to be successful adults. For Medi-Cal, we should be prioritizing for children. Putting pressure on our reps will accomplish this. Right now
most parents are not aware, so I would get the info out to working parents and who is responsible for not prioritizing Medi-Cal.
Only 25% of working families have access to a licensed child care space. While the State has committed to expand subsidized child care slots by 200,000 over the next few years, many families will still lack affordable access to quality child care, especially families with infants and toddlers. What should the state government do to ensure that all families have access to high-quality affordable child care?
The state government should be supplementing families for the childcare of their choice, much like School Choice.
California ranks 49th among the 50 states in teacher-to-student ratio, 45th in school counselors, and 48th in school administrators. We also rank near the bottom in terms of school nurses, with approximately one nurse for every 2,400 students and no nurses at all in some smaller counties. What are your thoughts on these rankings, and what should be done in response?
I believe in homeschooling. Our public schools are not going to get better by more bonds i.e. more money thrown at it. It is broken beyond repair at this point
until schools are again in sync with parents. Due to the anti-parental rights legislation that are becoming laws, parents will not be notified of their child’s
preferences of gender, name changes, or if 12 and older and the child wants to leave their home and go to a state run facility without notifying the parents. This
includes if they want hormone therapy!
California has the highest percentage of kids who are dual language learners, ages 0-5, (60%) and school-age English Learners (19%) in the country. How should the State support these students’ bilingual/multilingual potential? What are your thoughts on how educators in early education and TK-12 can be prepared to assist these students to meet their language development needs?
My first language was not English, it was Italian. I had to learn it in Kindergarten, and I did very quickly. Children need to learn English to be successful in
America. It’s best they learn it as soon as possible instead of enabling them not to learn English.
Over the past 45 years, state spending on higher education has dropped from 18% to 6% of the state budget. What is your position on funding for public higher education?
Scholarships. There are so many great non-profits that provide them. We don’t need state funding. We need non-profits and churches to step up more. If we
did this more, higher education would truly be, higher.
Over half (55%) of California’s kids are enrolled in Medi-Cal, but California performs near the bottom amongst all state Medicaid programs when it comes to children’s access to primary care physicians and important childhood screenings, especially for children of color. In addition, many California children lack access to oral health care, vision services, and mental health and substance abuse supports and services. What would you do to increase children’s timely access to these services?
Depending on the parents income, subsidize it for medical and dental care to a medical facility of their choice.
Over the past two decades, mental health issues have grown from 9% to 19% as a percentage of all child hospitalizations; however, many families report extreme difficulty in securing mental health services to help their kids. What should be done to ensure that more children receive needed mental health supports and services?
Mental health issues have grown due to the obscene curriculum in our schools. Calling all parents- there are avenues to homeschool your child. The schools are
only confusing our kids and causing mental anguish. Are you a girl? Are you a boy? Are you both? That is inside all of the curriculum, math, science, all of it.
By 11th grade, roughly half of California students have used alcohol, misused cold medicines or pain prescriptions, or used marijuana. California’s current piecemeal approach to youth substance use means that kids who need help are often punished by school suspension and expulsion policies, forcing many students to “fail first” before they get help. For example, State-funded treatment programs are not available in some counties and often difficult to access where they do exist. Those programs tend to be mainly for adults, lacking a unique focus on young people’s concerns and developmental needs. What do you think should be done to prevent young people from being harmed by substance use?
Again- homeschool your child if you love them. There are ways to do so without giving up your jobs and careers. If you saw a tenth of what they teach your
child you would pull them out today. https://hslda.org/
California assumes responsibility for abused and neglected children when we remove them from their homes, and the State is legally obligated to ensure that children and youth in foster care receive vital services and supports to meet their unique needs and find safety, stability and success. Yet a third of youth in foster care don’t receive timely medical exams and youth in foster care have the lowest high school graduation rates (61% compared to 87% overall). How would you strengthen the child welfare system?
Foster Care has completely failed in California. San Jose Mercury this year wrote a lengthy article on unsupervised kids in motel rooms in their care. Need I say
more? I do not want to strengthen that system, we need to revamp it completely. We must have a vetting system for the foster care parents and their families
that works. The one in place does not. Revamping the entire system is a must. Then we will focus the money. Throwing money at it now will do nothing, it will
go to the administration.
While homelessness is a major issue in California, youth homelessness tends to get short shrift, even though 50% of the chronically homeless population had their first experience of homelessness before the age of 25. What would you do to sustain and increase funding specifically for housing programs for youth, and what other measures would you take to prioritize youth homelessness?
Churches and other nonprofits have the opportunity to step into this and help. But again, throwing even more money at a broken system is not helping.
Mandatory drug rehab where needed is a must again in California. I was a nurse at a lockdown facility for the criminally insane. That’s their last stop. Let’s help
them with rehab before they get to that place.
Question
Reply
California ranks among the top states in per capita expenditures on a number of government programs (i.e. corrections, law enforcement, general government), but is just near or below the national average on expenditures for kids’ programs, including education and Medi-Cal. What are your thoughts on this prioritization of expenditures and what, if any, changes would you make in this regard?
In the 34th Assembly District, education is a real issue. Most of our K-12 Schools are underperforming and not preparing students for the future. Charter
Schools are graduating students without even basic proficiency in math or science, making even a community college education a challenge because students
must first catch up. California must place more emphasis on education.
Only 25% of working families have access to a licensed child care space. While the State has committed to expand subsidized child care slots by 200,000 over the next few years, many families will still lack affordable access to quality child care, especially families with infants and toddlers. What should the state government do to ensure that all families have access to high-quality affordable child care?
I think we need to find ways to make it easier for parents at or under the poverty level to apply for child care assistance, but we also need to make sure that
people have access to the type of childcare that meets their needs best. For some people, that is a licensed child care facility, for others it might be another
trusted adult. We need to support parents in child care choices, provide support for those who need it, and find ways to expand access where necessary.
California ranks 49th among the 50 states in teacher-to-student ratio, 45th in school counselors, and 48th in school administrators. We also rank near the bottom in terms of school nurses, with approximately one nurse for every 2,400 students and no nurses at all in some smaller counties. What are your thoughts on these rankings, and what should be done in response?
We simply need to reprioritize our schools and our students. California used to lead the nation in education, and we should demand a plan from the state that
puts our school systems back on top.
California has the highest percentage of kids who are dual language learners, ages 0-5, (60%) and school-age English Learners (19%) in the country. How should the State support these students’ bilingual/multilingual potential? What are your thoughts on how educators in early education and TK-12 can be prepared to assist these students to meet their language development needs?
I think that bilingual/multilingual education is key to improving our schools. Bilingual/multilingual education is often focused to much on making students
proficient in English, at the expense of other subjects. The challenge is to look at it holistically, to make sure that all students are getting a good education while
also becoming English proficient. It’s one more challenge faced by California schools that could be more adequately addressed with proper funding, especially
for underperforming schools.
Over the past 45 years, state spending on higher education has dropped from 18% to 6% of the state budget. What is your position on funding for public higher education?
We definitely to to expand classroom access in the Community College and Cal State systems. Students are waiting to long for classes necessary to graduate or
transfer. This is one area where even 10% increase in funding could make a huge difference.
Over half (55%) of California’s kids are enrolled in Medi-Cal, but California performs near the bottom amongst all state Medicaid programs when it comes to children’s access to primary care physicians and important childhood screenings, especially for children of color. In addition, many California children lack access to oral health care, vision services, and mental health and substance abuse supports and services. What would you do to increase children’s timely access to these services?
Healthcare access for children has been a centerpiece of my campaign because this issue has a huge impact on my district, where we lack the resources to even
treat our most vulnerable when their is an emergency. Children often have to be flown over an hour away in a crisis, and that is if weather conditions allow
helicopters to fly, which in our area, is often a challenge.
My position is this- Our communities are always only going to be as healthy and vibrant as our people are, and we are in a self-defeating cycle right now.
Children without access to proper nutrition and medical care miss more school. When they miss school, they don’t learn, and our schools suffer. We need to
find ways to do more.
Over the past two decades, mental health issues have grown from 9% to 19% as a percentage of all child hospitalizations; however, many families report extreme difficulty in securing mental health services to help their kids. What should be done to ensure that more children receive needed mental health supports and services?
Access is once again the issue here. First, educating parents on the resources that are available to them through the school system, and making sure schools
respond to requests for resources, like school therapists or IEPS. Making sure parents are aware of how to seek mental health services if they are on Medi-Cal,
and making sure parents with private health insurance are educated on how to find help that their insurance will cover. One of the biggest barriers to getting
mental healthcare support is the difficulty in navigating the system for parents.
By 11th grade, roughly half of California students have used alcohol, misused cold medicines or pain prescriptions, or used marijuana. California’s current piecemeal approach to youth substance use means that kids who need help are often punished by school suspension and expulsion policies, forcing many students to “fail first” before they get help. For example, State-funded treatment programs are not available in some counties and often difficult to access where they do exist. Those programs tend to be mainly for adults, lacking a unique focus on young people’s concerns and developmental needs. What do you think should be done to prevent young people from being harmed by substance use?
Intervention and diversion should always be a first step when kids are suspended for anything related to drug or alcohol use at school. Prevention really
requires on “all hands on deck” approach once a child has been in trouble. It requires parents, teachers, and administrators being invested in the outcome.
Young people simply do not belong in substance abuse programs that are geared toward adults. Addiction, at its core, is a mental health issue that requires age
appropriate care and support.
California assumes responsibility for abused and neglected children when we remove them from their homes, and the State is legally obligated to ensure that children and youth in foster care receive vital services and supports to meet their unique needs and find safety, stability and success. Yet a third of youth in foster care don’t receive timely medical exams and youth in foster care have the lowest high school graduation rates (61% compared to 87% overall). How would you strengthen the child welfare system?
As a former foster youth, this is a system I am well acquainted with. Its a system where accountability by foster parents needs to be a top priority. If children
aren’t getting medical care, aren’t enrolled in school, or they are missing to much school, the issue is not the child, its a lack of care. There needs to be more
reporting and supervision of Foster placements so its easier to determine when children are not getting the care they need.
While homelessness is a major issue in California, youth homelessness tends to get short shrift, even though 50% of the chronically homeless population had their first experience of homelessness before the age of 25. What would you do to sustain and increase funding specifically for housing programs for youth, and what other measures would you take to prioritize youth homelessness?
This is a complicated issue. Homelessness caused by mental health issues or substance use disorder are a huge factor, but for youth, family dynamics and
trauma also play a huge role. My local Community College has a locally funded program that is actually a good example of what can be done. They funded a couple group homes, largely paid for with money geared through the county and city to address homelessness, that was specifically targeted at youth enrolled in their school that were experiencing homelessness. It started with 8 students, and is currently serving at least 24. In addition to providing housing, it also provides supportive services and employment services. If our community college can do that, then it is a program that can be modeled to help other youth.
Question
Reply
California ranks among the top states in per capita expenditures on a number of government programs (i.e. corrections, law enforcement, general government), but is just near or below the national average on expenditures for kids’ programs, including education and Medi-Cal. What are your thoughts on this prioritization of expenditures and what, if any, changes would you make in this regard?
California spent $133B in 2021-22 and $127B in 2022-23, and yet our rankings are at the very bottom of the scale. Instead of fiscally committing to a broken
system, let’s ask ourselves what is wrong with the system that even with Billions spent our education system is one of the worst in the country. I want to
prioritize the auditing and holding accountable those that are unsuccessfully moving our kids through this broken education system.
Only 25% of working families have access to a licensed child care space. While the State has committed to expand subsidized child care slots by 200,000 over the next few years, many families will still lack affordable access to quality child care, especially families with infants and toddlers. What should the state government do to ensure that all families have access to high-quality affordable child care?
Just as we do with our seniors, a parent is able to select who cares for their children and if they require additional assistance. We need to assess and understand
why resources are needed and make policy choices that create independence and not dependency in a household. Independence is truly empowering an
individual rather than creating dependency to a program to survive.
California ranks 49th among the 50 states in teacher-to-student ratio, 45th in school counselors, and 48th in school administrators. We also rank near the bottom in terms of school nurses, with approximately one nurse for every 2,400 students and no nurses at all in some smaller counties. What are your thoughts on these rankings, and what should be done in response?
Look to the broken system and audit for success not complacency. CA largest spending in the budget is public welfare and elementary and secondary
education, if they are the largest budget items and yet it’s a failed and broken system then the answers are not in money but leadership and policy.
California has the highest percentage of kids who are dual language learners, ages 0-5, (60%) and school-age English Learners (19%) in the country. How should the State support these students’ bilingual/multilingual potential? What are your thoughts on how educators in early education and TK-12 can be prepared to assist these students to meet their language development needs?
