In this powerful episode of Spark EC Voices, we explore why California’s new PK-3 Specialist Instruction Credential is transforming early learning—and why it matters now more than ever. As districts expand Transitional Kindergarten and rethink the early grades, our expert guests unpack how PK-3 preparation centers developmentally appropriate, play-based learning, whole-child development, and authentic family partnerships from preschool through third grade.
Episode Contributors:
Maria Fusaro
Maria Fusaro, Ed.D., is a Professor of Child and Adolescent Development and co-Founder of the Early Childhood Institute at San José State University. She earned her doctorate in Human Development and Psychology at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, with an emphasis on early childhood development. Her research explores social processes involved in young children’s learning, and preservice early childhood teachers’ caregiving beliefs, attitudes, and practices. Through her work with the PK-3 ECE credential program at SJSU, she seeks to ensure that early childhood teachers are well prepared to support the learning and development of all young children.
Wendy Hernandez
Wendy Hernandez is the P-3 Alignment Executive Leadership Coach for the Office of the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools (FCSS). With over 30 years of experience in early education, Wendy promotes equity, reform, and quality education for all children. She started her career in education as a Special Education Instructional Aide. After earning a Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential, she served as a K-8 teacher for 15 years. She was then promoted as an Instructional Coach, and then a Site and District Administrator. As principal, she led the transformation of a rural school serving predominantly high-poverty, dual-language learners. These students became the district's top readers and received the California Gold Ribbon Award. Wendy is the chairperson of the Local Planning Council of Fresno County, and a fellow for the Center for District Innovation and Leadership.
Renee Marshall
Renée Marshall has served as the Administrator of Early Childhood Education (ECE) Teacher Preparation at the Commission since 2022, where she supports work related to the Child Development Permit, the PK3 ECE Specialist Instruction Credential, and the CalFTPA. Renée comes from the California Community College Teacher Preparation Programs, where she spent 15 years operationalizing teacher preparation at the campus, region, and state levels. Renee served as faculty and administration in the community college system, taught preschool, elementary, and middle school, and supported current and future teachers as a teacher mentor and teacher leader. Ms. Marshall holds a MA in Education, a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, and a BA in Psychology from UC Santa Cruz. She holds a MA in Education Leadership and Policy Studies and an Administrative Services Credential from CSU Northridge.
Co-Chairs:
Hilary Seitz
Hilary Seitz, PhD, (she/her) supports statewide efforts related to early learning and the new PK-3 Early Childhood Education credential. Dr. Seitz is also a Professor Emerita in Early Childhood Education from the University of Alaska Anchorage, where she held various positions, including Professor, Chair of Teaching and Learning, and Associate Dean of the College. She worked closely with the Alaska Department of Education, School Districts, and Early Childhood Stakeholders to develop the P-3rd grade Early Childhood Teaching License/Credential (delivered statewide via distance technologies) and other pathways for early educators and students. She taught various courses, including Early Literacy Foundations, STEAM Methods, Observation and Documentation, and Culturally Responsive Family and Community Engagement, to name a few of her favorites. Before her university work, she was an early childhood teacher in public Pre-K and primary grades for 17+ years. Her research areas have focused on curriculum and assessment, making learning visible, family and community engagement, STEAM practices for young children, and integrating culturally relevant early literacy practices into the classroom.
Linday Meeker
Dr. Lindsay Meeker (She/Her/Hers) is an Assistant Professor of Early Childhood and Literacy at California State University, Fresno. Her expertise includes early literacy, multilingual education, bilingual programming in birth-to-five settings, play-based learning, equity, and educator workforce development. She is a contributing author of the CSU Early Childhood COLLAB, Illinois State Literacy Framework. She has served as a workgroup invited member on statewide early childhood standards development and redesign of prior learning assessments for the early childhood workforce, including integrating virtual reality experiences. Nationally, Dr. Meeker collaborates with the Migration Policy Institute and the Latino Policy Forum (IL); locally, she serves on Fresno County’s Early Stars Committee and the EL-WIN Work Group. Over the past five years, she has secured over $15 million in competitive grants, leading projects that expand dual language preschool, build diverse teacher pipelines, strengthen community-based training, and develop parent mentor initiatives. A former teacher and Early Childhood, Special Education, and EL/Bilingual director, she bridges research, practice, and policy to advance equitable outcomes for children and families and contribute to a highly qualified and passionate Early Childhood teacher workforce.
