Every Child
Table of Contents
Introduction
Given the critical role teachers play in helping children learn, grow, and reach their full potential, it is essential that California prioritizes having qualified teachers in every classroom. Teachers inspire, challenge, and believe in their students—and when teachers have the support they need, learning thrives. Teachers are the cornerstone of education, but too many classrooms in California lack the qualified educators essential for student success.
Research shows that teachers are the single most important school-based factor impacting the overall learning and success of students in a classroom.1 Unfortunately, California continues to face persistent teacher shortages, which makes it challenging to ensure all students have access to qualified teachers across the state. In the 2022-23 school year, roughly 47,000 teachers in California were not fully credentialed and properly assigned— representing nearly 1 in 5 teachers in the state.2 If a teacher lacks the proper credentials, achieving the level of effectiveness needed to improve student academic outcomes becomes more difficult.
This is a particular problem for children in high-needs schools3 as 40% more teachers in high-poverty schools lack the necessary qualifications than teachers in higher-income schools.4 Teacher shortages disproportionately impact students from low-income communities, who are more likely than their peers to be taught by out-of-field, inexperienced, and ineffective teachers.5 Furthermore, certain subjects are harder to fill than others, such as math, science, bilingual education, and special education. If California believes in a quality education and futures filled with opportunity for all children, it starts with qualified teachers in every classroom.
While the state has introduced teacherrelated programs in recent years to address the teacher shortage crisis, more must be done to recruit and retain teachers. Many of the programs the state has introduced have been effective in recruitment and retention efforts, but they are funded with one-time budget allocations, with many set to end by 2027. Given the continued shortage of teachers in our schools, and particularly in high-needs schools, California must make addressing the teacher shortage a top priority for the next several years. The state can do this by passing bold, sustainable policies that ensure every student has access to well-prepared educators who can provide the high-quality education they deserve.
The goal of this policy brief is to promote a comprehensive approach to strengthen the educator workforce—from recruitment and preparation to retention—so that every classroom is led by a qualified teacher. By addressing systemic barriers, these policy recommendations aim to build and sustain a strong teacher pipeline program for highneeds schools. This brief defines the problem in greater detail, highlights some of the promising state programs, and lays out a comprehensive policy agenda the state can implement in the coming years to have a well-prepared and supported teacher in every classroom. Our hope is that this brief may serve as a resource and guide for state leaders and other advocates when making strategic decisions and prioritizing initiatives related to the educator workforce.
California’s Teacher Shortage in High-Needs Schools
California has a Teacher Shortage:
California’s teacher shortage is a persistent challenge, with vacancies rising sharply in high-poverty school districts.6 Many classrooms lack fully credentialed educators, and fewer teachers are entering the profession, leaving students without the support they need to thrive.
► In the 2020-21 school year, there were more than 10,000 vacancies across the state.7
► In the 2022-23 school year, an estimated 32,252 teachers were not fully certified for their teaching assignments—identified as intern teachers, out-of-field teachers, and ineffective teachers.8
► Between the 2020-21 and 2022-23 school years, the number of new teaching credentials issued declined by more than 25%.9
► Between the 2019-20 and 2023-24 school years, enrollment in teacher candidate programs decreased by more than 3,000 students.10
► A 2022 survey of more than 4,600 California educators found 20% of teachers reported planning to leave the profession within 3 years.11
The Teacher Shortage is Largest for Hard-to-Staff Subjects:
Teacher shortages are most severe in hard-to-staff subject areas including science, math, bilingual education, and special education. This has been the case for decades and is the result of systemic issues in our system that can be addressed using the recommendations outlined in this brief. Shortages in hard-to-staff subjects leave students without the instruction they need, deepening educational inequities across the state.
► Subject area shortages in science, math, bilingual education, and special education have persisted for over 20 years in California.12
► Between the 2020–21 and 2022–23 school years, there were declines in science, special education, and bilingual education credentials ranging from 13% to 25%.13
The Teacher Shortage Disproportionately Impacts High-Needs Schools:
While the teacher shortage affects all students in California, it is far more severe in high-needs schools serving low-income communities. Students in these high-poverty schools have far less access to qualified, experienced teachers compared to their peers in wealthier schools.
► 1 in 10 teachers in high-poverty schools are inexperienced.14, 15
► There are more than twice as many ineffective teachers in high-poverty schools than in wealthier schools.16, 17
► In the 2022-23 school year, roughly 5% of teachers in high-poverty schools were not credentialed in the subject they taught—more than twice the rate in the lowestpoverty schools.18
Inexperienced Teacher: A teacher who has two or fewer years of teaching experience, as definied by the California Department of Education (CDE).
Ineffective teacher: A teacher who is improperly assigned or lacks the proper credentials, as defined by the CDE.
Addressing California’s ongoing teacher shortage requires a deeper understanding of the underlying factors that affect how teachers enter, experience, and stay in the profession.
Without tackling the root causes—such as barriers to entering the profession, uneven preparation experiences, and working conditions that drive turnover—policy solutions will fall short of helping all students have access to a well-prepared, qualified teacher.
The following section provides an overview of key challenges related to teacher recruitment, preparation, and retention.
Three Key Areas of Opportunity
Recruitment Preparation Retention
Inadequate Compensation: Research shows on average, teachers in California earned 19.2% less than other professionals with similar education levels in 2022.20
Recruitment — The barriers to entering the teaching profession
A major contributing factor to California’s teacher shortage is that there are simply not enough people entering the profession. Research informs us that this challenge is due to a number of drivers such as inadequate teacher compensation, the high cost of earning a teaching credential, and a lack of targeted recruitment of diverse teachers.
► Inadequate compensation: Teacher compensation is a significant barrier keeping prospective candidates from entering teacher preparation programs. On average, teachers in California earned just 80.8 cents for every dollar earned by other professionals with similar credentials.19
These financial challenges are further exacerbated by the state’s high cost of living, making it especially difficult for aspiring teachers to enter the teaching profession. Altogether, there is a strong financial incentive for potential teacher candidates—particularly those with Math and Science degrees—to pursue alternative, higher-paying professions.
► Cost to get a credential: Tuition for a California State University (CSU) credentialing program averages around $8,000 per year,21 while private institutions can charge significantly more, often over $20,000 annually. Prospective teachers may find it difficult to undertake this financial burden, particularly people from lowincome backgrounds.
These financial hurdles can also be daunting for career changers, who may be supporting families or carrying existing student debt. In addition, for those looking to transition into teaching from another profession, it can be difficult to navigate the process or even know where to begin. Yet, the state has not developed scalable, streamlined or differentiated credentialing pathways to support career changers—missing an important opportunity to tap into a broader, more diverse pool of potential teachers.
► Lack of workforce diversity: For a number of reasons—including the long-term impacts of historical discrimination and exclusionary practices across our systems—the teaching profession does not reflect the diversity of California’s students. Studies find that students of color often perform better on standardized tests, have improved attendance, and benefit socially and emotionally when they have at least one teacher who looks like them.22 In order for our school system to meet the needs of all students in California, we need more deliberate efforts to make this profession more diverse.