The goal should be to immediately bring a student up to date in becoming an English speaking student. We currently keep English as a second language
students in these programs for far longer than necessary due to failing our students in transitioning them to primary English speakers, further compounding
the issues that these students will face.
Over the past 45 years, state spending on higher education has dropped from 18% to 6% of the state budget. What is your position on funding for public higher education?
Not needed.
Over half (55%) of California’s kids are enrolled in Medi-Cal, but California performs near the bottom amongst all state Medicaid programs when it comes to children’s access to primary care physicians and important childhood screenings, especially for children of color. In addition, many California children lack access to oral health care, vision services, and mental health and substance abuse supports and services. What would you do to increase children’s timely access to these services?
Ensure that parents have the power to determine the best care for their children. There is no one better than a parent to determine the care of their child, they
have the power to select what program best suits their family or child.
Over the past two decades, mental health issues have grown from 9% to 19% as a percentage of all child hospitalizations; however, many families report extreme difficulty in securing mental health services to help their kids. What should be done to ensure that more children receive needed mental health supports and services?
Same as above:
Ensure that parents have the power to determine the best care for their children. There is no one better than a parent to determine the care of their child, they
have the power to select what program best suits their family or child.
By 11th grade, roughly half of California students have used alcohol, misused cold medicines or pain prescriptions, or used marijuana. California’s current piecemeal approach to youth substance use means that kids who need help are often punished by school suspension and expulsion policies, forcing many students to “fail first” before they get help. For example, State-funded treatment programs are not available in some counties and often difficult to access where they do exist. Those programs tend to be mainly for adults, lacking a unique focus on young people’s concerns and developmental needs. What do you think should be done to prevent young people from being harmed by substance use?
Same as above:
Ensure that parents have the power to determine the best care for their children. There is no one better than a parent to determine the care of their child, they
have the power to select what program best suits their family or child.
California assumes responsibility for abused and neglected children when we remove them from their homes, and the State is legally obligated to ensure that children and youth in foster care receive vital services and supports to meet their unique needs and find safety, stability and success. Yet a third of youth in foster care don’t receive timely medical exams and youth in foster care have the lowest high school graduation rates (61% compared to 87% overall). How would you strengthen the child welfare system?
Create policies that are success driven, audit the system and ensure that proper attention is placed on understanding what drives Success vs failure.
While homelessness is a major issue in California, youth homelessness tends to get short shrift, even though 50% of the chronically homeless population had their first experience of homelessness before the age of 25. What would you do to sustain and increase funding specifically for housing programs for youth, and what other measures would you take to prioritize youth homelessness?
Funding is not the issue, accountability is. We’ve spent $7.2 billion in 2021-22 for 172K homeless, that’s $42K power homeless person and the crisis worsens.
Question
Reply
California ranks among the top states in per capita expenditures on a number of government programs (i.e. corrections, law enforcement, general government), but is just near or below the national average on expenditures for kids’ programs, including education and Medi-Cal. What are your thoughts on this prioritization of expenditures and what, if any, changes would you make in this regard?
I am the proud alumni of LAUSD public schools, community colleges, and the California State University system. This access to quality public education helped
create better opportunities for my future and I firmly believe every Californian deserves the same opportunity. I am committed to creating cradle-to-career
policies that improve our communities through investment in education and career training programs. Funding our schools and colleges is an investment in our
collective future and allows us to develop a skilled workforce, foster innovation, and address inequality. As State Assemblymember, I will champion education
and supporting policies that:
• Increase funding for public universities and schools, especially Northeast Valley K-12 schools.
• Reduce student debt by fighting to decrease the cost of public universities and community colleges.
• Fund and support programs aimed at tackling systemic racism and advocate for diverse faculty recruitment and development.
• Support the development of community-based, restorative approaches to campus safety.
• Ensure that higher education remains an affordable opportunity for all students and their families.
Only 25% of working families have access to a licensed child care space. While the State has committed to expand subsidized child care slots by 200,000 over the next few years, many families will still lack affordable access to quality child care, especially families with infants and toddlers. What should the state government do to ensure that all families have access to high-quality affordable child care?
As the mom of two young children, I know how important childcare is especially for working families. As Mayor of San Fernando, I led on allocating funds in our
budget for childcare during council meetings and community meetings so that everyone in our community can engage in local decision making. I recognize
the vital importance of comprehensive benefits including healthcare, parental leave, and childcare, especially for part-time and gig workers. I will push for
mandatory policies that provide these essential benefits.
California ranks 49th among the 50 states in teacher-to-student ratio, 45th in school counselors, and 48th in school administrators. We also rank near the bottom in terms of school nurses, with approximately one nurse for every 2,400 students and no nurses at all in some smaller counties. What are your thoughts on these rankings, and what should be done in response?
Adequate funding is essential to ensure that students have access to necessary mental health services and support systems. Sustainable, student-focused
approaches, like hiring more permanent and certified counselors and expanding student resource centers, are crucial for the holistic success of our students,
particularly those from diverse backgrounds. We must fully fund all aspects of our students’ educational lives and as Assemblymember I will prioritize funding
all aspects of education, including these important positions.
California has the highest percentage of kids who are dual language learners, ages 0-5, (60%) and school-age English Learners (19%) in the country. How should the State support these students’ bilingual/multilingual potential? What are your thoughts on how educators in early education and TK-12 can be prepared to assist these students to meet their language development needs?
I support programs that encourage dual immersion for language and help students become multilingual at a younger age. I support recruiting and retaining
teachers for these programs and make language support more integrated into the full curriculum. I will advocate for more resources for schools with high levels
of English learners so that we ensure these students are able to access programs that address their learning styles.
Over the past 45 years, state spending on higher education has dropped from 18% to 6% of the state budget. What is your position on funding for public higher education?
Publicly funded higher education is a cornerstone for building a prosperous and equitable society. I strongly believe in the value of making higher education
accessible to all, regardless of socioeconomic background. Public universities not only offer quality education but also serve as engines for economic growth
and social mobility. Investing in these institutions is investing in our future, enabling us to develop a skilled workforce, foster innovation, and address societal
challenges. As an advocate for education, I am committed to supporting policies that increase funding for public universities, reduce student debt, and ensure
that higher education remains a ladder to opportunity for everyone.
Over half (55%) of California’s kids are enrolled in Medi-Cal, but California performs near the bottom amongst all state Medicaid programs when it comes to children’s access to primary care physicians and important childhood screenings, especially for children of color. In addition, many California children lack access to oral health care, vision services, and mental health and substance abuse supports and services. What would you do to increase children’s timely access to these services?
As an advocate for equitable and accessible healthcare, I wholeheartedly support the establishment of a single-payer healthcare system in addition to our
current healthcare system. I support a publicly financed system because it would ensure healthcare for all Californians, regardless of their background or
financial status, and would significantly reduce costs by eliminating the inefficiencies inherent in private insurance. In the meantime, I propose expanding
community health programs and mobile clinics in underserved areas, along with increased funding for targeted public health campaigns emphasizing
preventive care and health education. Additionally, improving Medicaid reimbursement rates would attract more healthcare providers to these areas, thereby
improving access to quality healthcare services.
Over the past two decades, mental health issues have grown from 9% to 19% as a percentage of all child hospitalizations; however, many families report extreme difficulty in securing mental health services to help their kids. What should be done to ensure that more children receive needed mental health supports and services?
To address the behavioral health crisis in California, I plan to implement a multi-pronged approach. First, I will advocate for legislation that incentivizes the
recruitment of therapists who can provide culturally and linguistically appropriate care, especially in underserved communities. This could involve grant
programs for clinics in low-income and immigrant communities and subsidies for therapists seeking additional cultural competency training. Additionally, I’ll
push for improved reimbursement rates and streamlined administrative procedures to encourage more therapists to accept patients covered by HMOs and
insurers. I will also focus on workforce development and retention strategies in the behavioral health field. This includes supporting initiatives like scholarships
and loan forgiveness for mental health studies and advocating for competitive salaries and professional development opportunities for current therapists.
By 11th grade, roughly half of California students have used alcohol, misused cold medicines or pain prescriptions, or used marijuana. California’s current piecemeal approach to youth substance use means that kids who need help are often punished by school suspension and expulsion policies, forcing many students to “fail first” before they get help. For example, State-funded treatment programs are not available in some counties and often difficult to access where they do exist. Those programs tend to be mainly for adults, lacking a unique focus on young people’s concerns and developmental needs. What do you think should be done to prevent young people from being harmed by substance use?
To prevent substance abuse, we should invest in programs that enrich their lives such as quality education, extracurricular activities, stable living conditions, and
economic opportunities. We must also provide comprehensive mental health and substance abuse treatment to young people early on to prevent them from
entering the criminal justice system or becoming homeless.
California assumes responsibility for abused and neglected children when we remove them from their homes, and the State is legally obligated to ensure that children and youth in foster care receive vital services and supports to meet their unique needs and find safety, stability and success. Yet a third of youth in foster care don’t receive timely medical exams and youth in foster care have the lowest high school graduation rates (61% compared to 87% overall). How would you strengthen the child welfare system?
We need to maintain funding for our child welfare system, even during economic hardships. Children who don’t receive adequate support during childhood
may face difficulties later in life. To improve services, we should allocate more funds for social workers. This will enable us to provide more personalized care for
foster children and ensure that schools are equipped to address the needs of students who have experienced trauma.
While homelessness is a major issue in California, youth homelessness tends to get short shrift, even though 50% of the chronically homeless population had their first experience of homelessness before the age of 25. What would you do to sustain and increase funding specifically for housing programs for youth, and what other measures would you take to prioritize youth homelessness?
When I worked on the Los Angeles Mayor’s Homelessness Services Team and with the LA Housing and Community Investment Department (HCID), I helped
manage prevention initiatives and coordinated contracts and funding for homeless relief efforts. After working on the eviction defense program, I recognized it
would not be available for the City of San Fernando. I decided to run for City Council to ensure my community would have access to these same resources.
As Mayor, I led the creation of “Kids First”, a program for homeless families with children living in motels due to limited capacity in the shelter system. These
families lacked access to food and their children were disconnected from school. I brought together services and organizations to connect these families to the
support they needed to transition to permanent housing and financial stability. In the State Assembly, I’ll work to bring similar models statewide and expand on
the work I’ve done on homelessness by:
● Helping prevent people from falling into homelessness through emergency rental assistance programs, rent control, and legal support.
● Creating innovative financing models, zoning reforms, and focusing on building mixed-income communities to increase available housing.
● Increasing access to critical mental health and supportive services for those experiencing homelessness and those at-risk.
Question
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California ranks among the top states in per capita expenditures on a number of government programs (i.e. corrections, law enforcement, general government), but is just near or below the national average on expenditures for kids’ programs, including education and Medi-Cal. What are your thoughts on this prioritization of expenditures and what, if any, changes would you make in this regard?
California’s current prioritization of expenditures highlights a misalignment when it comes to investing in our future—our children. While law enforcement and
corrections are important, the fact that our state ranks so high in per capita expenditures on these programs but is only near or below the national average for
kids’ programs is concerning. Investing in education, healthcare, and other programs that support children is crucial for long-term societal well-being.
Here are some changes I would advocate for:
- Increase Investment in Education: California should allocate more resources to public education, particularly in K-12 schools. Funding should focus on reducing
class sizes, increasing teacher salaries, and improving infrastructure in underfunded school districts. Investing in early childhood education programs would also
help address disparities early on. - Expand Access to Children’s Healthcare: Medi-Cal should be fully funded to ensure that all children, particularly those from low-income families, have access to
quality healthcare. Preventative care for children can reduce long-term health issues and future costs. - Reallocate Resources for Youth Development Programs: More funds should be directed to after-school programs, mentorship initiatives, and mental health
services for young people. These programs not only help students academically but also address behavioral and mental health issues that could otherwise lead
to criminal justice involvement. - Reevaluate Corrections Spending: California spends a significant portion of its budget on corrections, including prisons. By focusing on criminal justice reform,
such as reducing recidivism through rehabilitation programs and alternatives to incarceration, we can reduce these costs and redirect resources toward youth
programs and education. - Prioritize Long-Term Outcomes: Investing in kids’ programs now leads to long-term societal and economic benefits, such as reduced crime, a more skilled
workforce, and healthier communities. Shifting the focus of expenditures toward programs that directly benefit children will pay off in the future.
By reassessing our budget priorities and focusing on children’s education and healthcare, we can create a more equitable and prosperous California for future
generations.
Only 25% of working families have access to a licensed child care space. While the State has committed to expand subsidized child care slots by 200,000 over the next few years, many families will still lack affordable access to quality child care, especially families with infants and toddlers. What should the state government do to ensure that all families have access to high-quality affordable child care?