Hello everyone and welcome to the Spark EC Voices podcast, the place where knowledge meets action and early childhood education. We're so glad you're here. This show is brought to you by the Spark EC Hub. And that's the California State University system-wide partnership for advancing research and knowledge in early childhood education.
In today's episode, we are going to have a conversation about why the PK three Early childhood Education credential matters and understanding the differences between the PK three and the multiple subject credential. I'm Lindsay Hillary's co-host, and today's episode is one we've been really excited about.
We're talking about the PK three ECE credential and how it differs from the multiple subject credential and why hiring PK three [00:01:00] credentialed teachers matters for our youngest learners and their families. This is especially timely as districts expand tk. They rethink early grades and grapple with how to best support children from preschool through third grade.
We are thrilled to be joined by three incredible guests who bring different but deeply connected perspectives. First, we have Dr. Maria Fusaro from San Jose State, who is leading the PK three credential program and an expert in early childhood teacher preparation. The exciting news from San Jose State University is that the very first group of PK three ECE specialist instruction credential candidates have just completed their program this past December.
So much Hillary and Lindsay, I'm excited to be here. We are also joined by Wendy Hernandez, the P three Alignment Executive Leadership coach from the Fresno County Office of Education, who has been a strong advocate for hiring PK three credentialed teachers across [00:02:00] TK through third grade. Wendy also leads a leadership group.
I'm very excited to be here to talk about a subject that is so close to my heart. Great. Next, we're joined by Renee Marshall, an administrator from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Renee is a leader in the PK three credential work and also brings experience from the community college system.
Thank you so much. This conversation is really important and I'm so excited that we're all gonna be able to engage in it today. Let's start with some grounding about what is the PK three ECE credential. Maria, can you help us understand what exactly is the PK three ECE specialist credential and how is it different than the multiple subject credential?
Thanks Lindsay. I'll refer to this as the PK three credential, , which is a general education license and it's for teaching preschool through third grade classes in California schools. And preschool translates to [00:03:00] age three years, so from age three to grade three. And at a high level, the difference between PK three and multiple subjects is that PK three specializes or focuses on the early childhood period.
There's a couple background points to make just before diving into more of the differences. Um, and the first is that the phase of life, that's called early childhood. Really encompasses birth through age eight years.
So early childhood isn't just preschool, that's, um, something that we want to really highlight. . Early childhood really extends through age eight. The other background point is that most other states across the country offer some form of an early childhood focused teaching credential or license for public school teaching.
So it could be a PK to third or PK to second grade, or maybe a birth through second grade license. The grade bands vary, but the point is that an early childhood focused training for early primary grades is already out there. So when it comes to comparing PK three in multiple subjects, uh, there are a few key ways that the focus on early childhood plays out in the competencies that we expect [00:04:00] teachers to have for PK three.
So these include using developmentally appropriate play-based practices, attending to all aspects of the child's development or the whole child, and engaging in partnership with families. And so across each of these focus areas, we know that social relationships are fundamental as well as considering the child as an individual.
So what I'm hearing is this new PK three ECE credential is not just about teaching preschool or just tk. It is really about understanding how young children learn how to work with young children's families all the way up through third grade. And it's not just teaching like we've taught every day, it's, it's about thinking differently, about , the specialness, of our young children and how they learn best.
That's right. There are several parts to the PK three focus on developmentally appropriate practice to highlight. So one of those is the use of teaching practices that are play-based, and engaging in, children with topics that are meaningful and interesting to them. That [00:05:00] also includes providing chances for children to engage in child-led as well as teacher-led activities.
