California has been experiencing a shortage of teachers, especially in special education, bilingual education, and science, technology, engineering and math for some years. The Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated the problem. EdSource is tracking how the shortage is impacting different districts and regions statewide. Many are working on aggressive tactics to recruit and retain teachers, including offering bonuses and other incentives, and building teacher “residency” programs.
California's school year will begin with fewer Covid protocols, universal transitional kindergarten, more afterschool programs and community schools, and later start times for older students.
The nonprofit Inverness Institute interviewed veteran teachers about life in the classroom during another difficult year impacted by a pandemic; two principals involved with the study sum up the findings in an interview with EdSource's John Fensterwald.
A new state database of teacher assignments shows that 17% of K-12 classes in 2020-21 were taught by teachers without the credential or training to teach the course.
For long-term and lasting solutions, we must attract more young people to enter the teaching profession and give them the training and support they need to succeed.
State and federal legislators must enact measures to alleviate the conditions causing California teachers to quit. The public must demand action before we can't even keep our schools open.
California has fewer credentialed teacher librarians in its school libraries per student than almost every state in the nation, a fact that research shows could be hurting students academically.
To increase educator diversity, state, county and district leaders should gather as a community to learn and share best practices for recruiting, supporting and retaining teachers of color.
The potential for a bilingual California is not pie in the sky, but a real seed rooted in our diverse communities — but it will take investment to make it a reality.