To ensure that all families have access to high-quality, affordable child care, particularly for infants and toddlers, California must take a comprehensive
approach. Here are several strategies the state government could implement:
- Increase Child Care Infrastructure Funding:
The state needs to invest more in the physical infrastructure of child care centers, especially in underserved areas. This includes building new facilities,
expanding existing ones, and providing grants or low-interest loans to help smaller providers scale up their operations. The goal should be to eliminate child
care deserts where access is severely limited. - Incentivize Child Care Providers:
California should offer financial incentives, such as tax credits or direct subsidies, to encourage more individuals to become licensed child care providers,
particularly for infant and toddler care, which requires more specialized training and lower child-to-caregiver ratios. This will help expand the availability of
high-quality providers and reduce waiting lists for families. - Increase Compensation for Child Care Workers:
One of the biggest challenges in child care is low wages for workers, which leads to high turnover and a lack of skilled providers. The state should raise the
compensation of child care workers to reflect the importance of their role, either by increasing reimbursement rates for subsidized child care programs or by
setting minimum wage standards specific to the industry. - Expand Public-Private Partnerships:
The state could foster partnerships between government, businesses, and community organizations to create employer-supported child care options.
Employers could be incentivized through tax breaks or grants to provide on-site child care or partner with local providers to secure spaces for their employees’
children. - Streamline Licensing and Regulations:
California should simplify and streamline the licensing process for new child care providers without sacrificing safety and quality standards. Reducing
unnecessary regulatory burdens will help more providers enter the field and expand access to child care options across the state. - Expand Universal Pre-K and Early Learning Programs:
Expanding access to universal pre-kindergarten and early learning programs for 3- and 4-year-olds can free up child care resources for younger children. These
programs should be expanded statewide to ensure that every child has access to early learning opportunities, which also alleviates the financial burden on
families. - Create Subsidies for Middle-Income Families: Many middle-income families do not qualify for existing child care subsidies but still struggle to afford the high cost of care. California should introduce sliding-scale subsidies or tax credits that help middle-income families access affordable child care options, ensuring that help is not limited to low-income families alone.
- Provide Financial Support to Family-Based Child Care: Family-based child care providers (who offer care out of their homes) are a crucial resource, especially for families with infants and toddlers. The state should provide additional financial support to help family-based providers meet licensing requirements and expand their capacity while maintaining high-quality standards.
By combining these strategies—investing in infrastructure, supporting providers, expanding subsidies, and fostering partnerships—California can make meaningful progress toward ensuring all families have access to affordable, high-quality child care.
California ranks 49th among the 50 states in teacher-to-student ratio, 45th in school counselors, and 48th in school administrators. We also rank near the bottom in terms of school nurses, with approximately one nurse for every 2,400 students and no nurses at all in some smaller counties. What are your thoughts on these rankings, and what should be done in response?
California’s low rankings in teacher-to-student ratios, school counselors, administrators, and school nurses are alarming and indicate systemic underinvestment
in the state’s public education system. These shortages negatively impact the quality of education, student well-being, and the overall school environment. Here’s how I believe California should address this crisis:
- Increase Funding for Education Support Roles:
The state needs to prioritize education funding, particularly for hiring more teachers, counselors, nurses, and administrators. With the current ratios, teachers
and school staff are stretched too thin, making it difficult to provide students with the individualized attention they need. Raising per-pupil spending and
allocating more resources specifically for staffing is critical to closing these gaps. - Raise Teacher Pay and Improve Retention:
One of the main reasons for the teacher shortage is the relatively low pay and challenging working conditions in California compared to the cost of living. The
state should provide competitive salaries and benefits, along with loan forgiveness programs, housing assistance, and improved professional development
opportunities to attract and retain teachers, counselors, and nurses. - Invest in Mental Health and Support Services:
School counselors and nurses play essential roles in student health and well-being, particularly in the wake of the mental health crisis exacerbated by the
pandemic. The state should invest in mental health services in schools, making it a priority to hire more counselors, social workers, and school psychologists.
These professionals help address behavioral issues, support academic success, and reduce the emotional burden on teachers. - Create Pipeline Programs for Teachers and School Staff:
California should establish more robust teacher and school administrator pipeline programs, especially targeting underrepresented communities. This could
involve creating partnerships between high schools, community colleges, and universities to encourage students to pursue careers in education. Scholarship
and grant programs could further incentivize students to enter these fields and fill the workforce gaps. - Increase Funding for School-Based Health Programs:
Given the extremely high student-to-nurse ratios, the state should allocate more funding to ensure that every school has access to a full-time nurse or health
professional. This is especially important in rural and under-resourced counties. Ensuring students have access to basic healthcare services can help identify and
address health issues before they become major problems, ultimately supporting better academic performance. - Promote Smaller Class Sizes:
Research shows that smaller class sizes lead to better student outcomes. California must work toward reducing class sizes by hiring more teachers, building
more schools, and providing the necessary funding for districts to reduce overcrowding. Smaller class sizes allow teachers to give more attention to each
student, creating a more personalized and effective learning environment. - Expand the Use of Technology to Support Student Learning: While increasing staff is essential, leveraging technology in the classroom could also help address some of these shortages. The state should invest in online learning platforms, AI-powered tutoring systems, and digital tools that help ease the burden on overworked teachers and counselors. This can help supplement instruction and provide students with additional support where needed.
- Statewide Incentives for Rural and Underfunded Schools:
Schools in rural areas and underfunded districts face the worst shortages. The state should provide targeted incentives to encourage educators to work in these
areas, such as signing bonuses, relocation assistance, or extra pay for teachers and school staff in high-need districts.
California has the highest percentage of kids who are dual language learners, ages 0-5, (60%) and school-age English Learners (19%) in the country. How should the State support these students’ bilingual/multilingual potential? What are your thoughts on how educators in early education and TK-12 can be prepared to assist these students to meet their language development needs?
California’s large population of dual language learners (DLLs) and school-age English Learners (ELs) presents both a challenge and an opportunity to harness
the potential of multilingual education. To effectively support these students and prepare educators, the state should adopt a comprehensive, inclusive
approach that promotes language development while maintaining the students’ home languages. Here are several ways the state can support this goal:
- Invest in Bilingual Education Programs:
California should invest in high-quality bilingual education programs that allow students to develop proficiency in both English and their home languages.
Research shows that students who are proficient in two or more languages perform better academically and develop stronger cognitive abilities. Programs like
dual-language immersion (DLI) and two-way bilingual programs, which teach academic subjects in both English and the students’ home languages, can help
develop bilingual proficiency while ensuring EL students stay on track with academic content. - Expand and Enhance Early Childhood Education:
Early childhood education is critical for language development, especially for dual language learners. The state should provide targeted funding for preschools
and early education programs to offer bilingual instruction and employ teachers trained in supporting DLLs. By beginning language support before
kindergarten, children can build strong foundations in both English and their home languages, which sets them up for long-term academic success. - Increase Professional Development for Educators:
Educators must be well-prepared to meet the needs of English Learners and dual language learners. The state should provide robust professional development
opportunities for teachers, focusing on best practices for bilingual education and language development. This includes training in language acquisition theories,
culturally responsive teaching, and the use of instructional strategies like sheltered instruction and scaffolding that help ELs access grade-level content while
learning English. - Teacher credentialing:
California should consider creating more pathways for teachers to obtain bilingual credentials, particularly in high-demand languages such as Spanish,
Mandarin, and Vietnamese. Incentivizing teachers to become certified bilingual educators can help meet the demand for skilled educators in bilingual
programs. - Support for Early Education Teachers:
In early childhood settings, many teachers may not have the training to effectively support dual language learners. The state should invest in professional
development and credentialing for early educators to ensure they can address the unique language needs of young children. This may include providing
training on how to foster bilingualism, how to support language development through play and interaction, and how to communicate effectively with families
in their home languages. - Culturally Responsive Curriculum and Resources:
Providing culturally relevant and linguistically appropriate curriculum materials is essential. Schools should be equipped with resources that reflect the linguistic
diversity of their students, including bilingual textbooks, educational materials in multiple languages, and culturally inclusive lesson plans. This helps students
feel seen and valued in the classroom, fostering better engagement and learning outcomes. - Family and Community Engagement:
Families play a key role in the language development of children. The state should invest in outreach programs that support family engagement in education,
particularly for immigrant families who may speak a language other than English at home. Schools can offer workshops for parents in their native languages
that explain how to support their child’s language development and academic success. Schools should partner with community organizations to provide
resources that support language learning both inside and outside the classroom
Over the past 45 years, state spending on higher education has dropped from 18% to 6% of the state budget. What is your position on funding for public higher education?
The decline in state spending on higher education, from 18% to 6% over the past 45 years, is concerning and reflects a shift in priorities that needs to be
addressed. Public higher education is a critical driver of economic growth, innovation, and social mobility. Ensuring that California’s public colleges and
universities are adequately funded is essential for the state’s future success. Here’s my position on funding for public higher education:
- Increase Investment in Public Higher Education:
I believe California should prioritize increasing state funding for public higher education to ensure that it remains affordable and accessible to all students. This
includes boosting funding for the California State University (CSU) and University of California (UC) systems, as well as community colleges. These institutions
serve as pathways for students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds to enter the workforce and contribute to the state’s economy. - Reduce Tuition Burdens:
The reduction in state support has led to rising tuition costs, putting a strain on students and families. I support efforts to reduce the financial burden on
students by stabilizing or lowering tuition fees and increasing state subsidies to cover operational costs. Access to affordable higher education should not be
limited by a student’s financial situation. - Expand Financial Aid Programs:
Alongside increasing direct funding to institutions, I support expanding financial aid programs, such as Cal Grants and Middle-Class Scholarships, to ensure that
students from low- and middle-income families can afford to pursue higher education. We should also focus on reducing student loan debt by providing more
grants and scholarships, rather than relying on loans to fund education. - Invest in Workforce Development and Career Pathways (this to me is very critical):
Higher education must be aligned with California’s evolving workforce needs. I support increased funding for career and technical education (CTE) programs,
internships, and partnerships between public universities and industries. These programs help students gain practical skills that prepare them for high-demand
jobs, particularly in areas like technology, healthcare, and green energy. - Support Community Colleges:
Community colleges play a vital role in providing affordable education and training for students from diverse backgrounds. I support increasing state funding
for community colleges to enhance their capacity to serve students, expand their programs, and improve transfer pathways to four-year universities. This would
also help reduce the financial strain on students by offering more affordable options for the first two years of college. - Ensure Accountability and Efficiency: While advocating for increased funding, I also believe in ensuring that public universities and colleges are held accountable for how they use taxpayer dollars. Funding should be tied to clear outcomes, such as improving graduation rates, reducing student loan debt, and ensuring that students are prepared for the workforce. The state should also encourage universities to find ways to operate more efficiently without compromising the quality of education.
- Focus on Equity and Access:
Equity must be at the heart of any funding discussion. I support targeted funding for underrepresented students, including first-generation college students,
students of color, and low-income students. This includes increasing support for programs that provide academic advising, mental health services, and other
resources that help students succeed.
Over half (55%) of California’s kids are enrolled in Medi-Cal, but California performs near the bottom amongst all state Medicaid programs when it comes to children’s access to primary care physicians and important childhood screenings, especially for children of color. In addition, many California children lack access to oral health care, vision services, and mental health and substance abuse supports and services. What would you do to increase children’s timely access to these services?