Over the past decade, California has made some progress on recruiting and preparing a diverse teacher workforce—the state increased its teacher workforce diversity from 32% in 2015 to 40% in 2024.23 However, more must be done to have a teaching population that is more representative of the student population.
In the 2023-24 school year, roughly 20% of students were white while 55% of teachers were white, and 73% of students were students of color while only 40% of teachers were teachers of color.24
► Not enough targeted efforts aligned to staff high-needs schools: High-needs schools consistently face deeper and more persistent teacher shortages than other schools. These vacancies are driven by a combination of factors that lead to higher rates of teacher turnover, including more challenging working conditions and a lack of access to experienced mentors and support systems for early-career educators. Schools with superior facilities, stronger reputations, and fewer resource and funding inequities are more likely to attract and retain wellprepared teachers.
While the state has introduced a number of teacher-related programs to address the teacher shortage crisis, too few are designed to recruit and retain educators in the schools that need them most. One-time funding solutions are insufficient for persistent teacher shortages in high-needs schools.
► Lack of focused recruitment for hardto-staff subject areas: California has made some progress in recruiting more teachers in hard-to-staff subjects, such as math and science, bilingual education, and special education. Still, in fields like math and science, prospective educators often pursue more lucrative career options. In bilingual education, the pipeline of credentialed, bilingual teachers has not kept pace with the growing number of students who would benefit from dual-language instruction. Special education poses its own set of challenges, with educators often facing larger student caseloads, greater administrative burdens, and higher levels of burnout. Despite these distinct barriers, the state lacks enough tailored, differentiated programs that directly address the unique needs of teacher candidates entering these hard-to-staff subjects.
Preparation — The challenges of effectively preparing teacher candidates
Comprehensive teacher preparation includes building deep content knowledge, culturally responsive pedagogical training, high-quality student teaching under the guidance of experienced mentors, and meaningful opportunities to work with diverse student populations. However, too many teacher candidates in California do not receive this level of comprehensive preparation, which leads them to be less effective in the classroom and can contribute to them leaving the teaching profession altogether. Research informs us that this challenge stems from several factors, including inadequate coursework, inconsistent access to quality mentor teachers, a misalignment with evidence-based pedagogy and practices, and the widely varying quality of student teaching experiences depending on the teacher preparation program.
► Too many teachers without full preparation: There are too many teachers in California who are not getting comprehensive preparation, which includes appropriate coursework and access to a quality mentor teacher.25 Teacher candidates who receive comprehensive preparation are two to three times more likely to remain in the profession.26 Programs like teacher residencies, which offer prolonged,
immersive experiences working alongside experienced teachers, provide the kind of support and time necessary to develop both pedagogical expertise and classroom management skills.
► Coursework is not always aligned with research and evidence: Coursework in programs, whether for traditional or alternative programs, is not always aligned with evidence-based pedagogy
and practices. A recent report identified that nearly half of teacher preparation programs in California were not teaching effective literacy practices.27 Additionally, these programs often do not adequately equip teacher candidates with the knowledge and skills needed to address the unique needs of California’s diverse student populations, such as English learners, students with disabilities, and those from low-income backgrounds. Furthermore, undergraduate programs should include more coursework that creates a clear pathway into the teaching profession, along with increased clinical practice during the credentialing year to ensure candidates are fully prepared for the classroom.
► Clinical practice is too variable: At the moment, the quality and duration of student teaching experiences are too varied based on the teacher preparation program. Teacher candidates need to be matched with a strong mentor to support their development for a sufficient amount of time, rather than the current practice of only a single semester. This extended period of time with a mentor will help teacher candidates develop a range of teaching strategies and other critical classroom practices. Research shows that a first-year teacher who is supported by an effective mentor teacher during clinical practice can be just as effective as a third-year teacher in the classroom without proper training.28 Inadequate clinical practice—especially without access to skilled, supportive mentors—can leave new teachers feeling overwhelmed and ineffective.
Traditional Preparation Programs:
Traditional teacher preparation programs in California, offered by accredited colleges and universities, combine coursework with student teaching. Candidates usually complete a bachelor’s degree followed by a postbaccalaureate credential program to earn a preliminary teaching credential.
Alternative Preparation Programs:
Alternative teacher preparation programs in California offer non-traditional pathways to the classroom, often designed for career changers or those already working in education. These programs typically allow candidates to earn a credential while teaching, combining online or evening coursework with supervised classroom experience.
Retention — The roadblocks to a lasting career in the classroom
California continues to struggle with retaining teachers, with far too many leaving the profession. Research informs us that this challenge is due to a number of factors, including inadequate compensation, limited support for teachers, inconsistent access to high-quality professional development, large class sizes, and not enough strong school leaders. Teacher turnover undermines school stability and student learning across the state—but its impact is especially severe in high-poverty schools.29 The higher turnover rates lead to disproportionate reliance on novice teachers in high-poverty schools, rural schools, and those serving higher concentrations of students of color.30
► Inadequate compensation: Current teacher salaries are insufficient to adequately compensate educators, contributing to higher turnover rates in the profession.
► Insufficient support: Teachers in high-needs schools often lack the support they need to do their jobs effectively, including access to additional staff and mental health resources. Teachers have to lead on instruction, perform administrative duties, and build relationships with families, while also serving as parttime counselors. A 2022 survey of California teachers—with the majority teaching in highneeds schools—found that more than half reported feeling “exhausted, stressed, and frustrated” about their profession.32
► Limited professional development: Ongoing, high-quality professional development is essential for helping teachers grow in their practice and remain in the profession. When teachers have access to sustained support at the school level— focused on improving instructional strategies, classroom management, and meeting diverse student needs—they are more likely to feel effective and fulfilled in their roles.33 Research shows that professional development is most impactful when it is continuous and focused on a specific set of concepts or practices, rather than delivered through one-off workshops.34
A 2023 national survey of 1,644 U.S. educators found that 55% of teachers rank inadequate compensation as a top reason for leaving the profession.31
► Large class sizes: Teachers with large class sizes experience a heavier workload, which can lead to burnout and job dissatisfaction. Research shows that teachers in high-needs schools are more likely to leave their school due to challenging working conditions, including large class sizes.35 This intensified workload has left many teachers feeling overwhelmed and underappreciated, driving more people away from the profession.
► Lack of strong school leaders: Support for teachers includes strong school leadership. Studies have shown that school leaders in high-needs schools have an outsized impact on whether teachers stay in a school— demonstrating the importance of effective school leaders on retaining and supporting teachers.36 Investing in high-quality, diverse school leaders will help to sustain a strong teacher workforce, which includes a growing number of teachers of color. Teachers of color who have a school leader committed to a culturally affirming school environment have reported that they are more likely to stay in their school.37 38
California’s Most Recent Actions to Address the Teacher Shortage
Since 2019, the current administration has introduced several programs related to improving teacher recruitment, preparation, and retention. In recent years, teacherrelated programs have successfully attracted and supported qualified educators in high-needs schools. One such program, the Golden State Teacher Grant program, incentivizes well-prepared teachers to teach in the state’s most underserved schools, helping to provide students in vulnerable communities with equitable access to skilled educators. Unfortunately, many of these programs are either pilot initiatives, lack sufficient funding, or rely on one-time funding rather than ongoing, permanent support.
