An Administrator's Guide to California Private School Law

Chapter 21 – Child Care Centers/Preschools

The DSS established teacher aide requirements reflect the minimum experience needed to serve as a teacher aide. Preschools can require aides to have additional education or experience or to obtain a Child Development Assistant Permit from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

LCW Practice Advisor

3. Q UALIFIED T EACHER S UBSTITUTE Preschools must maintain an up-to-date list of qualified teacher substitutes who can be called immediately in case of emergency or illness to meet the required teacher-child ratios. 2791 A “qualified teacher substitute” is a person at least 18 years old with at least six postsecondary semesters or equivalent quarter units in early childhood education or child development courses. 2792 F. T EACHER – C HILD R ATIOS 1. T EACHERS Preschools must adhere to the teacher-child ratios set forth by DSS. The teacher-child ratio cannot be more than 12 children to one teacher. 2793 If, however, children are engaged in activities away from the preschool, such as field trips, the preschool should make every effort to lower the child to adult ratio to six to one with the use of adult volunteers. 2794 2. T EACHERS A ND T EACHER A IDES As discussed above, the teacher-child ratio increases when a teacher aide is present and assisting the teacher. When a teacher and a teacher aide are together, the ratio increases to 15 to one. 2795 If the teacher aide has the requisite educational background 2796 , the ratio further increases to 18 children to one fully qualified teacher and one qualified teacher aide. 2797 3. D IRECTOR A ND S UBSTITUTES A preschool’s director may be included as a teacher in the teacher-child ratio when the director is actually engaged in the teaching of a group of children. 2798 Preschools must call a qualified teacher substitute to maintain appropriate teacher-child ratios in case of emergency or illness. 2799 Individuals employed for clerical, housekeeping, or maintenance functions may not be included as teachers in the teacher-child ratio, but such persons can be used as emergency teacher substitutes while a qualified teacher substitute is being secured. 2800 4. N APPING P ERIODS During nap periods, a teacher-child ratio of one teacher supervising 24 napping children is permitted as long as the remaining teachers necessary to meet the overall ratio requirements are immediately available at the preschool. 2801 A qualified teacher aide who is at least 18 years old

An Administrator’s Guide to California Private School Law ©2019 Liebert Cassidy Whitmore 639