Improving children’s access to essential healthcare services in California, particularly for those enrolled in Medi-Cal, is a critical issue that demands immediate
action. Here are several steps I would propose to ensure timely access to primary care, screenings, and additional health services, particularly for children of
color and other underserved communities:
- Increase Provider Reimbursement Rates:
One of the main reasons children enrolled in Medi-Cal have limited access to primary care and essential health services is that reimbursement rates for
providers are too low. Many doctors and specialists are reluctant to accept Medi-Cal patients due to the insufficient payment. I would advocate for increasing
reimbursement rates for pediatricians, dentists, and other healthcare providers to incentivize them to accept more Medi-Cal patients, ensuring children have
timely access to care. - Expand the Provider Network in Underserved Areas:
There is a clear disparity in healthcare access for children living in rural or low-income urban areas. To address this, I would push for policies that increase the
availability of healthcare providers in underserved regions. This could include offering financial incentives like student loan forgiveness, tax breaks, and grants to
medical professionals who practice in underserved areas, particularly in pediatric care, dentistry, vision services, and mental health. - Improve Access to Preventive Care and Screenings:
Preventive care and early screenings are vital for addressing health issues before they become severe. I would support expanding access to these services
through community health programs and school-based health clinics, especially in areas with high concentrations of Medi-Cal recipients. Mobile health clinics
can also be used to bring care directly to underserved communities, ensuring children receive timely vision, dental, and mental health screenings. - Enhance Integration of Behavioral Health Services:
Mental health and substance abuse services are often siloed from primary care, making it difficult for children to access comprehensive care. I would advocate
for better integration of behavioral health services within primary care settings, including expanding telehealth services, so that children can more easily access
mental health and substance abuse support. Additionally, I would push for increasing funding for school-based mental health services to provide immediate
support where children spend the majority of their time. - Expand Oral Health and Vision Services:
Dental and vision care are critical but often overlooked services for children enrolled in Medi-Cal. I would propose expanding Medi-Cal benefits to ensure all
children have access to regular dental checkups and vision screenings. This could include creating partnerships between schools and local dental or vision
providers to offer on-site services. Further, increasing Medi-Cal reimbursements for dental and vision care would encourage more providers to participate in the
program. - Streamline Enrollment and Retention:
Many children are eligible for Medi-Cal but do not receive the care they need due to bureaucratic obstacles in enrollment or gaps in coverage when families
experience changes in income. I would support simplifying and streamlining the enrollment process, making it easier for families to enroll and remain covered.
This could include automatic enrollment for children already receiving other public benefits, such as free school meals. - Increase Public Awareness and Outreach
Over the past two decades, mental health issues have grown from 9% to 19% as a percentage of all child hospitalizations; however, many families report extreme difficulty in securing mental health services to help their kids. What should be done to ensure that more children receive needed mental health supports and services?
To ensure more children receive the mental health supports and services they need, the state must take comprehensive steps, including increasing funding,
expanding school-based services, improving insurance coverage, and addressing workforce shortages. Early intervention, better integration of care, and
reducing stigma around mental health will help create a more supportive environment for California’s children to thrive.
By 11th grade, roughly half of California students have used alcohol, misused cold medicines or pain prescriptions, or used marijuana. California’s current piecemeal approach to youth substance use means that kids who need help are often punished by school suspension and expulsion policies, forcing many students to “fail first” before they get help. For example, State-funded treatment programs are not available in some counties and often difficult to access where they do exist. Those programs tend to be mainly for adults, lacking a unique focus on young people’s concerns and developmental needs. What do you think should be done to prevent young people from being harmed by substance use?
Preventing and addressing youth substance use in California requires a comprehensive and compassionate approach. By expanding access to youth-specific
treatment programs, shifting away from punitive school policies, increasing prevention and education efforts, and investing in community-based support,
California can better support young people and help them avoid the harmful consequences of substance use.
California assumes responsibility for abused and neglected children when we remove them from their homes, and the State is legally obligated to ensure that children and youth in foster care receive vital services and supports to meet their unique needs and find safety, stability and success. Yet a third of youth in foster care don’t receive timely medical exams and youth in foster care have the lowest high school graduation rates (61% compared to 87% overall). How would you strengthen the child welfare system?
Strengthening the child welfare system requires a holistic, multi-tiered approach. By improving medical access, providing mental health support, stabilizing placements, and focusing on education and life skills, California can create a foster care system that not only protects but empowers children to achieve long-
term success.
While homelessness is a major issue in California, youth homelessness tends to get short shrift, even though 50% of the chronically homeless population had their first experience of homelessness before the age of 25. What would you do to sustain and increase funding specifically for housing programs for youth, and what other measures would you take to prioritize youth homelessness?
To address youth homelessness effectively, California must increase and sustain funding for youth-specific housing programs while focusing on early
intervention, affordable housing, and wraparound services. By prioritizing youth homelessness, expanding prevention programs, and developing dedicated
resources, California can break the cycle of homelessness before it becomes chronic for young people. I would expand the California Homeless Youth Project (CHYP), Leverage Federal Funding, and encourage Public-private sectors to a partnership.
Question
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California ranks among the top states in per capita expenditures on a number of government programs (i.e. corrections, law enforcement, general government), but is just near or below the national average on expenditures for kids’ programs, including education and Medi-Cal. What are your thoughts on this prioritization of expenditures and what, if any, changes would you make in this regard?
We must ensure that all of California’s children have access to the essential tools for their health and success. Particularly during times of budget surplus, we
must invest in programs that support children, such as after-school programs, Medi-Cal, the DHCS’s Children’s Services program, the State Preschool Program,
childcare, and other initiatives designed to set children up for success. Funding children’s programs should be a top priority not only because they benefit kids
in the present but also because they are long-term investments in our societal well-being. Children who receive the necessary resources and interventions early
on are much more likely to succeed later in life and avoid negative outcomes like involvement in the criminal justice system or preventable health issues.
Only 25% of working families have access to a licensed child care space. While the State has committed to expand subsidized child care slots by 200,000 over the next few years, many families will still lack affordable access to quality child care, especially families with infants and toddlers. What should the state government do to ensure that all families have access to high-quality affordable child care?
To ensure all families have access to high-quality, affordable child care, the state government must go beyond expanding subsidized slots. Given that only 14%
of eligible families received subsidies pre-pandemic, comprehensive outreach is essential to inform families about available resources. Simplifying
administrative processes by streamlining paperwork and reducing regulatory complexities will ease access. Recognizing childcare as a vital service comparable
to other government-funded programs is crucial, and public education campaigns can promote this shift. These measures will create a robust, accessible
childcare system, benefiting working families now and investing in societal well-being by helping children avoid negative outcomes later in life.
California ranks 49th among the 50 states in teacher-to-student ratio, 45th in school counselors, and 48th in school administrators. We also rank near the bottom in terms of school nurses, with approximately one nurse for every 2,400 students and no nurses at all in some smaller counties. What are your thoughts on these rankings, and what should be done in response?
These rankings are alarming, and the state legislature must take decisive action to address them. We need to ensure adequate funding for schools to hire and
fairly compensate teachers, administrators, and nurses. Additionally, we should provide incentives to attract new talent to the education sector, reduce
redundant administrative tasks, address educator burnout, and increase support staff. To tackle the serious shortage of school nurses, it’s crucial to not only
boost funding but also invest in youth preventative health programs to reduce the demands on school nurses. Exploring partnerships with community organizations to fill service gaps can further enhance our efforts.
California has the highest percentage of kids who are dual language learners, ages 0-5, (60%) and school-age English Learners (19%) in the country. How should the State support these students’ bilingual/multilingual potential? What are your thoughts on how educators in early education and TK-12 can be prepared to assist these students to meet their language development needs?
Students who are still learning English have unique educational needs, which is why we ought to support educators by providing training and standards related
to culturally and linguistically appropriate learning. This includes investment in dual language programs, professional development for educators, expanding
early childhood education, and increasing parental and community engagement.
Over the past 45 years, state spending on higher education has dropped from 18% to 6% of the state budget. What is your position on funding for public higher education?
We must fully fund our schools, including higher education institutions. If elected, I am committed to working toward solutions that allow us to maintain and
even increase our state’s investment in higher education. We must restore and increase state funding for public higher education to ensure that it remains
accessible and affordable for all students. This includes increasing financial aid, reducing tuition costs, and ensuring that higher education institutions have the
resources they need to provide high-quality education.
Over half (55%) of California’s kids are enrolled in Medi-Cal, but California performs near the bottom amongst all state Medicaid programs when it comes to children’s access to primary care physicians and important childhood screenings, especially for children of color. In addition, many California children lack access to oral health care, vision services, and mental health and substance abuse supports and services. What would you do to increase children’s timely access to these services?
I strongly believe that we need to fully fund Medi-Cal so that children have access to the health care they need. The problem, however, goes beyond a lack of
funding, and we must also address the lack of care facilities in rural, poor, and underserved communities. While the pandemic has exposed some of the biggest
issues in our healthcare system, we have also learned that telehealth is a valuable tool that can replace many in-person visits, and that remote oversight of
nurse practitioners and physician assistants is feasible and effective. Additionally, we should work with existing community groups and health centers to
increase the services they offer. Overall, the goal must be to make it easier for children to get the health care they need.
Over the past two decades, mental health issues have grown from 9% to 19% as a percentage of all child hospitalizations; however, many families report extreme difficulty in securing mental health services to help their kids. What should be done to ensure that more children receive needed mental health supports and services?
Policymakers must make mental health care a priority. While there has been significant progress in recognizing the importance of mental health care in recent
years, much more work is needed to ensure that youth, especially in areas which have a lack of mental health care services, have easy access to affordable and
effective mental health services. This crisis requires a multi-faceted approach that involves collaboration among government entities, parents, schools, and
community groups.
By 11th grade, roughly half of California students have used alcohol, misused cold medicines or pain prescriptions, or used marijuana. California’s current piecemeal approach to youth substance use means that kids who need help are often punished by school suspension and expulsion policies, forcing many students to “fail first” before they get help. For example, State-funded treatment programs are not available in some counties and often difficult to access where they do exist. Those programs tend to be mainly for adults, lacking a unique focus on young people’s concerns and developmental needs. What do you think should be done to prevent young people from being harmed by substance use?
When elected I will work with my fellow legislators and policymakers, to develop a comprehensive and proactive approach that prioritizes prevention, education, and accessible treatment. Schools should implement evidence-based substance abuse education programs starting in early grades and provide on-site counseling services to identify and support at-risk students. Instead of punitive measures like suspension and expulsion, schools should focus on addressing the root causes of substance use and offer supportive interventions.
California assumes responsibility for abused and neglected children when we remove them from their homes, and the State is legally obligated to ensure that children and youth in foster care receive vital services and supports to meet their unique needs and find safety, stability and success. Yet a third of youth in foster care don’t receive timely medical exams and youth in foster care have the lowest high school graduation rates (61% compared to 87% overall). How would you strengthen the child welfare system?
Ensuring that our child welfare system effectively serves and protects vulnerable children is paramount. Alongside providing the necessary funding for the
foster system, we must guarantee that counties continue to support a child’s education and treatment needs, regardless of location. Additionally, foster parents
and foster homes should be held to the highest standards to ensure the best possible care and outcomes for these children.
While homelessness is a major issue in California, youth homelessness tends to get short shrift, even though 50% of the chronically homeless population had their first experience of homelessness before the age of 25. What would you do to sustain and increase funding specifically for housing programs for youth, and what other measures would you take to prioritize youth homelessness?
As a Council Member, I worked tirelessly to address homelessness in my city, including the development of a navigation center. I would advocate for dedicated
state and federal funding streams for youth-specific housing programs and collaborate with local policymakers to determine the most effective strategies for
their communities. This could include instituting preventative measures, increasing affordable housing, developing public-private partnerships, or other tailored
solutions.
Question
Reply
California ranks among the top states in per capita expenditures on a number of government programs (i.e. corrections, law enforcement, general government), but is just near or below the national average on expenditures for kids’ programs, including education and Medi-Cal. What are your thoughts on this prioritization of expenditures and what, if any, changes would you make in this regard?
As an educator and advocate for children’s well-being, I believe our state’s prioritization of expenditures must be realigned to reflect the importance of
investing in our youth. While California ranks high in per capita spending on corrections, law enforcement, and general government, our expenditures on
children’s programs, including education and Medi-Cal, are only around the national average. This discrepancy is concerning, as it does not adequately address
the needs of our future generations.
Investing in children’s programs is crucial for fostering a healthy, educated, and productive society. Quality education and accessible healthcare are
fundamental rights that lay the groundwork for lifelong success. To address this imbalance, I propose the following changes:
- Increase Funding for Education: Prioritize increased funding for K-12 education to reduce class sizes, update educational materials, and ensure that all schools
have the resources necessary to provide a high-quality education. Additionally, invest in early childhood education to give every child a strong start. - Enhance Medi-Cal Services for Children: Expand Medi-Cal services to ensure that all children have access to comprehensive healthcare, including mental
health services. Preventive care is essential for addressing health issues early and reducing long-term healthcare costs. - Support Holistic Child Development Programs: Allocate funds to after-school programs, extracurricular activities, and community initiatives that support the
holistic development of children. These programs provide essential opportunities for learning and growth outside the classroom. - Reevaluate Budget Priorities: Conduct a thorough review of the state budget to identify areas where funds can be reallocated from less critical expenditures
to children’s programs. Ensuring our budget reflects the importance of our youth is a step towards a more equitable and prosperous future. By making these changes, we can create a stronger, more supportive environment for California’s children, ensuring they have the opportunities they need to thrive.
Only 25% of working families have access to a licensed child care space. While the State has committed to expand subsidized child care slots by 200,000 over the next few years, many families will still lack affordable access to quality child care, especially families with infants and toddlers. What should the state government do to ensure that all families have access to high-quality affordable child care?