And closely observing the child as they're engaging in those activities. These are all practices that are part of early childhood education that are really elevated in the PK three credential space. A big idea here is that. Children are already learning through playful interactions with peers and adults, and we can leverage that in our classrooms by using play-based activities that are linked to learning goals. , We can also find ways to give children some age appropriate autonomy to really support their engagement, uh, and learning.
Another piece to developmentally appropriate practice is paying attention to all aspects of a child's development beyond academic development. So thinking about the whole child. Of course, positive social relationships are incredibly important in early childhood. Being able to regulate your emotions and your attention, those are all critical foundations for learning within, the subject areas.
So young children are still developing those skills, so teachers need to be ready to support them in that growth. [00:06:00] Another piece here is that in early childhood learning is integrated. What that means is that when children are doing projects or, or engaging in something playful, you might often see, an integration across areas where, for example, children might be exploring natural materials like rocks or seashells, and, while doing so, they're practicing social interaction science and math concepts.
And expressing their, curiosity through verbal language. All of those areas are, really integrated, intertwined, so early educators leverage that.
PK three also emphasizes readiness to work with children with disabilities, which can mean observing for signs of developmental concerns, collaborating with specialists and adapting instruction to help, , facilitate the inclusion of children with disabilities into general ed classrooms. And really related to all of these pieces.
It's partnership with family, so it's not just communicating out to family. Partnership really emphasizes two-way communication. Taking a strengths-based view of families and what they can offer us when we find ways to [00:07:00] hear from them. And this really, again, circles back to children's culture and language, which is embedded in, , both PK three and multiple subject credentials, kind of readiness to work with children's, , culture and language, , diversity.
But those things are rooted in their families. And so if we can intentionally find ways to bring families into the classroom, then we're moving forward with that goal as well. And that, again, is something that's elevated that partnership with families in PK three.
Thank you. So we've just heard a really comprehensive view of what the PK three credential is and, and, and what it even looks like.
Maybe, um, a little bit, Renee, you could expand on that and help us understand why this PK three credential was created.
It really comes from California's master plan for early learning and care is where the PK three credential. There was a call for competency based education and competency based acknowledgement of the field of early childhood, really, it has to do
with our [00:08:00] expansion of transitional kindergarten, California now has universal, , transitional kindergarten for all children that are eligible. And this meant that there was gonna be a need for about nine to 11,000 additional TK teachers. And so,, the credential was in response to that.
Another thing too, though. There's many reasons why the credential came about, but I think, I mean, as somebody who's been both a preschool teacher and a kindergarten teacher and who talks to teachers all the time, you know, we're constantly hearing about the challenging behaviors that are happening in classrooms post pandemic, and, with the.
Connection to technology and addictions and things like that. And literally I see these PK three teachers coming in with a deeper sense of child development. Like for instance, when I was in my multiple subject credential program, I had somebody who was in the program with me. He had a history degree, had never taken child development.
Now, this was a while ago, but imagine this cohort of California teachers that have this foundation in everything that Maria [00:09:00] just. Said, coming into our schools and literally changing how education happens and how we look at children very, very differently. Now, historically, the commission has always had credentials and permits related to early childhood and early learning and care.
We're actually in the middle of, um, updating the child development. Permit, which has, uh, was first originated, originated in 1993. So, but one thing we also have seen is that the early learning workforce and California's children, like there's been some changes. And so having this new credential allows us to meet the needs of California's families right where they are in, 2026.
So it's a really modern way of, um, you know, connecting families and children in, in ways we maybe haven't seen before. It's an exciting time for sure. Yes. I love this. The research is so clear on how the long-term outcomes of developmental responsive learning experiences, culturally and linguistically sustaining, experiences.
Can you elaborate on how teacher prep, [00:10:00] including PK three. Teaching performance expectations, or as we say, right, the TPEs for teachers are bringing that to life in their classrooms. Absolutely. The TPEs contain all your fundamental areas giving strong foundations in math, strong foundations in literacy, but they're also really cementing this idea of.
What does playful learning look like? What does playful learning look like when you're being culturally and linguistically responsive in a classroom? And it also really is giving us a different way of approaching access and equity for the children and families that we get the opportunity to work with.
