New California teaching credentials decline for 10th successive year

I have Bachelor’s degree in Special Education and student taught in both elementary and secondary school setting. I also have a Master’s degree in Science Education and Leadership. I worked 12 years in Chicago Public Schools and 3 years in Colorado Public Schools as a Special Education Teacher. I am certified in both states in Special Education and the Illinois State Board of Education sent the Commission on Teacher Credentialing a certified letter stating that I am a qualified Special education teacher. Yet CTC does not want to issues me a credential in Mild/ Moderate Special Education and states that I have to go back to school.

I have been fighting this situation for two years now and have not been successful. I am living without a full-time job but yet the state of California has a teacher shortage? This is unconstitutional and illegal because my two degrees are from two highly accredited universities. Many of my friends that came to California from other states have the same issues. My question to the state legislators is what are you doing to correct the problem with CTC turning away highly qualified teachers?

Multi-subject program, passed with flying colors. Student teaching, passed with flying colors. RICA, CBEST, CSET, passed. Teaching fieldwork, 100’s of hours. Working as a sub, I do fine in the classroom, good management, I genuinely love the kids. Cal TPA 2 and 3, fail. Over and over and over again. Not because I’m not a good teacher, but because I don’t speak the language of the TPA. I can’t speak it. I try over and over again. Therefor, no full time teaching for me, yet, I’m so deep in the rabbit hole….awful.

I’ve been thinking of a career change to teaching after 20 years in Corporate America but in my research it is very discouraging. I have a BA in Business Management, experience managing a global team that generates millions for the organization, been a corporate trainer as well. But the number of hoops I’d have to jump through is a deterrent. I’m at a point where I can make the move financially but I can’t not work while making the move. Though I would love to be a teacher unfortunately I don’t see it happening. Something needs to change in California or we continue down this path.

I have a M.S. and B.S. and have taught on the college level. I looked into the credentialing requirements for K-12, and they are nothing less than ridiculous. Piling on the requirements does not make for great teachers. I would love to teach K-12 level but not with what I have to go through to get “credentialed” off of which states and testing services make millions.
If you want more competent and passionate teachers, why do you make it so hard, especially for those of us who already have advanced degrees? There must be a way to streamline those of us with subject level M.S.’s/PhD’s, life experience (20 years as a field scientist), and teaching experience into positions. Until there is, the shortage and incompetent teachers will prevail.

Hi Becca, the PIP is only good for one use per lifetime. I would like to add that I like this article, however it doesn’t mention that a major problem is the CSET exam itself and the fact that the exam is overpriced. The exam was not required 20 or 30 years ago and now it is something that people struggle with. If you don’t pass, they give you some vague report that does not tell you exactly what you did wrong. It is just riddled with a string of plus signs and letters. Quite frankly me and other educators believe that it is mostly a money scam. It makes no sense.

I have emailed the CTC about the test because it does not measure teaching ability. The response I received was that the exam is not meant to measure teaching ability, only a certain area of academics. A good teacher is well rounded, has patience and empathizes with the students. The CSET is not an appropriate tool to assess this area of teaching. Only observations and coursework will show that. The problem with California is that the higher-ups don’t think before they put a program in place. I am sure that there was much opposition to this exam when it was implemented, that they were warned that there would be a teacher shortage, and that they were warned that the exam is too pricey. However they chose not to listen. I was informed that the exam is run by Pearson Vue.

In January of 2016 I was hired for 3rd grade with a Provisional Intern Permit (PIP) due to the fact that a class was oversized and they needed to create a new class. My PIP expires Feb. 2017. I have just recently been hired for kindergarten starting next week. I can work under the PIP but I am concerned that I may not pass my CSET exams in time. Is there another way that I can teach from February to the end of the school year if these test aren’t passed in time? Can my district apply for another PIP? Thank you.

Long hours (way over 40, and lost summers to all the administrative responsibilities), often negligent or abusive administrators, poorly behaved but entitled youths whom educators have very little power to discipline (not speaking physically, of course), irate parents who won’t support teachers but side with and even encourage unruly students, and on top of all that, a paltry salary? No thank you. NYC, one of the country’s most expensive urban regions, starts teachers (MA/MED required–so that’s two degrees many teachers have taken out loans to finance) at under $50K/yr. After taxes and fees–like mandatory union fees, what’s left is not even enough to afford a studio in the city. Adults in their 30s, 40s, and beyond are shacking up in worse conditions than those of their first year out of college, or traveling SO FAR out of state to live that given the other challenges, it’s just not worth it IF someone is smart, scholastically successful, and diligent. The same effort in a corporation or even in a joint entrepreneurial enterprise with other smart, driven graduates generates far, far greater financial security and life pleasure. And check out starting salaries in the middle of the USA. Low 30s… Some “profession.”

