Support SB 70: and join the LAUSD in support

Dear LAUSD Families, Students and Community Partners:

We invite you to join Los Angeles Unified’s advocacy efforts at the state level by supporting Senate Bill 70 by Senator Susan Rubio to ensure all children in the state receive critical instruction during their earliest years of learning. SB 70 clarifies state law by requiring students to attend kindergarten prior to entering the first grade of a public elementary school.

Sign this petition, and LAUSD will add your name and/or organization to the letter below to support SB 70 as it is voted on.

-Los Angeles Unified School District

Dear Honorable Members of the Legislature and Governor Newsom:

I am a community member with a the Los Angeles Unified School District (Los Angeles Unified). I write in strong support of Senate Bill 70, authored by Senator Susan Rubio.

While California law requires everyone between six and eighteen years of age to attend school and thus, it does not specify children must attend kindergarten. This is an important clarification at a time when the state is moving towards implementing a new grade level through the expansion of universal Transitional Kindergarten for all four-year olds. Early education is essential for the physical, intellectual, and socioemotional development of children and provides students with the fundamental skills and tools needed for academic success. SB 70 will ensure all children in the state receive critical instruction during their earliest years of learning by requiring students to attend kindergarten prior to entering the first grade.

California has seen a significant drop in student enrollment in recent years with a majority of the decline stemming from children who missed kindergarten. The current voluntary participation of kindergarten allows parents to delay their child’s entrance into school until the first grade, which could leave that student unprepared for the educational environment they will encounter in elementary school.

Now more than ever, kindergarten attendance is necessary and SB 70 will ensure all students receive critical early instruction to prevent students from falling behind. For these reasons, I am pleased to support Senate Bill 70.