It really is so nice that we're moving into a space of learning that is truly whole child and truly developmentally appropriate. It's what our kids need right now, and it's what our kids need. Maybe even past eight years old. Everybody. All right. You're giving us a lot to think about and, and why this is so important.
And, and I'm so happy our state is catching up to what other states are doing in the early childhood workforce [00:11:00] area. , So Renee, you also bring a community college lens to this work. So how does that lens, , help you see the work that we're doing? Hillary, I really appreciate that you mentioned that before joining the commission on Teacher Credentialing.
Four years ago I was in the community college system and I served as both a faculty member and as an administrator for over a decade of my career. And so I know for a fact our community colleges , are literally helping to train. Over 70% of California's early childhood education workforce, they have aligned curriculum at many of the colleges right now.
They're offering, they're offering curriculum where they're working together with their local CSU partners in these regional hubs to make sure they're streamlining the process. They don't want candidates or future teachers to have to repeat anything. Or we, we wanna pull down those barriers and have ways for, streamlining this process for anybody who's interested.
It, and it's great to see this collaboration between, um, even county Office of [00:12:00] Ed, community Colleges, CSUs, like everybody's coming together. The PK three credential has given us this really kind of unique opportunity to collaborate in ways that haven't happened before. As we all know, it used to be.
There's many campuses where you'd find. Early childhood on one place in campus and teacher prep in a totally different space on campus. So suddenly we're coming together. And one thing also from the community college lens that they bring that is unique is I think over 90, if I remember correctly, I hope that number's correct, of the community colleges have lab schools where their students are actively engaging in clinical experience, working with children, working with.
Families, especially now with, with some of the updates within the TPEs and the calf, TPA, , the teachers that are coming out of the community college system who are interested in the PK three credential, they are gonna be some of the most exciting future PK through third grade teachers we have in our system.
Yeah, I'm still trying to wrap my head around that statistic you gave [00:13:00] 70% because we know 50% are of our candidates have come and that candidates meaning all of our students in our teacher preparation or teacher credentialing programs. So that would be for multiple subjects, for single subjects, um, you know, specialist instruction.
We know that that number is around 50%. So if you're saying 70%, that that's pretty amazing and that that is reason right there why we have to be working together because we know that, when we work together, they have a much more seamless transfer pathway that they're more successful and they can make it through that, through all the different, in some cases it's hoops, but in some cases it's also this really rich.
Um, exciting place where they thrive and grow, and I think, you know, that's gonna really strengthen our early childhood field. Speaking of collaborators, Wendy is here from the Fresno County office with her perspective, [00:14:00] and why does this credential matter for districts, Wendy and, and also their students and families?
Well, I believe you all have really laid the foundation as to the why and what Renee just mentioned. Uh, speaking about some of the silos between early education and our K 12 systems, , we haven't always thought. About the alignment piece between preschool and third grade, and now we're having these conversations and we're finding that administrators are very curious to know more about those children who are coming on their campuses, who are as young as three years, nine months.
And I know myself as a former kindergarten teacher. , I was a site administrator, a district administrator over [00:15:00] preschool, and now working at the county office. The majority of the work that I do is helping to align all of those different folks throughout all of our districts to understand the importance of P three, and even Renee mentioned it earlier too.
You know, when we're talking about the importance of play, we are not just talking about three or four year olds who need to be learning through play. , We should be talking about all folks. And when we do work with adults, professional development, and we give them a chance to play, I'll tell you what, that is their favorite.
Professional development when they are engaged. , To really hone in on why this credential matters for districts and for students. We have worked really hard to ensure that we are looking at a credential that is truly meeting the needs of [00:16:00] the students and families in our school districts, and we have.
Been working to create pathways. Pathways that occur even in high school through dual enrollment that will provide this nice, smooth transition to the community college, which can then provide a nice. Smooth transition as they go into a four year university. So with that, we have an early education round table, which we have brought together all of those folks who are making these decisions and working on the curriculum and aligning it all.