The following are some of the promising programs that have been introduced over the past six years:
Golden State Teacher Grant (GSTG) Program:
The GSTG program provides grants of up to $10,000 or $20,000 to prospective candidates in a professional preparation program to work in a high-needs school for at least two to four years after receiving their certification.39 The program is currently set to end in 2026.
National Board Certification Incentive (NBCI) Program:
The NBCI program provides $2,500 grants for teachers to pursue their CA National Board Certification and $25,000 incentive grants (paid in $5,000 installments over five years) for CA National Board-Certified Teachers (NBCTs) who teach in high-priority schools.40 The program is currently set to end in 2026.
Classified School Employee Teacher Credentialing Program:
The Classified41 Grant Program provides up to $4,800 for classified school employees (including paraeducators and other classified staff) to earn their teaching credential.42 The program is currently set to end in 2026.
Teacher Residency Grant (TRG) Program:
The TRG program provides stipends of at least $20,000 for teacher residents to work in their sponsored school district for at least four years.43 The TRG program also provides competitive grants for school districts and teacher preparation programs to expand or create teacher residencies specifically in hard-to-staff subjects and create a diverse teacher workforce. The program is currently set to end in 2027.
Student Teacher Stipend (STS) Program:
The newly proposed stipend program provides $10,000 to teaching credential candidates who complete 500 or more hours of student teaching. The proposed program would begin in 2025-26.
Strengthening Literacy Standards in Teacher Preparation Programs (SB 488):
Passed and with implementation underway, SB 488 (Rubio) requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) to update teacher preparation standards for reading and literacy, review program compliance, and develop a new literacy performance assessment to replace the Reading Instruction Competence Assessment (RICA) by 2025.
The educator workforce programs introduced over the past several years have made a measurable impact in addressing teacher shortages in high-needs schools. For instance, the GSTG program has incentivized over 29,000 teachers to serve in more than 750 of the state’s
highest-need schools.44 Similarly, the NBCI program has supported nearly 2,000 teachers in high-poverty schools, equipping them with advanced training and increasing their likelihood of staying in the profession.45
While these initiatives do constitute important progress, they are not designed to fix long-term issues given that some are set to expire in the next two years. Our strong recommendation is that these programs be improved and made permanent with ongoing funding, and that the state create additional programs to address the teacher shortage crisis. California needs to take bolder, sustainable action to ensure every classroom has a qualified teacher.
Policy Solutions to Address the Teacher Shortage
Given the critical role teachers play in student success, ensuring every classroom in California has a qualified teacher must be a top statewide priority. Over the next decade, California must adopt and sustain policies that strengthen the teacher pipeline—bringing more people into the profession, preparing them well, and retaining them in the classroom. While all students deserve well-prepared teachers, these policies must prioritize high-needs schools, where vacancies are most severe and students face the greatest barriers to academic success. The policies proposed in this policy brief are designed to work together over time to build and sustain programs that staff the highest-need schools with qualified teachers.
Specifically, the brief outlines policies to:
► Improve recruitment efforts and teacher compensation.
► Enhance teacher preparation programs and expand teacher preparation pathways.
► Implement retention policies that address working conditions and professional development.
We are committed to working alongside state leaders to take bold action in the months and years ahead to ensure every student has access to well-prepared teachers in their classrooms. While many of these policies will require funding and long-term investments, the long-term benefits for students, schools, and the state are undeniable.
Without immediate and lasting reforms, we risk deepening educational inequities and failing the students who need support the most.
Key Policy Recommendations: On the following pages are our key policy recommendations— grounded in research and evidence—that must be passed and effectively implemented to help every child in California have access to a qualified teacher. We are hopeful these recommendations will support state lawmakers as they make critical decisions and serve as a foundation for the policies we are committed to advancing.
Recruitment: Building a Diverse and Sustainable Workforce
Building a strong teacher workforce starts with ensuring the profession appeals to a diverse range of talented individuals. We should make teaching an attractive and sustainable profession, whether someone is a young professional or wants to start a new career. California needs to pass strong policies that increase compensation, provide incentives for teachers in high-needs schools, pay teachers more for hard-to-staff subjects, compensate teachers during their training, reduce costs to become a teacher, invest in resources to market the teaching profession, and create alternative credentialing pathways. With these systemic changes, we can ensure teaching becomes a profession that draws the passionate, skilled educators our students deserve.
Policy Recommendations
► Pay teachers more: Making the teacher profession more attractive starts with increasing teacher compensation. Teachers in California earn less than other professionals with similar education levels, despite the critical role they play in shaping the future.46 California must take bold steps to respect, retain, and elevate teachers by increasing their pay. The state should:
• Increase salary levels: Increase the average teacher salary by 20% to align with the average salaries of other professions that require a college degree.
Golden State Teacher Grant (GSTG) and National Board Certification Incentive (NBCI) programs—and create additional programs that help ensure qualified teachers receive financial incentives for going to and staying in high-needs schools.
• Provide incentives for teaching in highneeds schools: Pay teachers more to teach in high-needs schools. The state should provide permanent funding to programs producing meaningful results—like the
• Update High-Needs School Definition: Redefine its criteria for a high-needs school (currently defined as a “priority school” where at least 55% of students are from low-income communities, English learners, or foster youth) by raising the eligibility threshold from 55% to 75%. This would align with the National Center For Education Statistics’ (NCES) criteria for high-poverty schools and open the door for more qualified teachers in what are generally the hardest-to-staff schools.47
An early career teacher’s salary in California is around $55,000, 49 which is roughly 20% lower than other professions that require a college degree.50
• Pay teachers more for hard-to-staff subjects: Create an ongoing state program that provides additional compensation for hard-to-staff teaching positions, such as special education, bilingual education, computer science, math, and science.
► Compensate teacher candidates during their training: Providing meaningful compensation to prospective candidates during teacher preparation programs will encourage more people to enter the teaching profession. The state should:
• Provide financial support for aspiring teachers during their training: Provide long-term funding for current programs that are working, such as the TRG program, and invest in new programs such as the STS program. This includes innovative programs such as teacher candidates enrolled in residencies, Grow Your Own (GYO) programs,51 and teacher apprenticeships. A lack of compensation during student teaching is often a significant barrier for prospective candidates—especially those from lowincome backgrounds. To ensure state funds are used efficiently and effectively, there should also be cost-of-living adjustments so that compensation is sufficient to meet candidates’ needs where they live and will ultimately teach.
► Remove financial barriers to the teaching profession: Reducing financial barriers to becoming a teacher has a positive impact on students because it can help attract more talented candidates into the profession.52 Right now, it costs between $8,000 per year at a CSU and over $20,000 per year at a private institution to receive a teaching credential. Furthermore, the enrollment and credentialing fees for a teacher preparation program cost around $800.53 Removing the financial burden of teacher preparation programs will increase the pool and diversity of candidates. The state should:
• Reduce the tuition cost of credentialing programs: Create more state-based scholarships for students who demonstrate high financial need, and implement teacher loan forgiveness programs.