To ensure all families have access to high-quality, affordable child care, the state government should take a multifaceted approach:
- Increase Funding: Substantially increase funding for child care programs to expand the number of licensed child care spaces. This should include targeted
investments for underserved areas to ensure equitable access. - Subsidize Child Care Costs: Expand subsidies to cover more families, particularly those with infants and toddlers. Implement sliding scale fees to make child
care more affordable based on income levels. - Support Child Care Providers: Provide financial incentives and professional development opportunities for child care providers to improve the quality of care.
This includes better wages, training, and resources to attract and retain skilled caregivers. - Public-Private Partnerships: Encourage partnerships between the state, local governments, and private businesses to create and support child care facilities.
Businesses can offer on-site child care or subsidies for their employees. - Streamline Regulations: Simplify the regulatory process to open and maintain child care facilities without compromising safety and quality standards. This will
help increase the availability of licensed child care providers. - Infrastructure Investment: Invest in building and renovating child care centers, particularly in areas with the greatest need. Ensure that these centers are
equipped with the necessary resources to provide a safe and stimulating environment for children. - Parental Leave Policies: Advocate for comprehensive parental leave policies that allow parents to stay home with their children during the critical early
months without financial hardship, reducing the immediate demand for infant care.
By implementing these strategies, the state can create a robust, accessible, and affordable child care system that supports working families and promotes the
well-being and development of all children.
California ranks 49th among the 50 states in teacher-to-student ratio, 45th in school counselors, and 48th in school administrators. We also rank near the bottom in terms of school nurses, with approximately one nurse for every 2,400 students and no nurses at all in some smaller counties. What are your thoughts on these rankings, and what should be done in response?
California’s low rankings in teacher-to-student ratio, school counselors, administrators, and school nurses are deeply concerning. These deficiencies directly
impact the quality of education and student well-being. To address this, I propose the following actions:
- Increase Funding for Education: Allocate more state funds to hire additional teachers, counselors, administrators, and nurses. Smaller class sizes and better
support services are essential for a high-quality education and student health. - Incentives for Educators: Provide financial incentives, such as loan forgiveness and competitive salaries, to attract and retain qualified professionals in
education and healthcare. - Professional Development: Invest in ongoing professional development for teachers and staff to ensure they are well-equipped to meet the diverse needs of
students. - Expand Support Services: Increase the number of school counselors and nurses to ensure every student has access to essential health and psychological
services. Aim for ratios that meet national standards. - Focus on Underserved Areas: Direct resources to rural and underserved counties where the shortage of school professionals is most acute. This ensures
equitable access to quality education and health services for all students. - Community Partnerships: Encourage partnerships between schools, local healthcare providers, and community organizations to support student health and
well-being.
By taking these steps, we can improve California’s rankings and provide a better educational environment that fosters student success and well-being. Ensuring
adequate support for our students is not just an investment in their future, but in the future of our state as a whole.
California has the highest percentage of kids who are dual language learners, ages 0-5, (60%) and school-age English Learners (19%) in the country. How should the State support these students’ bilingual/multilingual potential? What are your thoughts on how educators in early education and TK-12 can be prepared to assist these students to meet their language development needs?
As an educator, I believe that supporting the bilingual and multilingual potential of California’s dual language learners is crucial for their academic success and
cultural enrichment. Here are some key steps the state should take:
- Invest in Dual Language Programs: Increase funding for dual language immersion programs in early education and TK-12 schools. These programs should be
designed to promote proficiency in both English and the students’ home languages, fostering bilingualism and biliteracy. - Professional Development: Provide targeted professional development for educators to equip them with the skills and strategies needed to support dual
language learners. This includes training in culturally responsive teaching, language acquisition strategies, and the use of bilingual educational materials. - Hire Bilingual Educators: Actively recruit and hire bilingual teachers and support staff. Having educators who are proficient in students’ home languages can
enhance instruction and provide valuable cultural connections. - Parental Engagement: Develop programs that engage parents and caregivers, providing them with resources and support to help their children’s language
development at home. This includes offering language classes and workshops for parents. - Curriculum Development: Create and disseminate high-quality, bilingual curricula and teaching resources. Ensure these materials reflect the cultural diversity
of the student population and support both language and content learning. - Assessment and Support Services: Implement fair and comprehensive assessment methods to monitor language development and provide additional
support services, such as tutoring and language specialists, for students who need it.
By implementing these strategies, we can harness the bilingual and multilingual potential of our students, ensuring they have the skills to succeed in a globalized world while preserving their cultural heritage. Supporting dual language learners is not just about language proficiency; it’s about fostering a richer, more inclusive educational environment for all students.
Over the past 45 years, state spending on higher education has dropped from 18% to 6% of the state budget. What is your position on funding for public higher education?
The significant decline in state spending on higher education, from 18% to 6% of the state budget over the past 45 years, is alarming and unsustainable. As a
candidate for State Assembly, I strongly believe that investing in public higher education is essential for the economic and social prosperity of California. Public
education is also what helped me to be able to escape gang infested communities and achieve my goals in life. My Position on Funding for Public Higher Education:
- Increase State Funding: I advocate for a substantial increase in state funding for public higher education institutions. This investment is crucial to ensure that
our colleges and universities can provide high-quality education, conduct vital research, and support the development of a skilled workforce. - Affordability and Access: Expanding financial aid programs and reducing tuition fees are necessary steps to make higher education more affordable and
accessible for all students, regardless of their economic background. This includes increasing funding for grants, scholarships, and other forms of financial
assistance. - Support for Community Colleges: Community colleges play a critical role in higher education, offering accessible and affordable pathways to degrees and
certificates. Increasing funding for community colleges will help them expand programs, support student success, and better serve diverse populations. - Invest in Infrastructure and Resources: Adequate funding is needed to maintain and improve the infrastructure of public higher education institutions,
including modernizing facilities, expanding technology resources, and ensuring safe and conducive learning environments. - Support for Faculty and Staff: Competitive salaries and professional development opportunities for faculty and staff are essential to attract and retain top
talent in our public higher education system. - Partnerships with Industry: Encouraging partnerships between public higher education institutions and industries can enhance educational programs, provide
students with practical experience, and ensure that curricula align with the needs of the job market.
By prioritizing funding for public higher education, we can ensure that California remains a leader in innovation, economic growth, and social progress. Investing in our students is investing in the future of our state.
Over half (55%) of California’s kids are enrolled in Medi-Cal, but California performs near the bottom amongst all state Medicaid programs when it comes to children’s access to primary care physicians and important childhood screenings, especially for children of color. In addition, many California children lack access to oral health care, vision services, and mental health and substance abuse supports and services. What would you do to increase children’s timely access to these services?
Increasing children’s timely access to healthcare services is essential for their overall well-being and development. As a candidate for State Assembly, here are
the steps I propose to address this critical issue:
- Expand Provider Networks: Increase reimbursement rates for primary care physicians, dentists, and mental health professionals who accept Medi-Cal to
attract more providers into the network. This will improve access to care, especially in underserved areas. - Telehealth Services: Invest in telehealth infrastructure to provide remote consultations, screenings, and follow-up care. Telehealth can bridge the gap for
children in rural or underserved communities who lack easy access to healthcare facilities. - Comprehensive Screening Programs: Implement state-funded programs to ensure all children receive regular and comprehensive screenings for physical,
oral, vision, and mental health. Early detection and intervention are key to preventing long-term health issues. - School-Based Health Centers: Expand the number of school-based health centers offering primary care, dental services, vision care, and mental health
support. These centers make it convenient for children to access essential services without missing school. - Integrated Care Models: Promote integrated care models that coordinate primary, dental, vision, and mental health services. This holistic approach ensures
that all aspects of a child’s health are addressed efficiently and effectively. - Outreach and Education: Conduct outreach and educational campaigns to inform families about the availability of Medi-Cal services and how to access them.
This is particularly important for communities of color who may face additional barriers to care.
All children in California, regardless of their background, should have timely access to the healthcare services they need for a healthy and successful future.
Over the past two decades, mental health issues have grown from 9% to 19% as a percentage of all child hospitalizations; however, many families report extreme difficulty in securing mental health services to help their kids. What should be done to ensure that more children receive needed mental health supports and services?
The rise in mental health issues among children, now accounting for 19% of all child hospitalizations, highlights a critical need for better access to mental health
services. To ensure more children receive the support they need, we must adopt a multifaceted approach.
- First, increasing funding for mental health services is essential. This includes allocating resources to hire more mental health professionals in schools and
community clinics, making it easier for children to access care in familiar and supportive environments. Schools, in particular, play a vital role as they are often
the first place where signs of mental health issues are observed. - Second, integrating mental health education into school curricula can help destigmatize mental health issues and encourage children and their families to seek
help early. Educating students, teachers, and parents about mental health can create a more supportive community that recognizes and addresses these issues
promptly. - Third, expanding telehealth services for mental health can significantly increase access, especially in rural and underserved areas. Telehealth provides a
convenient and confidential way for children to receive counseling and therapy, reducing barriers such as transportation and stigma. - Additionally, it’s crucial to streamline the referral process to mental health services. Simplifying this process ensures that children who need help are quickly
connected to the appropriate services without unnecessary delays. - Finally, we need to advocate for comprehensive insurance coverage for mental health services, ensuring that all children, regardless of their family’s financial
situation, can access the care they need.
By addressing these aspects, we can build a more robust system that supports the mental health and well-being of all children, ensuring they have the foundation for a healthy and fulfilling life.
By 11th grade, roughly half of California students have used alcohol, misused cold medicines or pain prescriptions, or used marijuana. California’s current piecemeal approach to youth substance use means that kids who need help are often punished by school suspension and expulsion policies, forcing many students to “fail first” before they get help. For example, State-funded treatment programs are not available in some counties and often difficult to access where they do exist. Those programs tend to be mainly for adults, lacking a unique focus on young people’s concerns and developmental needs. What do you think should be done to prevent young people from being harmed by substance use?
To effectively prevent young people from being harmed by substance use, we need a comprehensive, proactive approach that prioritizes education, support,
and access to appropriate treatment.
- We should integrate robust substance abuse education into school curricula starting at a young age. Programs should focus on the dangers of substance use,
the importance of mental health, and healthy coping mechanisms. This knowledge can help reduce the allure of substance misuse. - Schools need to adopt supportive rather than punitive measures for students struggling with substance use. Instead of suspension and expulsion, which often
exacerbate the problem, schools should offer counseling and support services. Early intervention programs within schools can provide immediate help,
reducing the need for external treatment options. - Expanding state-funded treatment programs specifically designed for youth is crucial. These programs should be available in all counties and tailored to
address the unique developmental needs of young people. Making these services accessible and youth-friendly will encourage more young people to seek
help when needed. - Promoting community involvement is essential. Engaging families, local organizations, and healthcare providers in prevention and treatment efforts can create
a supportive network. Community-based programs can offer after-school activities, mentorship, and support groups that provide healthy alternatives to
substance use. - We also need to ensure that all youth, regardless of where they live, have access to mental health services. Many substance use issues stem from underlying
mental health problems. Addressing these root causes through comprehensive mental health care can significantly reduce the incidence of substance misuse
among young people.
By focusing on education, support, accessible treatment, and community involvement, we can create a holistic approach that prevents substance use and
supports the well-being of our youth.
California assumes responsibility for abused and neglected children when we remove them from their homes, and the State is legally obligated to ensure that children and youth in foster care receive vital services and supports to meet their unique needs and find safety, stability and success. Yet a third of youth in foster care don’t receive timely medical exams and youth in foster care have the lowest high school graduation rates (61% compared to 87% overall). How would you strengthen the child welfare system?
As a product of the foster care system, I have firsthand experience with its challenges and gaps. My personal journey has shaped my commitment to
strengthening the child welfare system to ensure every child receives the support and care they need to thrive. Here’s how I propose to address critical issues
facing foster youth:
- Timely medical exams are essential for the well-being of foster children. We must enforce strict compliance with checkup schedules and provide adequate
funding for healthcare services. A streamlined, accountable system for tracking and ensuring medical appointments is crucial. - Foster youth deserve equal academic opportunities. To improve graduation rates, I advocate for specialized educational support tailored to their unique needs.
This includes access to tutoring, mentoring programs, and educational liaisons who can navigate the school system and address academic challenges promptly. - Understanding the trauma and instability foster youth often face, we must expand access to comprehensive support services, including mental health care,
counseling, and life skills training. These services should be readily available to help foster youth cope with their experiences and prepare for adulthood. - Ensuring that foster care agencies and social workers are held accountable for meeting the needs of children in their care is crucial. Regular audits, better
training for caseworkers, and a clear system of accountability will improve the quality of care provided. - Recruiting and retaining compassionate, well-trained foster parents is vital. Providing better support, training, and resources to foster families can create stable
and nurturing environments for children. - For those aging out of the system, robust programs that provide support in higher education, job training, and housing assistance are essential. Ensuring a
smooth transition to independence is critical for their long-term success.
