For Immediate Release
December 16, 2024

Contact: Mariel Matze, mmatze@edtrustwest.org, (510) 879-6208

Oakland, CA — In response to Governor Newsom’s announcement of a framework for his Master Plan for Career Education, Dr. Christopher J. Nellum, Executive Director of EdTrust-West, issued the following statement: 

Californians don’t experience their lives as a series of siloes; it doesn’t make sense for California’s government to operate that way either. Instead, California’s TK-12, higher education, data, and workforce systems should work in tandem to support Californians, especially Californians of color, multilingual Californians, and those in lower-income households. Integrated systems shouldn’t be considered unusual—that’s why we call them systems in the first place.  

EdTrust-West is encouraged that Governor Newsom is continuing to develop the Master Plan for Career Education. We are especially pleased to hear mention of credit for prior learning, e-transcript, and continuing to remove financial barriers to college and career training in his vision. In 2025, we hope to learn more about the role of a statewide coordinating body and specific pathways into the educator workforce, including for early childhood educators to strengthen transitional kindergarten expansion. 

In the months to come, we urge legislators to share more details and fund this vision so they can knit our career and education systems together and make pursuing college and career seamless. 

About EdTrust-West 

EdTrust–West is an evidence-driven advocacy organization committed to advancing policies and practices to dismantle the racial and economic barriers embedded in California’s education system. For over two decades, EdTrust–West has worked to improve racial equity in education by engaging diverse communities and increasing political and public will to build an education system where students of color and multilingual learners will thrive. For more information, see www.edtrustwest.org.