As a Senior Research and Policy Associate, Anna’s research focuses on early care and education systems. Her primary contributions are for the California Workforce Study and related projects that inform regional and state-level policymaking. Anna began her career as an early childhood teacher and nonprofit program manager in Washington, DC. To better support students, parents, and fellow educators, she returned home to the Bay Area to study public policy, eventually coming to CSCCE after working in county offices of education. She holds a bachelor’s degree in History from Princeton University and a master’s degree in Public Policy from the UC Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy. Anna is also a classically trained soprano and rock band vocalist.
Publications by Anna Powell
Early Care and Education Programs During COVID-19: Persistent Inequities and Emerging Challenges
June 1, 2022 • Report • By Yoonjeon Kim, Elena Montoya, Lea J.E. Austin, Anna Powell and Wanzi Muruvi
This report takes a closer look at the impact of COVID-19 on early care and education (ECE) programs, staffing and disparities using data collected by the Center by the Center…
Double or Nothing? Potential TK Wages for California’s Early Educators
June 1, 2022 • Data Snapshot • By Anna Powell, Elena Montoya, Lea J.E. Austin and Yoonjeon Kim
California has proposed a broad expansion of transitional kindergarten (TK), a school-based early learning program serving four-year-olds. This improvement will make TK universally available to all four-year-olds by 2025, framed…
California’s early educators can’t afford to retire
May 11, 2022 • Blog • By Anna Powell
Early care and education (ECE) teachers face chronically low wages, both in California and around the country. However, low earnings are not the only reason early educators worry about…
“The Forgotten Ones”—The Economic Well-Being of Early Educators During COVID-19
February 16, 2022 • Brief • By Anna Powell, Raúl Chávez, Lea J.E. Austin, Elena Montoya, Yoonjeon Kim and Abby Copeman Petig
This report provides a closer look at the well-being of the early care and education (ECE) workforce in California, using data collected by the Center for the Study of Child…
Education and Experience of the California ECE Workforce
February 7, 2022 • Data Snapshot • By Yoonjeon Kim, Lea J.E. Austin, Elena Montoya and Anna Powell
This publication is part of CSCCE’s 2020 California Early Care and Education (ECE) Workforce Study, the first comprehensive study of early educators in the state in…
Demographics of the California ECE Workforce
January 13, 2022 • Data Snapshot • By Anna Powell, Elena Montoya and Yoonjeon Kim
This data snapshot features demographics for center directors, family child care providers, and center teachers in California. It is one of a series of releases from CSCCE’s 2020…