Having navigated the foster care system myself, I am deeply committed to making these improvements to ensure that every child in foster care has the
opportunity to find safety, stability, and success. By addressing these key areas, we can create a stronger, more supportive child welfare system.
While homelessness is a major issue in California, youth homelessness tends to get short shrift, even though 50% of the chronically homeless population had their first experience of homelessness before the age of 25. What would you do to sustain and increase funding specifically for housing programs for youth, and what other measures would you take to prioritize youth homelessness?
As someone who experienced homelessness as a youth and teen, I am acutely aware of the urgent need to address youth homelessness comprehensively. My
personal journey informs my commitment to ensuring that no young person has to endure the hardships I faced. Here’s how I would sustain and increase
funding for housing programs for youth, and prioritize addressing youth homelessness:
- To sustain and increase funding for housing programs specifically for youth, I would advocate for dedicated state and federal funding streams. This includes
ensuring a portion of the state budget is earmarked for youth homelessness programs, pursuing federal grants, and encouraging public-private partnerships to
secure additional resources. - Addressing youth homelessness requires a holistic approach. We need to provide mental health care and counseling to address trauma, offer educational
support and job training to help youth build a stable future, and implement life skills workshops to equip them for adulthood. - Preventing youth homelessness is equally important. Early intervention programs in schools and communities can identify and support at-risk youth before
they become homeless. Additionally, providing resources and support to families in crisis can prevent youth from becoming homeless in the first place. - Advocating for policies that prioritize youth homelessness is essential. This includes supporting legislation that protects and supports homeless youth and
raising public awareness to garner support and drive policy changes. - Developing a range of housing solutions is vital. Expanding transitional housing programs provides temporary stability while youth work towards permanent
solutions. Increasing the availability of permanent supportive housing offers long-term stability and ongoing support services.
My experience as a homeless youth drives my dedication to making meaningful changes. By implementing these strategies, we can provide homeless youth
with the support and resources they need to transition from crisis to stability, ultimately reducing youth homelessness and its long-term impact.
Senate
Question
Reply
California ranks among the top states in per capita expenditures on a number of government programs (i.e. corrections, law enforcement, general government), but is just near or below the national average on expenditures for kids’ programs, including education and Medi-Cal. What are your thoughts on this prioritization of expenditures and what, if any, changes would you make in this regard?
Investment in early childhood education and programs are essential to ensuring children have a strong social and educational foundation. Crime and poverty can be abated if we invest in early childhood education and programs.
Only 25% of working families have access to a licensed child care space. While the State has committed to expand subsidized child care slots by 200,000 over the next few years, many families will still lack affordable access to quality child care, especially families with infants and toddlers. What should the state government do to ensure that all families have access to high-quality affordable child care?
We need universal child care and we need to expand this to children with disabilities.
California ranks 49th among the 50 states in teacher-to-student ratio, 45th in school counselors, and 48th in school administrators. We also rank near the bottom in terms of school nurses, with approximately one nurse for every 2,400 students and no nurses at all in some smaller counties. What are your thoughts on these rankings, and what should be done in response?
We must invest in school support services and incentivize college students to enter these much-needed fields.
California has the highest percentage of kids who are dual language learners, ages 0-5, (60%) and school-age English Learners (19%) in the country. How should the State support these students’ bilingual/multilingual potential? What are your thoughts on how educators in early education and TK-12 can be prepared to assist these students to meet their language development needs?
The State should have bilingual classrooms and incentivize teacher training to include cultural competency and learning a second language in high demand.
Over the past 45 years, state spending on higher education has dropped from 18% to 6% of the state budget. What is your position on funding for public higher education?
I would like to see us move towards free public college education starting with the most under-resourced students and encourage private schools to do the
same for, at minimum, low-income students who are admitted to their universities.
Over half (55%) of California’s kids are enrolled in Medi-Cal, but California performs near the bottom amongst all state Medicaid programs when it comes to children’s access to primary care physicians and important childhood screenings, especially for children of color. In addition, many California children lack access to oral health care, vision services, and mental health and substance abuse supports and services. What would you do to increase children’s timely access to these services?
We must move towards some form of universal healthcare in order to expand the resources made available to low-income families and to meet demand. The
county-based Medi-Cal is prohibitive and limits the number of resources available to low-income families and the timeliness of care. We must also encourage
college students to enter these healthcare fields in order to better meet demand.
Over the past two decades, mental health issues have grown from 9% to 19% as a percentage of all child hospitalizations; however, many families report extreme difficulty in securing mental health services to help their kids. What should be done to ensure that more children receive needed mental health supports and services?
We must incentivize college students to enter the mental healthcare fields in order to better meet demand.
By 11th grade, roughly half of California students have used alcohol, misused cold medicines or pain prescriptions, or used marijuana. California’s current piecemeal approach to youth substance use means that kids who need help are often punished by school suspension and expulsion policies, forcing many students to “fail first” before they get help. For example, State-funded treatment programs are not available in some counties and often difficult to access where they do exist. Those programs tend to be mainly for adults, lacking a unique focus on young people’s concerns and developmental needs. What do you think should be done to prevent young people from being harmed by substance use?
We need more preventive measures to support at-risk youth and increase mental health and social support services in schools.
California assumes responsibility for abused and neglected children when we remove them from their homes, and the State is legally obligated to ensure that children and youth in foster care receive vital services and supports to meet their unique needs and find safety, stability and success. Yet a third of youth in foster care don’t receive timely medical exams and youth in foster care have the lowest high school graduation rates (61% compared to 87% overall). How would you strengthen the child welfare system?
We need to increase staffing to help meet the needs of our foster care system. We need comprehensive social, psychological, and academic support services for
our foster children.
While homelessness is a major issue in California, youth homelessness tends to get short shrift, even though 50% of the chronically homeless population had their first experience of homelessness before the age of 25. What would you do to sustain and increase funding specifically for housing programs for youth, and what other measures would you take to prioritize youth homelessness?
We need more housing programs with wraparound services. Protected, dedicated funding from a bond or tax measure needs to be established to help fund
housing and all necessary services on an ongoing basis.
Question
Reply
California ranks among the top states in per capita expenditures on a number of government programs (i.e. corrections, law enforcement, general government), but is just near or below the national average on expenditures for kids’ programs, including education and Medi-Cal. What are your thoughts on this prioritization of expenditures and what, if any, changes would you make in this regard?
California is a high-tax, high-spending state, and yet the services it offers to residents are not adequate. California is overspending in a number of areas, and as
a result kids’ programs suffer. The state is currently engaged in a game of whack-a-mole. For example, the state softened penalties on crime 10 years ago and
as a result they’ve been able to save hundreds of millions of dollars annually on prison costs, but not without a corresponding surge in crime. The challenge for
the state is to create a safe environment for everyone with good economic opportunities, while reducing crime and helping children thrive. The state budget is
being swamped by pension costs, energy costs, homeless spending and housing subsidies. I would prefer to orient the state’s spending toward helping people
and families, and away from broad objectives that border on social engineering.
Only 25% of working families have access to a licensed child care space. While the State has committed to expand subsidized child care slots by 200,000 over the next few years, many families will still lack affordable access to quality child care, especially families with infants and toddlers. What should the state government do to ensure that all families have access to high-quality affordable child care?
California has a child care crisis, both in the areas of affordability and accessibility. Some families are spending a third of their income on child care. Infant care
can cost almost $20,000 per year for a single baby. Existing programs are not adequate to meet parents’ needs. Parents who struggle with child care find that
their work productivity decreases, and this hurts our economy. As we struggle with companies leaving our state, we need to make sure workers can get the
child care they need. We need higher pay for child care providers and to have more subsidies for child care spaces. This will start to put us on the right path to
fixing this problem.
California ranks 49th among the 50 states in teacher-to-student ratio, 45th in school counselors, and 48th in school administrators. We also rank near the bottom in terms of school nurses, with approximately one nurse for every 2,400 students and no nurses at all in some smaller counties. What are your thoughts on these rankings, and what should be done in response?
As a registered nurse, I am sensitive to this issue. California, with its huge, diverse economy, should be ranking much higher. It’s not acceptable for our state to
be so weak in these areas. The solution is redistribution of the budget, funding and better targeted spending to make sure that each dollar spent benefits an
actual student. Regarding school nurses and counselors, one solution may be to incentives retired nurses and counselors to acquire employment in schools to
care for children.
California has the highest percentage of kids who are dual language learners, ages 0-5, (60%) and school-age English Learners (19%) in the country. How should the State support these students’ bilingual/multilingual potential? What are your thoughts on how educators in early education and TK-12 can be prepared to assist these students to meet their language development needs?
Language skills are crucial for students who want to excel in the global economy. Bilingual learners need to be better supported so that these learners can
thrive. Increasing hiring of bilingual educators will support the students.
Over the past 45 years, state spending on higher education has dropped from 18% to 6% of the state budget. What is your position on funding for public higher education?
Only 32% of California fourth graders are reading proficiently. It’s nice to say that we should throw more money at higher education, but the fact is, our schools
are failing students long before they can even contemplate going to college. Students are falling behind in elementary school, middle school and high school.
They are being failed by our public school system at every level. In China, students are learning math skills in the 8th grade that California students don’t work
on until they get to college. We have to do a much better job in our preparatory system to make sure students have the skills they need to succeed in college.
Over half (55%) of California’s kids are enrolled in Medi-Cal, but California performs near the bottom amongst all state Medicaid programs when it comes to children’s access to primary care physicians and important childhood screenings, especially for children of color. In addition, many California children lack access to oral health care, vision services, and mental health and substance abuse supports and services. What would you do to increase children’s timely access to these services?
Health care is not just for the wealthy. California ranks 20th among U.S. States in terms of its ability to deliver health care to low-income residents. We have
serious shortages of doctors, dentists and mental health care providers. We need more targeted funding and also better education efforts to make sure
children are making healthy choices.
Over the past two decades, mental health issues have grown from 9% to 19% as a percentage of all child hospitalizations; however, many families report extreme difficulty in securing mental health services to help their kids. What should be done to ensure that more children receive needed mental health supports and services?
The key is educating families and removing the stigma of reaching out for mental care. By increasing counselors and mental health professionals in schools,
children will have increased and immediate access to mental health services. I would like to see parents incorporated into this process at schools. Regarding
hospitalized children, we must increase follow up mental health services for children post hospitalization.
By 11th grade, roughly half of California students have used alcohol, misused cold medicines or pain prescriptions, or used marijuana. California’s current piecemeal approach to youth substance use means that kids who need help are often punished by school suspension and expulsion policies, forcing many students to “fail first” before they get help. For example, State-funded treatment programs are not available in some counties and often difficult to access where they do exist. Those programs tend to be mainly for adults, lacking a unique focus on young people’s concerns and developmental needs. What do you think should be done to prevent young people from being harmed by substance use?
Students who use drugs and alcohol are damaging their bodies and brains and setting themselves up for potential mental health and addiction issues later in
life. For too long, parents and teachers have looked the other way and considered these indiscretions to be a normal part of growing up. We have to give
children optimism in the future so that they are less likely to experience the despair that leads to substance abuse. Giving children strong moral guidelines and
a framework for behavior can help them feel good about themselves. We must move away from the attitude that normalizes getting high or intoxicated.
That said, it is crucial to expand treatment as well as mental health services to children because not only are drugs and alcohol being overutilized by children for
social reason. Children are also suffering with anxiety and depression at a higher rate now than ever before and utilizing drugs and alcohol to self treat which
can lead to increased risks of addiction and death.
California assumes responsibility for abused and neglected children when we remove them from their homes, and the State is legally obligated to ensure that children and youth in foster care receive vital services and supports to meet their unique needs and find safety, stability and success. Yet a third of youth in foster care don’t receive timely medical exams and youth in foster care have the lowest high school graduation rates (61% compared to 87% overall). How would you strengthen the child welfare system?
California needs to pay foster parents more and they need to have a stronger retention program to keep foster families in the system. I would like see
incentives for foster care families whose children graduate from high school.
Some studies show that almost a third of those leaving a foster home end up homeless. Therefore, we have to build better bridge programs equipping these
children with secure housing, employment training, jobs and to pursue higher education to give minors the opportunity to succeed when they leave a foster
environment.
