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Pay and Tenure

Teacher tenure is the set of due process rights that include a system of layoffs based on seniority and protections from arbitrary firing. California is one of a half-dozen states that award tenure after two years in the classroom.

School Finance
July 31, 2020

California court gives school districts, local governments limited win in ruling on pensions  

The court upheld a provision of the pension reform law but didn’t determine whether pension obligations to current public employees can be changed.

John Fensterwald
Early Learning
July 27, 2020

California family child care providers vote to join union

In addition to advocating for higher pay per subsidized child, providers say they will call for more training and more access to subsidies.

Zaidee Stavely
State Education Policy
February 11, 2020

College costs, teacher shortage still top concerns in poll of California voters

Annual PACE/USC Rossier poll also finds support for increasing teacher pay, requiring ethnic studies and taking action to prevent gun violence.

John Fensterwald
Pay and Tenure
January 9, 2020

Teachers who must pay their subs while on extended leave may get relief

California State Sen. Connie Leyva is moving to repeal a 40-year-old law requiring public school teachers on extended sick leave to pay for their own substitute teachers.

Julia McEvoy, KQED
Teachers' Pensions: Who Pays?
November 14, 2019

Pension costs feed resistance to higher school taxes in California county, study finds

An increase in mandated costs has frustrated voters in Marin County, where passing school parcel taxes had been a safe bet until 2016.

John Fensterwald
Pay and Tenure
August 19, 2019

Support grows nationwide for paying teachers more

A poll by the journal Education Next finds most people favor more federal spending on education and free college tuition.

John Fensterwald
Early Learning
August 9, 2019

Child care providers push California to boost pay for early education teachers

Legislation could increase teacher pay at subsidized centers serving low-income children.

Zaidee Stavely
July 3, 2019

Oakland Unified hires interim CFO to fix fiscal problems as it seeks a permanent financial chief

The district is hiring Luz Cazares, an experienced business official, to implement best practices and lay the groundwork for a new CFO.

Theresa Harrington
May 6, 2019

Oakland Unified committed to fixing fiscal problems, but state must also step up

As district recovers after strike, superintendent calls on state to provide more funding.

Kyla Johnson-Trammell
May 6, 2019

School districts must do more to manage costs of health benefits

When districts spend more money on health benefits, there’s less money for other priorities, like teacher salaries, researcher says.

Paul Bruno
State Education Policy
May 3, 2019

First on new California state superintendent’s long agenda: getting more men of color in the classroom

Tony Thurmond is creating work groups to focus on critical education issues while building a relationship with Gavin Newsom and building confidence in a state education department that’s been understaffed and underfunded.

John Fensterwald
May 2, 2019

Should California teachers who get seriously ill have to pay for their own subs?

Under the California Education Code, teachers on extended medical leave pay for the substitutes replacing them. The cost is deducted from their paychecks.

Julia McEvoy, KQED
May 1, 2019

Wage gap between teachers and other college graduates exacerbates teacher shortages

Average wages of California teachers lag other college graduates by 16.2 percent.

Louis Freedberg
April 24, 2019

Oakland Unified may need $2 million more in budget cuts to give other employees same raise as teachers

Alameda County Office of Education analysis of district’s budget reveals shortfall if all unions get the same level salary increase as teachers.

Theresa Harrington
April 17, 2019

California lags behind other states in quality and access to state-funded preschool

California was ranked 14th in access to preschool for 4-year-olds, behind Oklahoma, Vermont, Florida, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Georgia and South Carolina, among other states.

Zaidee Stavely