A Snapshot of Poverty in Alameda County, California

 
Nonprofit executive Rose Padilla Johnson serves as the CEO of Davis Street Community Center, a $10.5-million agency serving low-income families around San Leandro and Alameda County, California. Rose Padilla Johnson has been working with low-income families in Alameda County for several decades and is passionate about supporting the community in and out of San Leandro.

According to 2019 estimates, Alameda County, California's population reached 1.67 million people. The largest group of people living in the county ranged in age from 18 years old to 65 years old and made an average of $92,574 a year between 2014 and 2018. Compared to 2010, the population size of the area grew by about 10.4 percent from 1.5 million people.

Despite this, the county also has a poverty rate of about nine percent. This is a decrease from 11.3 percent of residents who lived in poverty in 2017. At this time, women between the ages of 18 and 24 were the second-highest segment of individuals living in poverty, followed by men between 18 and 24 years old.

Further, most of the population living in poverty in Alameda County were white. While the county does have the Bay Area’s smallest population of white residents, they still make up the largest portion of Alameda County’s total population at 49.7. percent. Asian residents account for about 31.8 percent of the total population, followed by Hispanic residents and African American residents at 22 and 11 percent, respectively.

Addressing California’s Teacher Shortage

Since 1991, community leader Rose Padilla Johnson has led the safety net services provider Davis Street Community Center based in San Leandro. Over her entire public career, Rose Padilla Johnson has spearheaded initiatives that improve the quality of life for San Leandro’s most vulnerable residents. She is an ardent supporter of programs that effectively respond to the state’s teacher shortage.

During the 2017-2018 school year, California needed 24,000 more qualified teachers to fill positions at 10,000 schools across the state according to a study conducted by the Learning Policy Institute. That year, only 16,000 new licenses were awarded, while the remaining positions were filled by staff without sufficient teacher training.

While the number of students in California teacher preparation programs has increased over the past seven years, widespread concerns about the high cost of teacher training programs and perceived job instability have made it difficult for the state to attract new educators. To combat this, California’s Governor has increased funding for undergraduate teacher preparation programs and initiatives to encourage non-instructional school staff to obtain teaching credentials. Other education professionals suggest that the shortage may be reversed by reinstating loan forgiveness and tuition-free teaching programs.

California Faces Significant Shortfall of Qualified Teachers

A leader in the community service sector, Rose Padilla Johnson serves as the CEO of the Davis Street Community Center (DSCC) in San Leandro, California. Providing strong leadership to DSCC and the San Leandro community since 1991, Rose Padilla Johnson oversees the Center’s child care program that provides a rich early-learning environment to 1,200 children each month.

Even after acquiring kindergarten readiness skills, some students in California still face the challenge of not having enough qualified teachers. Out of 211 California school districts surveyed by the Learning Policy Institute, nearly 75 percent were unable to find enough teachers to fill their classrooms in 2016. Instead, the districts filled the gap by issuing more than 12,000 provisional or limited assignments to teachers during the 2016-2017 school year. 

To rectify the fully-qualified-teacher shortage, California lawmakers are spending more than $200 million. This includes funds for teaching training and recruitment programs, including $45 million to help temporary teachers become credentialed, $10 million for new undergraduate programs, and $9 million for teacher and administrator recruitment and retention. In addition, the 2018 California state education budget allocated $100 million to fund teacher residencies to increase special-education teaching staff, and $25 million more to fund teacher residencies in science, math, and bilingual education.

California’s Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants

In her role as CEO of the Davis Street Community Center, Rose Padilla Johnson has been a pillar of the San Leandro community for nearly 30 years. Under Rose Padilla Johnson’s leadership, the center has grown into a comprehensive resource for low-income families seeking financial assistance to meet their basic needs. The center also provides information about programs specifically for immigrant residents, such as the California Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI).

Changes made to the eligibility requirements for Social Security Income (SSI) in 1996 made the benefit inaccessible to thousands of legal immigrants. To address this issue, California launched CAPI, a cash assistance program designed to replace SSI for legal immigrants.

In addition to legal immigration status, CAPI applicants must be 65 or older or have a disability, such as blindness. The current benefit cap for CAPI cash assistance is just over $900 a month. CAPI payments and eligibility are impacted by an applicant’s marital or sponsor status, age of disability, and other sources of income. Residents can request applications for CAPI at their local social service agency.

Services of Davis Street Primary Care Clinic

A leader in services for families with low incomes in Alameda County, California, Rose Padilla Johnson served as the administrator of the RotaCare Free Medical Clinic in San Leandro. Rose Padilla Johnson also oversees the city's Davis Street Community Center.

Founded to serve vulnerable populations, Davis Street supplies comprehensive programs and services that support individuals at the physical, mental, and financial levels. The organization's Primary Care Clinic provides care to people in need even if they cannot pay and regardless of their immigration status.

A federally qualified health center, the Davis Street Primary Care Clinic offers medical services that include lab screenings, health education, and nutritional training. The clinic's dental services include full examinations, cleaning, cavity fillings, and dentures. 

Other Davis Street Primary Care Clinic offerings include behavioral health services and emergency food supplies. For more information about Davis Street and its care services, visit davisstreet.org.