• Cover administrative costs: Cover enrollment and credentialing fees related to becoming a teacher for teacher candidates who demonstrate high financial need.
► Market the teaching profession: Teaching is a deeply rewarding career but we don’t effectively market the profession. The state should create a multi-year and multichannel marketing plan incorporating these messages to attract more college students and career changers.
Research shows that utilizing targeted recruitment efforts—such as social media campaigns—can increase the number of prospective teacher candidates.54 In the marketing plan, the state should have a particular focus on high-needs communities to increase the number of teacher candidates from historically underrepresented groups.
► Create an alternative credentialing pathway for career changers: For professionals who have meaningful experience and transferable skills in a different field, the state should create a streamlined pathway for them to enter the teaching profession. Mid-career and experienced professionals who want to teach should have access to an alternative credentialing pathway that may include reduced coursework, but still have access to quality mentor teachers and student teaching experiences. These prospective candidates can bring valuable, unique competencies to the classroom while also filling hard-to-staff positions.
Preparation: Strengthening Teacher Preparation Programs
Enhancing teacher preparation programs is essential to ensure that every candidate is ready to teach from day one. Currently, there is significant variability in the quality of coursework, mentor teachers, and student teaching experiences across teacher preparation programs. Whether traditional or alternative, all preparation programs must consistently equip teachers with the skills they need. This requires high-quality instruction and practical training in every program. California should also adopt more innovative pathways into the teaching profession—including residencies, apprenticeships, and classified-to-credentialed programs—while aligning preparation with the state’s Teacher Performance Expectations (TPEs) and enforcing rigorous accountability.
Policy Recommendations
► Strengthen coursework and curriculum in teacher preparation programs: California must ensure that every teacher preparation program equips candidates with the evidencebased knowledge and practical tools needed to meet the diverse needs of students. To do this, the state should require that all coursework be explicitly aligned with the state’s TPEs and grounded in the science of learning and development, well-designed clinical experiences, culturally responsive pedagogy, and effective, standards-aligned instructional practices.55 For instance, coursework in literacy instruction must prepare candidates to deliver evidence-based reading instruction that aligns with the state’s updated literacy and reading standards, as established in SB 488 (Rubio).
In addition, as Artificial Intelligence (AI)56 continues to transform educational practices, teacher preparation programs must update their coursework and curriculum to teach prospective teachers how to effectively integrate and leverage AI tools to improve instructional practices and provide students personalized learning opportunities. AI has the potential to expand and deepen learning opportunities for all students, and have an outsized impact on children from low-income communities.
Without a stronger alignment between preparation coursework and what teachers are expected to know and do in the classroom— especially in a quickly developing learning environment—we risk having new teachers in schools who are unprepared. This includes
ensuring that undergraduate programs offer classes specifically designed to prepare students to teach in diverse, high-need classrooms. The state should provide targeted support to preparation programs committed to redesigning their coursework to reflect what research and experience show works best for students.
► Recruit and compensate high-quality mentor teachers for candidates: A strong student teaching experience is essential for ensuring teacher candidates are ready to lead a classroom. To achieve this, the state must help teacher preparation programs and school districts place candidates with experienced, high-quality mentor teachers. This requires meaningful, sustained compensation to attract and retain effective teachers57 as mentors. The state should create a dedicated program that funds mentor stipends and supports a statewide system for identifying, developing, and matching strong mentor teachers—especially in high-needs schools—so that every teacher candidate can learn from effective educators.
► Expand teacher residency programs: Teacher residencies are year-long programs developed through partnerships between school districts and institutions of higher education that combine supervised classroom experience with graduate-level coursework.58 Upon completion, residents earn both a teaching credential and a master’s degree. In exchange, residents commit to teaching in the district for a set number of years. The state should expand highquality teacher residency programs—such as
those offered through the Teacher Residency Grant (TRG) program—and make them a permanent part of the teacher preparation system. The TRG program is designed to create, improve, and expand access to teacher residency programs. The program has been successful based on retention rates, the diversity of the participants, and the clinical experience embedded in the program. TRG program completers are more diverse than teachers statewide and better reflect the students they serve—47% are Latino compared to 21% statewide, aligning more closely with California’s 56% Latino student population.59
► Create quality pathways for noncredentialed school employees to become teachers: Investing in programs that support non-credentialed school employees to become teachers—often referred to as Grow Your Own (GYO) programs—is a powerful strategy for addressing teacher shortages and increasing educator diversity. There are critical people in schools—such as paraprofessionals, afterschool providers, and other non-certified school staff—who have the potential to be strong teachers but need access to GYO programs to receive their credentials.60
Without dedicated funding and support, many prospective teacher candidates face significant barriers to completing a credential program, including time constraints, financial challenges, and limited access to preparation programs tailored to working adults. Participants of GYO programs are more likely to stay in the profession long term and better reflect the backgrounds and lived experiences of the students they serve.61 The state has piloted GYO programs with success— the Classified School Employee Teacher Credentialing Program is a current GYO program that is working.62 Because of this program, there are more than 5,000 schoolbased employees pursuing their teaching credential.63 The state should expand and make high-quality GYO programs permanent.
► Expand teacher apprenticeship programs: Teacher apprenticeships are intensive preparation programs that provide on-the-job training with mentor teachers and academic coursework to earn a bachelor’s degree and certification.64 These programs often include support and strategies to overcome obstacles in obtaining the necessary degrees and certifications. The best apprenticeship programs feature effective clinical practice, high-quality mentor teachers, and aligned coursework that leads to both a bachelor’s degree and teaching credential.
Despite their promise, California currently lacks scalable registered apprenticeship programs for K–12 teachers, and is limited to early childhood education teachers.65 The state should develop and expand high-quality, registered teacher apprenticeship programs, such as the Apprenticeship Innovation Funding (AIF) program.66 The AIF program covers the cost of apprenticeships and provides $3,500 per apprentice per year, as well as a $1,000 completion bonus.
► Enforce strong accountability for teacher preparation programs: The state must ensure that teacher preparation programs effectively prepare candidates to teach from day one. While the CTC has established strong standards for the teaching profession,67 there is not enough accountability to ensure that programs are designing and implementing their programs effectively. The state needs to make sure that our teacher preparation programs are both well-designed and effectively preparing candidates. This may include creating a workgroup to evaluate existing teacher preparation programs, identify which have been most successful at meeting the state’s established standards, and provide a plan to improve accreditation processes.
A recent survey found that more than 30% of school district employers rated graduates from certain California teacher preparation programs as poorly or adequately prepared.68
Retention: Supporting Teachers to Stay in the Profession
Investing in teacher retention efforts is essential to building a stable, well-prepared workforce that can provide all students with a high-quality education. Unfortunately, teachers report that long working hours, poor working conditions, and low compensation contribute to many leaving the profession.69 Teacher turnover is especially severe in high-poverty schools and those serving primarily students of color. This needs to change. California must pass strong policies that increase compensation, support ongoing professional development opportunities, offer strong incentives for educators in high-needs schools, improve teachers’ working conditions, and better support school leaders so they can foster teacher development.
