Professional Development Opportunities for Early Educators and Providers

Early Education professionals have many options for professional development, training and technical assistance in San Mateo County. The County Office of Education, the Child Care Coordinating Council and California Early Childhood Online provide current, research-informed professional learning. Learn more about each of these opportunites below.

51勛圖 (SMCOE)

San Mateo County of Education offers virtual and in-person professional development opportunities throughout the year. Most professional development training is offered at low or no cost. Online registration and a valid California Workforce Registry identification number are required to participate.

New professional development offerings may be added throughout the year. Please check back often to see what is new and subscribe to our mailing list for updates (, ).

Please note:

  • Location: Some trainings will be offered virtually while others will be in-person.
  • Registration: Advanced online registration is required for all trainings. Please note, all trainings dates and times are subject to change.

P-3 and Early Learning Services (P3ELS) General Professional Development Opportunities

Professional

Development Title

Description

Dates

ASQ - Ages & Stages: Questionnaires

This training will be one session, offered only in English. Part I will provide an overview of how to administer and interpret the results of the ASQ-3 developmental questionnaires. Part II will provide an overview on how to administer and interpret the results of the ASQ:SE 2 social-emotional questionnaires. Part III will provide an opportunity to think together about using these tools to follow-up and connect young children and their families to further assessment/services when there are developmental concerns identified through screening.

1-Part Weekend Virtual Training. A session in Spanish is being offered separately.

Nov 9, 2024

ASQ - Ages & Stages: Questionnaires en español

Este taller virtual es de cinco horas, y es en español. La Primera Parte ofrecerá una descripción general de las características, la administración y la puntuación de los cuestionarios ASQ-3 y ASQ: SE 2. Participantes Compartirán ideas para usar los resultados de los cuestionarios para apoyar el desarrollo de los niños pequeños en el aula. La Segunda Parte proporcionará una descripción general sobre cómo interpretar los resultados de los cuestionarios ASQ-3 y ASQ: SE 2, incluyendo consideraciones culturales. Los participantes aprenderán sobre la intervención temprana y el sistema de educación especial preescolar y sobre referencias apropiadas para niños identificados con preocupaciones en su desarrollo, así como recursos comunitarios para niños y las familias.

Entrenamiento Virtual de 1 Parte se dictara el Fin de Semana. Este entrenamiento será proporcionado solamente en español.

Nov 16, 2024

Building Foundations for Creating Quality Learning Environments for Young Children in Elementary Settings

This series is designed to empower after-school staff and instructional assistants with the knowledge and skills to create enriching, supportive environments for Transitional Kindergarten (TK) and KIndergarten (K) students. Participants will learn strategies to enhance student engagement, support developmental needs and foster positive relationships.

Oct 12, 2024

Oct 19, 2024

9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

New Dates TBD

In-person @ SMCOE

101 Twin Dolphin Dr. Redwood City

DLL Foundational Series

Join a cohort of early learning educators to learn about the latest research and practices for supporting dual language learners (DLLs) with their oral language skills and meaningful engagement of their families. AUDIENCE: early learning center-based and family child care educators.

Feb 19, 2025

Mar 5, 2025

Mar 19, 2025

Apr 2, 2025

 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM

Virtual

DRDP

The DRDP is an observation tool for teachers to record individual progress toward the achievement of four Desired Results for Children: 1. Children are personally and socially competent, 2. Children are effective learners, 3. Children show physical and motor competence, and 4. Children are safe and healthy. This session will introduce and overview the DRDP assessment tool. Participants will become familiar with Early Learning and Support Division (EESD) resources and the California Preschool/Transitional Kindergarten Foundations. 

For more information about this training series, contact Andrea Burnett at aburnett@smcoe.org

January 2025

Friday Cafe

Friday C.A.F.E. (Community and Family Engagement) is a professional peer support network for providers supporting families with young children. The C.A.F.E.s offer space for self-exploration, networking, and authentic dialogue to restore, inspire and deepen our connections with families.