While homelessness is a major issue in California, youth homelessness tends to get short shrift, even though 50% of the chronically homeless population had their first experience of homelessness before the age of 25. What would you do to sustain and increase funding specifically for housing programs for youth, and what other measures would you take to prioritize youth homelessness?
Again, we must redistribute the budget. We must take care of Californian’s first. Getting children off the street must be a top priority. We need to have safe
temporary housing where they can get drug and alcohol counseling and treatment, financial literacy classes and a safe, sex-segregated, drug-free environment.
This is how we help them become functioning members of society. Our communities should not be subsidizing tent camping permits or providing people with
parking places for their recreational vehicles or cars to live in. We must clear encampments and provide a housing pathway that allows minors and adults a shot
at productive, rewarding lives.
Question
Reply
California ranks among the top states in per capita expenditures on a number of government programs (i.e. corrections, law enforcement, general government), but is just near or below the national average on expenditures for kids’ programs, including education and Medi-Cal. What are your thoughts on this prioritization of expenditures and what, if any, changes would you make in this regard?
The question cites the current inequity, but efforts in recent years have greatly added to support for education. I chair the Education Budget Subcommittee, and since 2017 spending on K-12 education has risen roughly 40%. While we are nearing a national average, we have risen from the bottom. This year – even though it is still subject to a ballot measure this November – MediCal rates have been raised for the first time in recent years – not by as much as we would like, but it is heading in the right direction. I am committed to continue these trends as much as possible given budget challenges.
Only 25% of working families have access to a licensed child care space. While the State has committed to expand subsidized child care slots by 200,000 over the next few years, many families will still lack affordable access to quality child care, especially families with infants and toddlers. What should the state government do to ensure that all families have access to high-quality affordable child care?
Prior to the last two budgets, we expanded the slots, rates, and a framework for child care. The budgets of the last two years have slowed our progress. It’s really about having the resources to keep the commitment, which I support.
California ranks 49th among the 50 states in teacher-to-student ratio, 45th in school counselors, and 48th in school administrators. We also rank near the bottom in terms of school nurses, with approximately one nurse for every 2,400 students and no nurses at all in some smaller counties. What are your thoughts on these rankings, and what should be done in response?
As stated in the first answer, we have raised K-12 funding 40% since 2017. The state has shied away from additional mandates, allowing local school districts to
prioritize their spending. We could mandate higher ratios – but we would be giving schools the same money. We should work with school districts on these
needs.
California has the highest percentage of kids who are dual language learners, ages 0-5, (60%) and school-age English Learners (19%) in the country. How should the State support these students’ bilingual/multilingual potential? What are your thoughts on how educators in early education and TK-12 can be prepared to assist these students to meet their language development needs?
This is a fundamental issue with California education policy. Governor Brown’s change in formula ten years ago was designed to be able to focus on underserved students and districts. It’s a challenge that includes adequately training and supporting educators – and having the resources to reach the students. It’s an ongoing challenge and I am committed to progress.
Over the past 45 years, state spending on higher education has dropped from 18% to 6% of the state budget. What is your position on funding for public higher education?
I am a strong advocate for higher education funding. In this year, the Governor’s May Revise called for a $125 million reduction to the University of California
system, and a $75 million reduction to the California State University system. The legislative budget was able to reject these cuts, and get to an increase this
year – and postpone a cut decision to the next budget year. The underlying problem is that a significant majority of the state budget is earmarked, There is no
such minimum for higher education. When a budget squeeze comes, the higher education system is the first on the block. We must figure out a way to change
this over time.
Over half (55%) of California’s kids are enrolled in Medi-Cal, but California performs near the bottom amongst all state Medicaid programs when it comes to children’s access to primary care physicians and important childhood screenings, especially for children of color. In addition, many California children lack access to oral health care, vision services, and mental health and substance abuse supports and services. What would you do to increase children’s timely access to these services?
It’s a long term challenge – enough resources, enough physicians, and focus. I will continue to work on that.
Over the past two decades, mental health issues have grown from 9% to 19% as a percentage of all child hospitalizations; however, many families report extreme difficulty in securing mental health services to help their kids. What should be done to ensure that more children receive needed mental health supports and services?
I am going to combine the answers to questions eight and nine, as I think the response is directly related. Through the education system, we have added mental health support for schools, but have not had the capability to do it at the level of need. At the same time, kids are using alcohol and other items improperly.
There is a duality to these issues in some cases that needs to be addressed that way. In recent years we have depended on school staff to be mental health workers and drug counselors in their regular jobs. Once again, we are faced with the challenge of creating more mandates and carveouts within the existing amounts of funding. School districts ask for flexibility, and we have to thread the need of giving them more financial support and guiding them to address these issues as part of what they do.
By 11th grade, roughly half of California students have used alcohol, misused cold medicines or pain prescriptions, or used marijuana. California’s current piecemeal approach to youth substance use means that kids who need help are often punished by school suspension and expulsion policies, forcing many students to “fail first” before they get help. For example, State-funded treatment programs are not available in some counties and often difficult to access where they do exist. Those programs tend to be mainly for adults, lacking a unique focus on young people’s concerns and developmental needs. What do you think should be done to prevent young people from being harmed by substance use?
See above.
California assumes responsibility for abused and neglected children when we remove them from their homes, and the State is legally obligated to ensure that children and youth in foster care receive vital services and supports to meet their unique needs and find safety, stability and success. Yet a third of youth in foster care don’t receive timely medical exams and youth in foster care have the lowest high school graduation rates (61% compared to 87% overall). How would you strengthen the child welfare system?
Youth in foster care always need our support – in whatever way through state policy we can do it. In my part of the policy world, I worked hard to expand the
“next up” program in the community college system. The program was limited to $10 million a year and the number of participating campuses was a low
number. Through our work on the budget, we increased the financial support four fold, and lifted the cap on campuses that could offer the program – which
helps foster youth in the community college system. We need to do more in other areas of support.
While homelessness is a major issue in California, youth homelessness tends to get short shrift, even though 50% of the chronically homeless population had their first experience of homelessness before the age of 25. What would you do to sustain and increase funding specifically for housing programs for youth, and what other measures would you take to prioritize youth homelessness?
The issue of the unsheltered is big beyond the impact to youth who are homeless. There are many reasons for youth homelessness. There is a disproportionate
number of LGBT youth who are homeless. The problem is having directed services within the continuum of care. The difficulty in providing temporary housing,
which is of a lesser priority that long-term housing, is one of the issues. The issue of unsheltered youth needs to be prioritized.
Question
Reply
California ranks among the top states in per capita expenditures on a number of government programs (i.e. corrections, law enforcement, general government), but is just near or below the national average on expenditures for kids’ programs, including education and Medi-Cal. What are your thoughts on this prioritization of expenditures and what, if any, changes would you make in this regard?
The pandemic was particularly hard on our educators, support staff, students, and parents who were doing everything they could to help our next generation
succeed. We need to increase funding for public education so that we can improve retention of educators and support staff through increased wages, benefits,
and opportunities for advancement. We need to hire more nurses, mental health professionals, and social service workers on campus. We need to give
educators and support staff the resources they need to help students bridge the digital/tech divide that negatively impacts low-income students from having
the same opportunities to succeed in emerging jobs.
The pandemic also reinforced to us that students need the interaction that comes with in-person education and the professional services of classified school
employees and teachers. We must safeguard funding for classroom-based education in traditional schools from being taken away and given to online charters.
My city of Alhambra has a uniquely close partnership with the Alhambra Unified School District. Our council hosts a subcommittee in partnership with
Alhambra Unified school district board members, staff, and teachers once a month to discuss shared challenges, opportunities, and potential collaboration. This
committee was launched in 2018 by our current Councilmember Adele Andrade-Stadler, who served on the School Board for over a decade. These regular
committee meetings allowed us to closely partner and deliver services to students and families throughout the 2020 pandemic and beyond.
As a Senator, I’d seek to have a similar advisory committee set up between local teachers’ associations from across the district and school board members. This
would allow me to keep up to date with pressing issues locally and collaborate with community stakeholders around policies that must be prioritized.
Only 25% of working families have access to a licensed child care space. While the State has committed to expand subsidized child care slots by 200,000 over the next few years, many families will still lack affordable access to quality child care, especially families with infants and toddlers. What should the state government do to ensure that all families have access to high-quality affordable child care?
Quality childcare can cost more than sending a student to college. We need to do more to reduce the cost of childcare while maintaining the quality and safety
of licensed facilities. First, we need to increase wages for childcare providers so we attract quality early childhood educators to the field and that we treat it like
vocation it is. Second, we need to ensure there is steady income for childcare centers and for family childcare providers. We also need to make it easier to
accept subsidies like OPTIONS and increase the amount the providers receive from those programs. I also support tax incentives for businesses that provide
childcare facilities on site or make arrangements with a nearby facility as an employee benefit. When workers are able to work nearby their children, it creates a
better culture for the workplace as well as provide opportunities for more productivity from their employees.
California ranks 49th among the 50 states in teacher-to-student ratio, 45th in school counselors, and 48th in school administrators. We also rank near the bottom in terms of school nurses, with approximately one nurse for every 2,400 students and no nurses at all in some smaller counties. What are your thoughts on these rankings, and what should be done in response?
Our schools are still recovering from funding cuts, the after-effects of the pandemic, and the reduction or elimination of programs. We must prioritize fully
funding our schools to ensure our students have a solid educational foundation and future. California can’t continue to lag in per pupil spending and expect to
give students every chance to succeed. I think the additional funding should be spent on recruiting and retaining classified school employees, teachers, mental
health workers, school safety workers, and nurses in our schools, as well as facility upgrades to make campuses safer and equipped with emerging technology.
California has the highest percentage of kids who are dual language learners, ages 0-5, (60%) and school-age English Learners (19%) in the country. How should the State support these students’ bilingual/multilingual potential? What are your thoughts on how educators in early education and TK-12 can be prepared to assist these students to meet their language development needs?
On-campus clubs and organizations that provide support to immigrant students and culturally diverse students need funding – and teachers who are doing the
extra leg work to lead such programs deserve additional pay and resources. My city’s School District has one of the few Dreamer Resource Centers on a high
school campus in Los Angeles County. This Center provides support to students and their families, encouraging civic engagement, answering questions around
their legal status, and providing a safe space for our community. Spaces like this should be available on campuses across California and teachers should be
given all the resources and support they need to pursue these endeavors.
Beyond creating safe spaces on campus, we need to continue to ensure we’re providing a diverse curriculum, including language and bilingual curriculum to
our students. Educational equity has been a focus of mine from day one, and it will continue to be one of my top policy priorities.
Over the past 45 years, state spending on higher education has dropped from 18% to 6% of the state budget. What is your position on funding for public higher education?
I was the first in my family to earn a college degree from Cal State LA, and I know the doors that college access and career programs can open for working
families. I’ve spent my career working to ensure students can achieve their college dreams, including leading a campaign to secure $97 million to expand
college access for California students. Over the past decade, I’ve worked on education legislation to simplify the FAFSA application, increase financial aid awards
for college students, and ensure high school students have access to college prep coursework.
One of the main barriers diverse students face in accessing the CSU is cost. Low-income students, student parents and students of color often struggle to pay
for the real cost of college. To mitigate this, I’ve worked with the California Student Aid Commission, Assemblymember Jose Medina and Senator Connie Leyva
(Ret.) to advocate for AB 1456/AB 1746: the Cal Grant Equity Framework. This bill would increase the number of Cal Grants offered to low-income students
making the cost of attending any public college or university free for any student with an EFC of 0. I was also a part of a statewide coalition to demand that the
CSU and UC drop the use of the SAT/ACT in admissions, because these archaic exams were preventing well-qualified diverse students from accessing the CSU
and UC system.
As State Senator, I will continue to build on these policies by working to ensure all Californians have the same access to educational opportunities and decrease
the extreme financial burdens of obtaining a college degree. I’m proud to be the only candidate in this race endorsed by students, educators, and school
administrators because of my commitment to education.
Over half (55%) of California’s kids are enrolled in Medi-Cal, but California performs near the bottom amongst all state Medicaid programs when it comes to children’s access to primary care physicians and important childhood screenings, especially for children of color. In addition, many California children lack access to oral health care, vision services, and mental health and substance abuse supports and services. What would you do to increase children’s timely access to these services?
I support CalCare, California’s single-payer health insurance model, will vote for it, and will organize in my community to build support for it. In 2021 as Mayor
of the City of Alhambra, I signed onto grassroots letters from Healthy California Now demanding Governor Newsom and the Healthy California for All
Commission create a single payer system, spoke at rallies in support of single payer and joined panels with Dolores Huerta and National Union of Healthcare Workers to discuss the importance of single payer and the benefits for communities.