Policy Recommendations
► Increase compensation: Paying teachers more makes the teaching profession more sustainable. Teachers are the foundation of our education system, yet too many struggle to stay in the profession due to inadequate pay.70 Research shows that raising compensation increases teacher retention.71
► Support ongoing, high-quality professional development (PD) opportunities: Continuous, high-quality PD is critical to strengthening instructional practices and improving student outcomes—especially in high-needs schools.72 Good PD helps retain teachers in the profession by building their confidence, deepening their expertise, and creating a sense of professional growth and support within their school community. The state should:
• Support evidence-based, culturally relevant PD: Establish a permanent, well-resourced program dedicated to helping districts deliver evidence-based, culturally responsive PD tailored to the unique needs of educators serving the most underserved communities. Highquality PD is ongoing, collaborative, incorporates educator feedback, and focuses on effective teaching strategies— providing practical tools that teachers can immediately apply to support student learning. Consistent PD in school
sites is critical not only for improving instructional practice but also for helping teachers remain in the profession longer.
• Support PD focused on effectively integrating AI tools: Create a wellresourced initiative dedicated to supporting districts in training teachers on how to effectively integrate and leverage AI tools to accelerate student learning. Research has identified potential benefits of leveraging AI tools such as providing students personalized learning materials based on their needs and allowing teachers to have more capacity and time to directly support their students.73
► Provide retention incentives to keep educators in high-needs schools: Attracting and retaining effective teachers and school leaders in high-needs and hardto-staff schools requires meaningful financial incentives. The state should establish a dedicated funding stream that allows districts to offer competitive compensation packages, including retention bonuses and incentives, to encourage effective teachers and leaders to stay—and thrive—in schools and communities where they are needed most. The state should continue expanding access to high–impact initiatives such as the National Board Certification Incentive (NBCI) Program. Because of the NBCI program, the number of
teachers of color pursuing their National Board certification has quadrupled—increasing from 356 to 1,432—since the program began.74
► Revise layoff rules: Current layoff rules, which rely on seniority, can unintentionally and disproportionately remove talented and impactful educators from high-needs schools where early career teachers often serve. These rules can also lead to more teachers of color being laid off since a higher percentage of newer teachers are teachers of color compared to more senior teachers.75 The state should consider revising these policies to allow for exceptions where high-poverty schools are disproportionately impacted. Additionally, the state should consider extending the timeline for teachers to reach tenure status beyond 18 months in some cases to allow certain teachers more time to receive robust mentorship, professional development, and support.
► Lower class sizes: Reducing class sizes can help alleviate some of the stress and workload teachers face, ultimately supporting their retention in the profession. California has some of the largest class sizes in the nation—the state’s pupil-teacher ratio averaged 22:1 in fall 2022.76 The state should prioritize lowering class sizes in highneeds schools to create more supportive, sustainable teaching environments that help retain educators and better meet the needs of students.
► Strengthen career and leadership opportunities for educators: Developing innovative staffing models—also known as strategic staffing77—has been linked to higher student academic achievement, graduation rates, and teacher retention.78 Strategic staffing models include implementing flexible scheduling for teachers and scaling the impact of effective instruction with coteaching opportunities.79 Local policymakers typically drive the decision to adopt and implement a strategic staffing model, but the state can provide support by creating funding opportunities for districts interested
in piloting an innovative staffing model in their schools. Districts can use the funds for necessary planning, as well as educator development and training. Once again, funding should be prioritized for districts serving a significant concentration of highneeds students.
► Develop high-quality programs that support school administrators: Effective school leaders play a critical role in creating the conditions that support teacher development, improve retention, and drive student achievement—especially in highneeds schools. Yet, students from low-income communities in California are more likely to attend a school with high administrator turnover,80 which undermines school stability and instructional quality.
The state must invest in programs that develop, attract, and retain strong principals in high-needs schools. This includes creating and funding a statewide initiative to 1) prepare and develop school leaders with the skills to lead in high-needs schools, 2) provide targeted incentives to recruit high-quality principals, and 3) offer ongoing support to help principals succeed once they are there. When principals are well-equipped and well-supported, they can foster inclusive school communities, strengthen teacher practice, and implement evidence-based strategies to improve student outcomes.
Strengthening Educator Workforce Data and Investments
► Improve transparency and accessibility for educator workforce data: Understanding the full scope of California’s teacher workforce challenges and addressing them through datainformed decision making is hindered by a persistent lack of accessible and comprehensive data. The state’s educator workforce data system (i.e., California Statewide Assignment Accountability System) has long been fragmented and incomplete, making it difficult to track critical issues like teacher recruitment, retention, and workforce diversity. Without reliable data, policymakers and school leaders are left without a clear picture of where teacher shortages are most severe or which efforts are making a difference. Despite these gaps, the data that is available paints a troubling picture of the disparities in access to quality teachers. Recent investments aim to address these issues by improving data integration and analysis, but more work needs to be done.82 The state must build a much stronger data system for the educator workforce to provide the transparency and accessibility policymakers need to strengthen California’s educator workforce and support equity-focused decision-making.
► Create guidance on how to leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) to promote effective teaching and learning practices: AI technologies and tools have grown rapidly over the past several years within education—specifically related to opportunities and challenges with teaching and learning practices.83 Education is ripe for AI to have a meaningful impact on the learning and working conditions in schools. While students, educators, administrators, and families navigate this ever-evolving AI environment, we have to be aware that there are potential risks of using AI tools in education such as bias and discrimination, student and teacher privacy concerns, and surveillance or tracking systems that gather detailed information of students and teachers.84 The State Board of Education (SBE) and California Department of Education (CDE) should develop guidance and recommendations centered around addressing algorithmic bias and discrimination, eliminating student data privacy and security risks, and promoting effective teaching and learning practices. This recommendation builds on the CDE’s current effort centered on their Artificial Intelligence in Education Workgroup.
California’s average pupil-teacher ratio is nearly 50 percent higher than the national average which is 15:1.81
► Establish a workgroup to evaluate recent teacher grant programs and provide recommendations for long-term investments: The state should create a workgroup to 1) review the investments in one-time funded teacher grant programs of the last several years, 2) determine which programs have been most effective for children from low-income communities, and 3) recommend which programs should be continued on an ongoing basis.
► Create a professional learning community for district and school leaders: The state should develop professional learning communities for district and school leaders to promote best practices around teacher recruitment, preparation, and retention efforts. For instance, when a district demonstrates significant success retaining teachers in high-needs schools, the state needs to identify what is working and help other districts learn from and adopt those effective strategies. These professional learning communities can foster meaningful relationships and serve as a platform for practitioners to collaborate, exchange effective practices, and drive continuous improvement.
Contributing Authors
This policy brief was written in partnership with EdVoice Institute and the following organizations. Leaders at these organizations convened with a shared commitment to advance state policies that strengthen and sustain California’s teacher pipeline. Together, these organizations are championing solutions that ensure students in our highestneed schools across the state have access to well-prepared educators.