Sept 26, 2024

Oct 25, 2024

Nov 29, 2024

Jan 31, 2025

Feb 28, 2025

Mar 28, 2025

Apr 25, 2025

May 30, 2025

Introduction to the PTKL Foundations

Join us for an introduction to the new Preschool Transitional Kindergarten Learning Foundations, where we will explore the core principles and key components designed to support the development and learning of young children. This workshop will provide educators with an overview of the foundational skills and knowledge that guide effective teaching practices in early childhood education.

Nov 21, 2024  

4:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Virtual

TK Mutual Learning Communities (Bi-Monthly)

Connect with fellow educators who share your passion for nurturing young learners in transitional kindergarten (TK).

Explore a range of innovative teaching approaches, share insights, and collaborate on refining your classroom strategies.Together, we’ll dive into topics such as play-based learning for literacy and vocabulary expansion, fostering developmental writing skills, integrating social-emotional growth into teaching, and creating immersive learning centers tailored to the unique needs of TK students.

Sep 24, 2024

Oct 22, 2024

 Nov 19, 2024 

Jan 28, 2024

Feb 25, 2024 

Mar 25, 2024

Apr 22, 2024

  3:00 PM - 4:30 PM

TK Teacher Institute

  • Emphasis on play-based learning

  • Emergent literacy and language through curriculum, content, and play

  • Developing an assets-based classroom culture

  • Integrating social-emotional learning

  • Supporting students with self-expression, culture, identity, and agency

  • Observational strategies for formative assessment

Jul 21-25, 2025

8:00 AM - 3:00 PM

UDL

Universal design for learning is a framework that can be used to create flexible curricula to meet the individual learning needs of ALL children. Participants walk away with knowledge on universal practices to create inclusive learning activities and environments using the UDL principles of engagement, representation and expression, and strategies to create modifications and adaptations to meet individual learning needs.

Mar 8, 2025

UPK Snack & Chat        (Administrators)

Open drop in space for Elementary Administrators to discuss various topics related to P-3.

Sep 10, 2024 

Oct 8, 2024

Nov 12, 2024 

Dec 10, 2024

Jan 14, 2025 

Feb 11, 2025

Mar 11, 2025

Apr 8, 2025

3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Virtual

UPK Leadership Summit 

One day summit focused on UPK topics to support community collaboration and leadership for Universal Pre-Kindergarten San Mateo.

May 2025

 

Professional Development Offerings Provided by Our Partners

  • The Child Care Coordinating Council (4Cs) - The Child Care Coordinating Council also offers professional development for center-based child care and family child care providers. Visit the  page for a list of their upcoming professional development offerings or contact the 4Cs at info@sanmateo4cs.org to subscribe to their mailing list.

  • California Early Care and Education Workforce Registry - The California ECE Workforce Registry is a state, regional and local collaboration designed to track and promote the education, training and experience of the early care and education workforce for the purpose of improving professionalism and workforce quality to positively impact children. .

  • California Early Childhood Online (CECO) - The  is an online learning portal hosted by the California Department of Education. Early Education professionals can access training on a variety of topics, including teaching children with special needs and inclusion in early childhood classrooms.

Professional Development Stipends for Early Education Professionals

The goal of the program is to support early learning and care (ELC) professionals, including both those who work in center-based and home-based settings, as they advance along career pathways through degree and Child Development Permit attainment, and build their skills through continuous professional growth and development activities. By providing stipends, the ELC Career Development Initiative seeks to incentivize ongoing, intentional professional growth, and to reward professionals who stay in the field of ELC.

SMCOE works in close partnership with the San Mateo County Child Care Partnership Council, San Mateo County Community College District, the Child Care Coordinating Council, First 5 San Mateo County, and other local partners to leverage workforce development supports.

ELC professionals, who work in eligible programs for at least 15 hours a week with children ages 0-12, are eligible for stipends in the following areas: College Coursework (including completion of units and meeting Educational Milestones), Trainings (including stipends for 10+ hours of professional growth activities).

For more information about stipends contact elss@smcoe.org.

Early Learning Support Services