And by bringing them all together again, we can create something that will, . Make an impact on the barriers that could be preventing someone from becoming a teacher or, , going into, the P three [00:17:00] credential. So again, I think one of the things I'm hearing most from districts, since I work very closely in different collaborative settings with districts, I'm hearing that they really are understanding the importance of the social emotional needs of our students Really.
It's coming home in a way that they realize, wow, students are having a hard time learning if they are not being taught in a way that is developmentally appropriate. It, it's really starting to, um, to sink in. And we're working really closely with administrators to help prepare them. In a way that they will create the culture at their schools and the environment that is conducive, to the learning that our early education students need.
So. , Over the last [00:18:00] five years that I've been working on UPK, , it, it's exciting to see that it is changing and folks are understanding, and administrators especially are becoming a lot more open-minded and we can join the table. So I'm hearing really from all of you, , the value of play, the value of understanding the families and where the children we're working with are coming from, how we need to have environments that support all of these things.
So tell us a little bit what a classroom might look like. Um, a classroom that, a PK three. Educator that has this credential, what would it look like in a TK classroom? And then maybe what would it look like in a second or third grade classroom? Yes. Well, I'll go ahead and jump in on that since, um, since I, I just spoke a little bit about that.
What we're finding is with this [00:19:00] change and , with the impact and, , focus on the importance of play, for example, and exploration, . And children being able to, be curious and, um, imaginative, creative, all of those things. What we're finding is students are so much more highly engaged,, and teachers, are noticing that is also helping them.
I mean, I'm finding some teachers are kind of reinventing themselves a little bit. They're feeling rather liberated by letting go of those worksheets and the things that may have, constricted their own creativity and, uh, excitement for the work that they're doing. And, there's, it's refreshing and it's new.
And we are hearing that even from some of our student teachers. They're noticing that [00:20:00] about their mentors, that they're very open-minded and they're excited about, what they're even learning from their student teachers.
I would agree with that, Wendy and I see, , it even looks different when you walk into a classroom, right?
Where someone has that developmental training, you're looking at, lots of centers and there's kids and teachers on the floor and at small tables and , sharing a read aloud on the big carpet. And I walked into a classroom the other day and there was a musical, , morning meeting. So, um, I think that, you know, we're beginning to see those changes take place and as our PK three candidates begin to launch into our districts, I think that will only grow.
And now let's think a little bit, Wendy, about from that hiring standpoint, what are you hearing from districts and how do you think that the PK three ECE credential will be received during that hiring season?
Definitely see that school districts, and [00:21:00] site level administrators are understanding the importance of, again, that social emotional aspect.
Um, the experience and the education that our P three candidates are going to be coming in with since they have been in preschool classrooms., They also have learned firsthand. How preschool has done such an amazing job of really engaging parents. You know that from the very beginning they're working so hard to make those connections, so they're seeing that as a real asset and literally a leverage point.
When it comes to making that impact early on with families and building those relationships. So it is definitely, an asset based, approach when they look at a candidate and say, Hmm, that person has something [00:22:00] unique and different that I haven't seen. The experience of many of the multiple subject credentials.
So again, it really helps to build that continuum and that alignment and that P three scope when they're thinking about all the different needs of their students on their campuses.
I love that. All right. Well, thank you Wendy. Um, I'm going to shift gears a bit to think about because there are some misconceptions out there, but there's also some distinctions about the PK three credential.
Multiple subject teachers bring many, many strengths and experiences into elementary classrooms. And, I think we're all familiar with their preparation. A question we often hear is, how does a multiple subject preparation compare to the PK three preparation? So what is the difference between the two types of preparation programs?
What would you describe [00:23:00] as a difference? Um, or what additional things might a PK three credential provide? Maria, can you tell us about your program and maybe what some of those differences? Every person who pursues a teaching career really brings their own kind of constellation of perspectives and experiences to the table.
So in this case, when someone takes a strengths-based and an early childhood mindset, all of the developmentally appropriate practices that I mentioned early fit together and and makes sense. And that mindset is really what PK three teacher candidates are developing, uh, within their teacher prep program.