Supporting Organizations
The following organizations have endorsed this policy brief and align with its recommendations: Alliance for a Better Community California STEM Network, a Project of Children Now Californians for Justice
Center for Black Educator Development
Children’s Defense Fund CA
Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE)
EdTrust-West
National Council on Teacher Quality
Partnership for Children & Youth
Closing Thoughts
Teachers are the single most important school-based factor impacting the overall learning and success of students. California cannot deliver on its promise of educational equity and opportunity for all without ensuring that every child has access to a well-prepared teacher. Unfortunately, multiple factors—ranging from inadequate compensation, insufficient training, and challenging school climates—have contributed to the state’s teacher shortage, making it more difficult to attract and retain qualified educators, particularly in high-needs schools. While the challenges are complex, bold action can lead to transformative change.
Our state legislators have both the opportunity and the responsibility to advance policies that strengthen California’s teacher pipeline from recruitment through retention, with a sharp focus on schools and communities with the greatest need. To do so, there must be a strategic shift toward comprehensive, long-term solutions and permanent funding.
The policy recommendations in this brief offer a roadmap for how California can build a diverse, stable, and effective educator workforce. Championing policies informed by data, research, and need will help ensure that every student—regardless of ZIP code—has a qualified teacher who can successfully prepare them for college or career and beyond.
Partnership for Los Angeles Schools
Urban Ed Academy
Young Invincibles
Endnotes
1 Opper, Isaac M., Teachers Matter: Understanding Teachers’ Impact on Student Achievement. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2019. https://www.rand.org/ pubs/research_reports/RR4312.html
2 California Department of Education. DataQuest. 2022-23 Teaching Assignment Monitoring Outcomes by Full-Time Equivalent (FTE). https://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/ DQCensus/TchAssgnOutcome.aspx?agglevel=State&cds=00&year=2022-23
3 We recommend that policy makers target policies towards schools that meet the National Center For Education Statistics (NCES) criteria for high-poverty schools (more than 75 percent of the students are eligible for Free or Reduced-Price Lunch) and have significant performance gaps in English language arts and/or math between low-income and non-low-income students.
4 Lambert, Diana, Fensterwald, John, and Willis, Daniel J. “Poorer students still get the least qualified teachers, but California has made progress.” EdSource. August 4, 2022. https://edsource.org/2022/poorer-students-still-get-the-least-qualified-teachers-but-california-has-made-progress/676044
5 Matthews, Kai et al. (2024). “Barriers to Racial Equity for Teachers of Color and Indigenous Teachers in California’s Teaching Pipeline and Profession.” UCLA Center for Transformation of Schools & The UCLA Civil Rights Project. https://www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu/news/press-releases/press-releases-2024/new-ucla-researchhighlights-need-to-recruit-and-retain-more-teachers-of-color-indigenous-teachers-in-california
6 Although not exactly a measure of vacancies, our analysis of districts’ expected hires in 2023-24 found that vacancies tend to increase as the district’s poverty rate increases, as well as the share of students with disabilities and English Learners it serves.
7 California Department of Education. State Superintendent Tony Thurmond Leads Efforts to Confront the California Teacher Shortage. April 19, 2023. https://www.cde. ca.gov/nr/ne/yr23/yr23rel25.asp
8 Learning Policy Institute. State Teacher Shortages 2024 Update. https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/media/4412/download?inline&file=State_Vacancy_2024_ RESOURCE.pdf
9 Commission on Teacher Credentialing, Teacher Supply in California, 2022-23 A Report to the Legislature (April 2024). https://www.ctc.ca.gov/docs/default-source/ commission/2022-23-teacher-supply-report-final.pdf
10 Lambert, Diana. “Number of California teaching credentials increases after two-year slump.” EdSource. April 28, 2025. https://edsource.org/2025/number-ofcalifornia-teaching-credentials-increases-after-two-year-slump/731323
11 Matthews, Kai et al. (2022). “Voices from the Classroom: Developing a Strategy for Teacher Retention and Recruitment.” The California Educator Diversity Project. UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools. California Teachers Association. https://transformschools.ucla.edu/research/voices-from-the-classroom/
12 Legislative Analyst’s Office. Overview of Teacher Workforce Issues. March 15, 2023. https://lao.ca.gov/handouts/education/2023/Teacher-Workforce-Issues-031523. pdf
13 Legislative Analyst’s Office. The 2025-26 Budget: Educator Workforce. March 2025. https://www.lao.ca.gov/reports/2025/5012/Education-Workforce-030625.pdf
14 Authors’ analysis of the Teacher Assignment Monitoring Outcome (TAMO) data, California Department of Education, 2022-23, available at: https://www.cde.ca.gov/ ds/ad/filestamo.asp
15 California Department of Education. Updated Teacher Equity Definitions. https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/pl/teacherequitydefinitions.asp
16 Authors’ analysis of the Teacher Assignment Monitoring Outcome (TAMO) data.
17 California Department of Education. Updated Teacher Equity Definitions. https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/pl/teacherequitydefinitions.asp
18 Authors’ analysis of the Teacher Assignment Monitoring Outcome (TAMO) data.
19 Allegretto, Sylvia. (September 29, 2023). Teacher pay penalty still looms large Trends in teacher wages and compensation through 2022. Economic Policy Institute. https://www.epi.org/publication/teacher-pay-in-2022/
20 Ibid.
21 The California State University. Current Tuition for Undergraduate, Credential, Graduate and Doctoral Programs. https://www.calstate.edu/apply/paying-forcollege/csu-costs/tuition-and-fees/Pages/basic-tuition-and-fees.aspx
22 Blazar, David. “Teachers of Color, Culturally Responsive Teaching, and Student Outcomes: Experimental Evidence from the Random Assignment of Teachers to Classes. EdWorkingPaper No. 21-501.” Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University (2021). https://www.edworkingpapers.com/sites/default/files/ai21-501.pdf
23 Commission on Teacher Credentialing, Teacher Supply in California, 2023-24 A Report to the Legislature (April 2025).
24 Ibid. Note that the Teacher Supply report indicates that 5.5% of full-time equivalent teachers did not report their ethnicity.