While we build support for CalCare, I believe we also need to continue expanding affordable access to Covered California. Ahead of winning CalCare, I also
support requiring public and non-profit hospitals to provide services to the uninsured as a condition of favorable bond financing and requiring more
transparency and accountability on hospitals that claim to provide charity care.
Over the past two decades, mental health issues have grown from 9% to 19% as a percentage of all child hospitalizations; however, many families report extreme difficulty in securing mental health services to help their kids. What should be done to ensure that more children receive needed mental health supports and services?
Since I’ve taken office in Alhambra, I’ve made it a priority to increase our investment in mental health services for individuals in crisis and make sure we’re
addressing the needs of our residents with compassion and care. I led efforts to add mental health workers and social workers to our city’s public safety team
through a partnership with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health and Los Angeles Centers for Alcohol and Drug Abuse. These members of our
public safety team provide a compassionate, humane response to individuals navigating homelessness, addiction, or mental health issues. Our city’s program
has been a major success. We’ve seen a decrease in homelessness throughout Alhambra and been able to effectively assist individuals in crisis. Alternative
programs like the one we’ve launched in Alhambra need to be replicated across the state, for local cities, college and university campuses, and their success
must be studied and shared.
As a State Senator, I’ll continue working with people and organizations to expand mental health, drug treatment, and social services for people of all ages to
help create a stronger foundation for Californians to receive the mental health services they need.
By 11th grade, roughly half of California students have used alcohol, misused cold medicines or pain prescriptions, or used marijuana. California’s current piecemeal approach to youth substance use means that kids who need help are often punished by school suspension and expulsion policies, forcing many students to “fail first” before they get help. For example, State-funded treatment programs are not available in some counties and often difficult to access where they do exist. Those programs tend to be mainly for adults, lacking a unique focus on young people’s concerns and developmental needs. What do you think should be done to prevent young people from being harmed by substance use?
When young people have access to quality education, extracurricular activities, stable housing, food security, and economic opportunities, we know they turn to
substances yet. We need to take a holistic approach to prevention by making investments in enrichment programs. We also need to work with social media
platforms to crackdown on drug dealing that occurs over direct messages that too often end in tragedy. We need a comprehensive approach to mental health
and substance use treatment that will help young people early in their lives so they don’t fall into our criminal justice system or a spiral of homelessness. I will
work on these issues in the State Senate.
California assumes responsibility for abused and neglected children when we remove them from their homes, and the State is legally obligated to ensure that children and youth in foster care receive vital services and supports to meet their unique needs and find safety, stability and success. Yet a third of youth in foster care don’t receive timely medical exams and youth in foster care have the lowest high school graduation rates (61% compared to 87% overall). How would you strengthen the child welfare system?
We must protect the budget for our child welfare system, especially in tough budget times. This vulnerable population will struggle in adulthood if we don’t get
it right in their childhood. I support more funding for social workers so that we can provide more individualized services for foster youth and ensure we prepare
our schools to help students with adverse childhood experiences with trauma informed teaching and on-site services at schools.
While homelessness is a major issue in California, youth homelessness tends to get short shrift, even though 50% of the chronically homeless population had their first experience of homelessness before the age of 25. What would you do to sustain and increase funding specifically for housing programs for youth, and what other measures would you take to prioritize youth homelessness?
The crisis facing people who are experiencing homelessness is personal for me. My cousin passed away in 2018 after being chronically homeless for most of his
adult life. The experience was devastating and traumatizing for my family and myself. I now serve as a Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA)
Commissioner appointed by Supervisor Hilda Solis and continue to work across agencies to improve the regional response to help house our unhoused
neighbors.
In Alhambra, I spearheaded efforts to build over 80 permanent supportive housing units for families with children, reduced housing costs, and improved rental
assistance to working families. I’ve worked to lower the cost of housing, improve rental assistance to families, and expand mental health services to those
experiencing homelessness.
As a State Senator, I’ll continue working with people and organizations on the frontlines of addressing the homelessness crisis to increase funding to convert
and build new housing, and to expand mental health, drug treatment, and social services to help our unhoused neighbors create a stronger foundation to
succeed. I will also work to expand federal, state, and county homebuyer programs to so that low- and moderate-income families can access homeownership,
and advocate for ways to stretch the impact of our existing HUD/CDBG funds. Beyond protection of current housing units, I will work to increase our housing
stock and ensure the increase of affordable and market-rate housing units so that we can meet our regional housing needs.
Question
Reply
California ranks among the top states in per capita expenditures on a number of government programs (i.e. corrections, law enforcement, general government), but is just near or below the national average on expenditures for kids’ programs, including education and Medi-Cal. What are your thoughts on this prioritization of expenditures and what, if any, changes would you make in this regard?
While there absolutely needs to be safe neighborhoods, it is unacceptable for childhood education and Medi-Cal to have their funding minimized. As your
State Senator, I would fight to ensure that both K-12 and higher education are fully funded without worrying about losing their dollars every budget cycle.
Further, we need Medi-Cal to pay our healthcare providers on time to ensure that we aren’t losing quality healthcare professionals due to the fact that the State
isn’t paying our bills on time. We cannot exacerbate the issue any further, so I would investigate and put an end to delayed payments.
Only 25% of working families have access to a licensed child care space. While the State has committed to expand subsidized child care slots by 200,000 over the next few years, many families will still lack affordable access to quality child care, especially families with infants and toddlers. What should the state government do to ensure that all families have access to high-quality affordable child care?
State Government needs to understand that child care slots aren’t negotiable, and I was proud to be part of the effort pushing the state to retain those 200,000
slots. As a mother who relied on state-funded child care to go to work, I know first-hand the kind of impact this can have for working families — especially
working mothers.
The State also needs to invest in and strengthen our partnerships with our local nonprofits like Crystal Stairs who have worked hard to earn the trust of our
communities. Without the tireless efforts of these critical organizations, our families face the struggle of balancing child care and work that takes a toll on both
children and their parents.
California ranks 49th among the 50 states in teacher-to-student ratio, 45th in school counselors, and 48th in school administrators. We also rank near the bottom in terms of school nurses, with approximately one nurse for every 2,400 students and no nurses at all in some smaller counties. What are your thoughts on these rankings, and what should be done in response?
California needs to work towards spending dollars intentionally for our students to guarantee them the best possible public education. This includes reducing
teacher-to-student ratios so students are better supported and our teachers are less overwhelmed. Not only does this have a direct impact on both students
and staff, but reducing classroom sizes also improves the mental health of our educators and helps us retain quality educator professionals.
To better foster nursing staff, there should be the option for retired nurses to return in service of their schools without penalizing their retirement benefits so
that schools can continue to have well-trained medical professionals on site.
Leaders in this effort to raise California’s rankings are also endorsing my campaign because they understand that I will be an effective partner in Sacramento to
accomplish these goals, which is why I am proud to have the support of the California Teachers Association and the California Nurses Association, as well as
many local School Board Members within Senate District 35.
California has the highest percentage of kids who are dual language learners, ages 0-5, (60%) and school-age English Learners (19%) in the country. How should the State support these students’ bilingual/multilingual potential? What are your thoughts on how educators in early education and TK-12 can be prepared to assist these students to meet their language development needs?
I would definitely be supportive of dual language immersion programs to provide our students additional opportunities and develop better cultural
understandings. The State should offer incentives for school districts to roll out such a program and provide both metrics and a curriculum framework to reduce
the burden on local districts to implement dual immersion programs.
Over the past 45 years, state spending on higher education has dropped from 18% to 6% of the state budget. What is your position on funding for public higher education?
This statistic is deeply troubling, and I strongly believe that public education, including higher education, is the great equalizer. We must fully fund our public
schools and higher education institutions to ensure that every student, regardless of their background, has access to affordable, quality education. Increased
funding for community colleges, trade schools, and four-year universities is essential, especially for students from low-income households, who often face the
greatest financial barriers. By investing in higher education, we create opportunities for students to pursue meaningful careers, lift themselves out of poverty,
and contribute to a thriving workforce.
I intend on serving as a staunch advocate for our higher education institutions to provide students, and those that serve on these campuses agree. That’s why
I’m proud to be the choice of the California Faculty Association and the Faculty Association of California Community Colleges for the educators on our
campuses working towards a brighter future for our young people.
Over half (55%) of California’s kids are enrolled in Medi-Cal, but California performs near the bottom amongst all state Medicaid programs when it comes to children’s access to primary care physicians and important childhood screenings, especially for children of color. In addition, many California children lack access to oral health care, vision services, and mental health and substance abuse supports and services. What would you do to increase children’s timely access to these services?
Beyond investigating the payment timeliness for healthcare providers as previously mentioned, I would work with our Department of Health Care Services to
review how accessible websites and resources offered by Medicaid and Medi-Cal are.
This would also involve our healthcare professionals to reaffirm that they are truly treating their patients. Are they booking their patients in a timely manner?
Are they providing quality service to children? Are they being overloaded with patients? California cannot simply list providers to families that rely on Medi-Cal. We need to ensure that these healthcare professionals have the capacity to see new patients and deliver comprehensive services, including oral health, vision
care, and mental health supports, especially for children of color who often face greater disparities in care. By doing so, we can close these gaps and ensure that
every child receives the timely and essential care they need.
Over the past two decades, mental health issues have grown from 9% to 19% as a percentage of all child hospitalizations; however, many families report extreme difficulty in securing mental health services to help their kids. What should be done to ensure that more children receive needed mental health supports and services?
One conversation I’ve had more times than I can count in the community is the lack of culturally sensitive approaches toward mental health in our schools. A
big step in bringing students on board to mental health services is having their parents on board. Whether it’s language translation or professionals from a
diverse set of backgrounds, families need to receive services in a manner they are comfortable with.
Additionally, we have to continue looking at how local districts are allocating their funding and whether schools are hiring mental health professionals for each
of their sites. I believe that the state needs to be a partner with local schools, parents, and students to guarantee mental health services that have the ability to
drastically improve a child’s educational pathway.
By 11th grade, roughly half of California students have used alcohol, misused cold medicines or pain prescriptions, or used marijuana. California’s current piecemeal approach to youth substance use means that kids who need help are often punished by school suspension and expulsion policies, forcing many students to “fail first” before they get help. For example, State-funded treatment programs are not available in some counties and often difficult to access where they do exist. Those programs tend to be mainly for adults, lacking a unique focus on young people’s concerns and developmental needs. What do you think should be done to prevent young people from being harmed by substance use?
First, we need to address those peddling tobacco, vapes, and other substances to our kids and put a stop to it. We cannot act only retroactively, but instead we
must take preventative measures that keep children from developing those addictions.
With new measures passed to open up these funding mechanisms for substance abuse, young people need services in their schools so that these supportive
programs are easily accessible. I also agree that we need to rethink how we treat students in our school systems in a way that cares for them rather than
penalizing them for the struggles they are going through. Otherwise, young people are de-incentivized from seeking help.
California assumes responsibility for abused and neglected children when we remove them from their homes, and the State is legally obligated to ensure that children and youth in foster care receive vital services and supports to meet their unique needs and find safety, stability and success. Yet a third of youth in foster care don’t receive timely medical exams and youth in foster care have the lowest high school graduation rates (61% compared to 87% overall). How would you strengthen the child welfare system?
There are bad actors in the foster care system that take advantage of the system, so it begins with a strong partnership between the state and our county to
investigate and hold these folks accountable. For foster parents that are in it for the right reasons, they are often under supported and left grasping at straws
when it comes to resources for them.
When the state provides funding for mental health measures and healthcare services, I will be a champion for our youth so that they are allocated their fair
share. Our foster parents should not have to take on being mental health or behavioral health professionals, so let’s put dollars behind these efforts so that
foster parents don’t need to take on these additional burdens.
Together, we can work to achieve higher graduation rates and better medical services for foster youth.
While homelessness is a major issue in California, youth homelessness tends to get short shrift, even though 50% of the chronically homeless population had their first experience of homelessness before the age of 25. What would you do to sustain and increase funding specifically for housing programs for youth, and what other measures would you take to prioritize youth homelessness?
In the State Senate, I would search for funding avenues we can provide to build affordable housing in our communities as well as housing for those unhoused
to help folks off the streets. It is also important that we fight against housing prices out of our communities because a main issue for young people is also that
they cannot afford to purchase a home in the areas where they grew up. With housing affordability, we act preventatively to mitigate homelessness in our
youth.
Another measure I would take on would be for resources for school counselors that would help them better identity struggling students and connect them to
youth housing programs so that this doesn’t become a continuous cycle for students once they graduate. This also applies to our community colleges, CSU’s,
and UC’s, where a concerning rise in student homelessness is occurring and students are living in their cars because they are unable to secure housing with the
schools or nearby that they attend.