So they're becoming ready to meet the needs of all children from the start in school. , In California, something like 60% of children under age five are coming from homes with a language other than English as a primary language. And we need to be ready to work with these diverse learners. So rather than having TK and kindergarten kind of at the margin of our preparation programs, we're really centering diverse young learners, um, with this new credential.[00:24:00]
Thank you, Maria. And Renee, what are your thoughts from the statewide perspective? I just appreciate this conversation so much. We think about like, would we ever put a high school teacher into a second grade classroom with any sort without support? So we need to be thinking about when we've got these, these teachers, having this specialized credential, having this specialized, um, support as they're going through the program and they're learning.
All the specifics about working with California's learners. I mean, it's really such an exciting time for us. It's, it's, and it's great too because our, children overall have been struggling for a while in California, and so having this group of people. Statewide that are gonna be coming into our K through 12 systems and really, , coming in with a very different lens, just imagine what staff meetings will be like.
It's gonna be exciting to see their influence not just in the classrooms with children, but their influence on staff, their influence on the leadership, their influence on their district office. And really we're gonna see a, a significant shift in education in [00:25:00] California. And the shift is exciting 'cause.
It's really gonna be focusing on our youngest learners, and really, um, giving some specialized preparation for the teachers that are involved. The state is so excited. We've got many things happening with early childhood education in the next year or so. And so please stay tuned because this conversation isn't over.
That's the really exciting part about it.
Great. Thank you. And then Wendy, are you hearing some of the same things from the district perspective, or what other things are you hearing about the new PK three credential?
Yes. Again, I, go back to the importance of the relationships that are being built with parents and how, thinking back to CID and thinking about what we learned during that time, that the, in the, that essential partnership that we create early on.
That's what happens when folks are very intentional about building those [00:26:00] relationships early. And again, that is such, um, such a specialty that we see with our early education teachers. They build those relationships right away. They are talking to parents who are the child's first teachers and
meeting their needs, finding out, what language the child is speaking, what they feel most comfortable sharing. All of those things are, are just so unique. And, um, again, this credential is opening up doors for folks to look differently and, um, take on a different perspective maybe than they had had previously.
I love that. As we, wrap up, um, if each, of you just think about what's your one key takeaway. What should leaders, educators, policy makers, keep in mind? What's your call to action? When we think about the PK three ECE [00:27:00] credential, California has set us up, right? We have fabulous TPEs, programs are developing, kids are coming.
So what is your takeaway in our current landscape? I would say that the PK three credential captures approaches to teaching that are grounded in how children learn using meaningful experiences and how we can elevate best practices from early childhood education into primary school. Great. Thank you.
How about Renee? I. I would say that hiring a PK three credentialed teacher is an equity issue. It's gonna ensure that our youngest learners get instruction that's designed specifically for them, not adapted as an afterthought. And so I wanna just give a shout out to our LEAs, our schools, our school districts hire the PK three credentialed teachers that are coming out of these cohorts.
We are ready for them. That's awesome. And Wendy, one last statement from you. What would you tell the field. I would echo what was previously said and add [00:28:00] that, these credentialed teachers that will be coming in will bring brightness to their sites in a way that will revive some of their teachers.
That, um, that. Are open to learning new things, and it isn't going to just impact the students at their school sites that these teachers are teaching, but it's going to impact the culture and the environment at their whole school site in a way that can create some cohesiveness and some wonderful vertical alignment that can be done at their schools.
Love that. Well, I wanna thank all of you for sharing your expertise and your experiences with us. This has been just such an amazing and, and uplifting conversation. I'm, I'm so excited to be a [00:29:00] part of this new PK three credential, and I'm so excited all of you are working on this as well. Thank you to our listeners for joining us for this very important conversation about credentials, preparation, and the future of early learning.
Please continue to tune in for more as podcast episodes post, and that's a wrap for today's conversation. We heard from our panelists today about what this new PK three ECE specialist credential. Is and why it matters and how it is different from the multiple subjects credential. If you'd like to learn more, be sure to check out our video preparing PK three educators for tomorrow and our PK three ECE Playbook.
Both are available on our website. And then join our movement to transform early learning through collaboration and innovation, because every idea begins with a spark.