25 “Comprehensive preparation” includes the following: five or more teaching methods courses, preparation in using instructional materials, learning theory or child psychology courses, conducting classroom observations (from a mentor), and at least a semester of student teaching with feedback. Ingersoll, R., Merrill, L., & May, H. (2014). What are the effects of teacher education and preparation on beginning teacher attrition? [Research Report #RR-82]. Consortium for Policy Research in Education, University of Pennsylvania https://cpre.org/sites/default/files/researchreport/2018_prepeffects2014.pdf
26 Ibid.; Henke, R., Chen, X., & Geis, S. (2000). Progress through the teacher pipeline: 1992–93 college graduates and elementary/secondary school teaching as of 1997 [Postsecondary Education Descriptive Analysis Report]. U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. https://nces.ed.gov/ pubs2000/2000152.pdf
27 Ellis, C., Holston, S., Drake, G., Putman, H., Swisher, A., & Peske, H. (2023). Teacher Prep Review: Strengthening Elementary Reading Instruction. Washington, DC: National Council on Teacher Quality. https://teacherquality.nctq.org/dmsView/Teacher_Prep_Review_Strengthening_Elementary_Reading_Instruction; Strengthening California’s Implementation of the Science of Reading through Teacher Preparation. National Council on Teacher Quality. https://www.nctq.org/wpcontent/uploads/2025/03/NewGraph_CA_TeacherPrepReviewReadingUpdated.pdf
28 Goldhaber, D., Krieg, J., Naito, N., & Theobald, R. (2020). Making the Most of Student Teaching: The Importance of Mentors and Scope for Change. Education Finance and Policy, 15(3), 581-591. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1259717.pdf
29 Carver-Thomas, D., Kini, T., & Burns, D. (2020). Sharpening the divide: How California’s teacher shortages expand inequality. Palo Alto, CA: Learning Policy Institute. https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/sites/default/files/product-files/Sharp_Divide_California_Teacher_Shortages_BRIEF.pdf
30 Gagnon, Douglas & Mattingly, Marybeth (2012). “Beginning Teachers Are More Common in Rural, High-Poverty, and Racially Diverse Schools.” Carsey Institute. Issue Brief No. 53. https://scholars.unh.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1172&context=carsey
31 Bryant, J., Ram, S., Scott, D. and Williams, C. (2023). “K–12 teachers are quitting. What would make them stay?” McKinsey and Company. https://www.mckinsey.com/ industries/education/our-insights/k-12-teachers-are-quitting-what-would-make-them-stay
32 Matthews, Kai et al. (2022). “Voices from the Classroom: Developing a Strategy for Teacher Retention and Recruitment.” The California Educator Diversity Project. UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools. California Teachers Association. https://transformschools.ucla.edu/research/voices-from-the-classroom/
33 Darling-Hammond, L., Hyler, M. E., Gardner, M. (2017). Effective Teacher Professional Development. Palo Alto, CA: Learning Policy Institute. https://doi. org/10.54300/122.311
34 Ibid.
35 Linda Darling-Hammond, Roberta Furger, Patrick M. Shields, and Leib Sutcher (2016). “Addressing California’s Emerging Teacher Shortage: An Analysis of Sources and Solutions,” Learning Policy Institute. https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/sites/default/files/product-files/LPI-Report-AddressingCA_TeacherShortage.pdf
36 Sutcher, L., Darling-Hammond, L., and Carver-Thomas, D. (2016). A Coming Crisis in Teaching? Teacher Supply, Demand, and Shortages in the U.S. Palo Alto, CA: Learning Policy Institute. https://doi.org/10.54300/247.242
37 Black Educator Advocates Network. What Schools Must do to Retain Black Educators: Findings from the 2023 California Black Educator Survey. January 2024. https:// static1.squarespace.com/static/64cbd84fba7961119870722b/t/65a0c2eed42f7e6519cfa372/1705034484746/What+Schools+Must+Do+To+Retain+Black+ed.pdf
38 Teachers of color often navigate microaggressions in school—such as being asked to be a disciplinarian for students of color—which takes away from their instructional duties. Bristol, T.J., Mentor, M. Policing and Teaching: The Positioning of Black Male Teachers as Agents in the Universal Carceral Apparatus. Urban Rev 50, 218–234 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11256-018-0447-z
39 A high-needs (“priority”) school is defined as a school where at least 55% of students are from low-income communities, English Learners, or foster youth. California Student Aid Commission. Golden State Teacher Grant Program. https://www.csac.ca.gov/golden-state-teacher-grant-program
40 California Department of Education. California National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) Certification Incentive Program. Last Reviewed: Friday, June 14, 2024. https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/pl/nbptsprogram.asp
41 “Classified employees” in a school are non-teaching staff who perform support roles such as paraprofessionals, administrative assistants, afterschool providers, custodians, cafeteria workers, and bus drivers.
42 Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Classified School Employee Teacher Credentialing Program. https://www.ctc.ca.gov/educator-prep/grant-funded-programs/ Classified-Sch-Empl-Teacher-Cred-Prog
43 Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Teacher Residency Grant Program. https://www.ctc.ca.gov/educator-prep/grant-funded-programs/teacher-residencygrant-program
44 California Student Aid Commission, Golden State Teacher Grant (GSTG) Program
45 National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Certification Incentive Program. Commission on Teacher Credentialing. December 2022. https://www.ctc.ca.gov/ docs/default-source/commission/agendas/2022-12/2022-12-2d.pdf?sfvrsn=fab26b1_9
46 Allegretto, Sylvia. (2023).
47 This new priority-school threshold could provide targeted support for roughly 5,000 of the highest-need schools, which represents approximately 50 percent of schools. California Department of Education. California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS). List of California’s 2024-25 High Priority Schools. https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/pl/documents/highpriorityschools24-25.xlsx
48 Allegretto, Sylvia (January 29, 2025). California Teacher Pay: Decades of Falling Behind. Center for Economic and Policy Research. https://cepr.net/publications/ california-teacher-pay-decades-of-falling-behind/
49 California Department of Education. Average Salaries & Expenditure Percentage - CalEdFacts. https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/fr/sa/cefavgsalaries.asp
50 Allegretto, Sylvia (January 29, 2025).
51 Bellwether defines Grow Your Own (GYO) programs as “An umbrella term for a variety of innovative programs that focus on recruiting and preparing individuals to become teachers in their communities. These programs frequently include partnerships between school districts, institutes of higher education providing teacher preparation, and community-based organizations to provide additional support.” Source: Alex Cortez, Michaela Gaziano, and Alexandria Smith. “Best of Both Worlds: Teacher Apprenticeship Degrees.” Bellwether. October 2024. https://bellwether.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/BestofBothWorlds_Bellwether_October2024.pdf
52 Espinoza, D., Saunders, R., Kini, T., & Darling-Hammond, L. (2018). Taking the long view: State efforts to solve teacher shortages by strengthening the profession. Palo Alto, CA: Learning Policy Institute. https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/long-view-report?utm_source=LPI+Master+List&utm_campaign=9a7530c129LPIMC_LongViewCommSchools_20180829&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_7e60dfa1d8-9a7530c129-42319343
53 Internal analysis of enrollment and credentialing fees which include Credentialing Exams (CSET, RICA, Cal-TPA), Background Check and Fingerprinting costs, and Initial Credential Application Fees.