We extol capitalism in so many other professions–medicine, law, business, banking/finance, even art, sports, and entertainment. Why do we expect smart pre-teachers not to act as capitalists themselves and maximize their own profits? If you don’t expect your doctors or your politicians or your lawyers to work for “the good of the people” as a mere public service, then don’t expect teachers to, either.

And please, let’s dispense with the fatuous argument that teachers don’t deserve more because they don’t spend as many years in school/training as attorneys… We pay CEOs and sales people and athletes… not according to their scholastic prowess, but rather according to how much we value what they produce. Obviously, our culture doesn’t value (much) what teachers produce. And I applaud smart graduates for recognizing this and having enough self dignity not to subject themselves to de facto devaluation. So, USA, enjoy your mediocre teachers, since you don’t care enough to pay enough to court the brightest and most accomplished to teach your own children.

I’m always amazed when I read about these shortages, and compare that with my own personal micro-situation. I unfortunately came out of retirement (as a technical writer) in 2009 to take an expensive MA at a private school of education – passing all the math and all the science CSETs on the first try, and getting close to a 4.0 average for the MA. I also managed to clear the credential through a distance learning program through UCLA Extension, also with a near 4.0 average, and have participated in paid and unpaid courses and workshops and much more since then, to learn more and more about my subjects, Common Core, NGSS, etc.

However, the only jobs I have been able to get were at underprivileged schools quite far from my home. I have had up to 2 hour commutes coming home if I stayed around school much after 3 to prepare something, attend a meeting or tutor a student. But mostly I’ve been looking for jobs. So far this spring, according to EdJoin, I have applied for 19 jobs, been interviewed 7 times, and have no job yet for next year. Most often they have said that because they had so few applicants they were reflying the job. I am highly qualified, a little expensive, because of 2 MAs, but they count me as first-year teacher each time (even though I taught ESL in High Schools in Denmark for 15 years) so I’m not THAT expensive. (And I don’t need health benefits, either, with Medicare and my husband’s pension benefits.)

This past school year I landed a job just before Winter Break, but the District required that I have a combined first and final evaluation by the principal in the beginning of February, when I hadn’t had time to get the students on my side after 2 months of a sub – I did later. Evidently the District recommended that she do what she could to make sure I was a Non-reelect, but to try to make sure I stuck it out to the end of the school year with vague promises. People who knew better recommended that I quit, which I did at spring break after I was assured that there could be proper instruction the rest of the year.

Tell me there’s no agism going on! It is now 6 years after I started my credential, looking for my first job, and taking out loans and receiving grants I now assume will be converted to loans (which I can pay off with my Social Security.) I know another mature second career physics teacher who’s also just been let off, even though his students have been on fantastic field trips and won some great awards. He had been let off his previous position so they could hire a young teacher right out of college – who left after a year.

Those of us like Paul, who have enormous debt and have had a lot of enthusiasm, don’t get a chance because we haven’t had a job since we completed our credential – because there were no jobs! If there is a shortage of teachers, why don’t the schools hire Paul and Brian and me to give them a breather until someone can entice more prospective teachers?
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Along the same lines, when I have had a job, I’ve found it very hard to work with the teachers who have their tenured positions, because they are very happy teaching the way they always have, and don’t want some old whippersnapper like me trying to suggest ways to implement the Next Generation Science Standards.
(Sorry if I sound a little bitter, a little frustrated, a little depressed!)

Two anecdotal reasons for the shortage that add to what has already been mentioned:

1) While it is true some teachers become teachers because they like working with children, most teachers become teachers because they were influenced to do so. Basically, some inspiring teacher along the way said something or did something to these prospective teachers to influence them into becoming a teacher. They made teaching seem like a profession that they would like to join.

Well, what happens when those inspiring teachers start discouraging their students from becoming a teacher? Why wouldn’t those prospective teachers listen carefully to the teachers who they admire and trust? While I only have anecdotal proof of this, I suspect that is probably another reason why we see a decline in the number of credentials.

2) The media hasn’t actually been supportive of teachers for some time now. For whatever reason, teachers seem to get hammered. Every week, the OCR and the LA Times feature some article or opinion piece that casts teachers in a negative spotlight.

A friend of mine in law enforcement told me the other day that teachers should be able to breathe a little bit of fresh air because the spotlight is now on them. I laughed, knowing full well that he was exaggerating. However, after thinking about the comment a little further, there’s probably a little bit of truth there, too.

You want good teachers then pay them for the amount of training required and preparation needed just to show preparation. That will get them into the classroom. Discipline, social, and parent issues,✨ budget releases, lack of materials to develop creativity, etc will force them out. If they survive the first five years they may go on to learn the skills that are really needed to teach. Just because everyone went to school it doesn’t mean it’s the same experience for all.