54 TNTP. Recommendations for Updating Recruitment Messaging. https://tntp.org/wp-content/uploads/Tools/recomendations-for-updating-recruitment-messaging. pdf; From Teacher Talent Toolbox (2020) by TNTP, Inc., available at https://tntp.org/toolkit/teacher-talent-toolbox/
55 Darling-Hammond, L., Schachner, A. C. W., Wojcikiewicz, S. K., & Flook, L. (2023). Educating teachers to enact the science of learning and development. Applied Developmental Science, 28(1), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888691.2022.2130506
56 “Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a branch of computer science. AI systems use hardware, algorithms, and data to create ‘intelligence’ to do things like make decisions, discover patterns, and perform some sort of action.” Source: Ruiz, Pati & Fusco, Judi (2024). “Glossary of Artificial Intelligence Terms for Educators.” Educator CIRCLS Blog. Retrieved from https://circls.org/educatorcircls/ai-glossary
57 We define an “effective teacher” as a teacher that is fully credentialed to teach in their specific subject area.
58 Guha, R. & Kini, T. (2016). Teacher Residencies: Building a High-Quality, Sustainable Workforce (brief). Palo Alto, CA: Learning Policy Institute. https:// learningpolicyinstitute.org/sites/default/files/product-files/LPI-Brief-TeacherResidencies.pdf
59 Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Report to the Legislature on the 2018 Teacher Residency Grant Program. December 2023. https://www.ctc.ca.gov/docs/ default-source/commission/reports/legislature-report-2018-teacher-residency-grant-program.pdf?sfvrsn=b0b022b1_3
60 New America. GYO Educators National Network. Essential Elements for High-Quality Grow Your Own Educator Programs. https://d1y8sb8igg2f8e.cloudfront.net/ documents/Essential_Elements_for_High-Quality_Grow_Your_Own_Educator_Programs.pdf
61 Master, Benjamin & Doss, Christopher. “‘Grow Your Own’ Prep Programs Can Improve Diversity of the Teaching Workforce.” RAND. March 7, 2022. https://www.rand. org/pubs/commentary/2022/03/grow-your-own-prep-programs-can-improve-diversity-of.html
62 Cal. Educ. Code Ann. § 44393
63 Report to the Legislature on the California Classified School Employee Teacher Credentialing Program Commission on Teacher Credentialing. December 2024. https:// www.ctc.ca.gov/docs/default-source/commission/reports/2024-classified-grant-annual-report-to-legislature.pdf?sfvrsn=ce8c3fb1_3
64 Bellwether defines apprenticeship programs as “A work-based opportunity, usually paid, for individuals to learn on the job and build skills to succeed in a given industry or occupation. Some apprenticeships include instruction outside of work and lead to a credential.” Source: Alex Cortez, Michaela Gaziano, and Alexandria Smith. “Best of Both Worlds: Teacher Apprenticeship Degrees.” Bellwether. October 2024. https://bellwether.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/BestofBothWorlds_ Bellwether_October2024.pdf
65 Lambert, Diana. “California adding apprenticeships to teacher recruitment toolbox.” EdSource. February 9, 2024. https://edsource.org/2024/california-addingapprenticeships-to-teacher-recruitment-toolbox/705245
66 California Department of Industrial Relations Division of Apprenticeship Standards. Apprenticeship Innovation Funding (AIF): Budget Year 2023-2024, Guidance on Applications for Reimbursement. February 13, 2024. https://www.dir.ca.gov/DAS/Grants/AIF-Guidance.pdf
67 California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. 2024 California Standards for the Teaching Profession. Adopted April 2024. https://www.ctc.ca.gov/docs/defaultsource/educator-prep/standards/2024-cstp.pdf?sfvrsn=62eb3cb1_12
68 Patrick, S. K., Darling-Hammond, L., & Kini, T. (2023). Educating teachers in California: What matters for teacher preparedness? Learning Policy Institute. https://doi. org/10.54300/956.678
69 A RAND analysis found that during the 2022-2023 school year, teachers reported working on average 53 hours per week in comparison to other working adults who averaged 46 hours per week. Source: Steiner, Elizabeth D., Woo, Ashley, & Doan, Sy. “‘All Work and No Pay — Teachers’ Perceptions of Their Pay and Hours Worked: Findings from the 2023 State of the American Teacher Survey.” RAND. September 12, 2023. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA1108-9.html
70 Bryant, J., Ram, S., Scott, D. and Williams, C. (2023)
71 Holston, Shannon. “Beyond one-size-fits-all: The case for differentiated teacher compensation.” National Council on Teacher Quality. March 27, 2025. https://www.nctq.org/research-insights/beyond-one-size-fits-all-the-case-for-differentiated-teacher-compensation/
72 Darling-Hammond, L., Hyler, M. E., Gardner, M. (2017). Effective Teacher Professional Development. Palo Alto, CA: Learning Policy Institute. https://doi. org/10.54300/122.311
73 Akgun, S., Greenhow, C. (2022). Artificial intelligence in education: Addressing ethical challenges in K-12 settings. AI Ethics, 2, 431–440. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43681-021-00096-7
74 Source: Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
75 Commission on Teacher Credentialing, Teacher Supply in California, 2023-24 A Report to the Legislature (April 2025).
76 U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Public elementary and secondary teachers, enrollment, and pupil/teacher ratios, by state or jurisdiction: Selected years, fall 2000 through fall 2022. https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d22/tables/dt22_208.40.asp
77 Innovative staffing models redesign the typical one teacher-one classroom model found in most schools. These new approaches include creating new career paths for educators, increasing collaboration, raising educator compensation, implementing flexible scheduling, and scaling the impact of highly effective teachers. Innovative staffing models may take a variety of forms.
78 Thomas, Eric. “Case Studies: How Managing School Talent, Staffing Can Improve Student Outcomes.” The 74 Million. Published February 14, 2023. https://www.the74million.org/article/case-studies-how-managing-school-talent-staffing-can-improve-student-outcomes/
79 Educators for Excellence. Voices from the Classroom: A Survey of America’s Educators. 2025. https://e4e.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Voices-from-theClassroom-2025-Report-Digital-FINAL.pdf
80 Bradley, K., and S. Levin. “Understanding and addressing principal turnover.” (2019). Learning Policy Institute https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/sites/default/files/ product-files/NASSP_LPI_Principal_Turnover_Research_Review_REPORT.pdf
81 U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Public elementary and secondary teachers, enrollment, and pupil/teacher ratios, by state or jurisdiction: Selected years, fall 2000 through fall 2022. https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d22/tables/dt22_208.40.asp
82 Recent investments, such as the California State Assignment Accountability System (CalSAAS) and the Cradle-to-Career (C2C) Data System, aim to address these issues by improving data integration and analysis. The C2C system’s Teacher Training and Retention Dashboard, for example, tracks teacher preparation, credentialing pathways, workforce demographics, and retention rates. However, a lack of fully integrated data across institutions still hampers the evaluation of state initiatives like teacher residencies.
83 Holmes, W., Bialik, M. and Fadel, C. 2019. Artificial Intelligence in Education: Promises and implications for teaching and learning. Boston, MA, Center for Curriculum Redesign. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332180327_Artificial_Intelligence_in_Education_Promise_and_Implications_for_Teaching_and_Learning U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology, Artificial Intelligence and Future of Teaching and Learning: Insights and Recommendations, Washington, DC, 2023. https://www2.ed.gov/documents/ai-report/ai-report.pdf
84 Akgun, S., Greenhow, C. (2022).
EdVoice Institute is reshaping public education in California so that students from low-income communities have futures filled with opportunity.