Contact: Sarah Lillis
Phone: (916) 448-3868
Email: media@edvoice.org
SACRAMENTO – EdVoice issued the following response to the new report issued yesterday by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC) in its annual report to the state legislature on the teacher supply in California.
The new report officially confirms the shortage is real and growing, and comes as EdVoice announces a coalition of 10 school and student advocacy organizations now in support of Senate Bill (SB) 807, a proposed solution to the state’s teacher shortage. Key findings related to the report include:
“This is now an equity and constitutional issue,” said EdVoice President Bill Lucia. “The teacher shortage exists, it’s getting worse, and minority students and students in poverty are affected most.”
“The State now has the facts, and California has an obligation under the State Constitution to protect every child’s fundamental right to a basic education and equitable opportunity to learn. We can no longer stand by and do nothing while allowing the public school system to increasingly rely on thousands of adults who in most cases have simply passed a fingerprint background check, and are operating as teachers and call that equity.”
“The State needs to act now by enacting Senate Bill 807, and lead the nation by sending a clear message to all current and future teachers: You are valued, and California will invest in the good work that you do on behalf of California’s kids by making required training more affordable and provide financial incentives to stay in the classroom.”
EdVoice also announced today that 10 key student and school advocacy organizations have now come out in support of SB 807, the Teacher Recruitment and Retention Act of 2017, introduced by Senator Henry Stern (D-Agoura Hills) and Senator Cathleen Galgiani (D-Stockton). These organizations include: APLUS+, the California Alliance of African American Educators, the California Association of African American Superintendents and Administrators, Education Trust-West, Educators 4 Excellence-Los Angeles, EdVoice, Genders & Sexualities Alliance Network, GO Public Schools, Green Dot Public Schools California, and The Teacher Salary Project.
“As advocates for California’s students and schools, we recognize how difficult it can be for school districts to recruit good educators, especially in the schools and communities that need them most,” said the coalition in a letter to State Senator Mike McGuire, Chair of the Senate Governance and Finance Committee. “We have an important responsibility to our children and our communities to ensure that every child is ready for the future. Research shows that pupils with effective teachers are more likely to attend college, earn higher salaries and positively contribute to the California economy.”
A website sponsored by EdVoice in support of SB 807—www.investinteachers.org—provides information on SB 807, including a petition, already signed by over 4,000 teachers and supporters encouraging public support for the legislation, as well as ongoing status of the legislation.
SB 807 is co-authored by Assemblymember Monique Limón (D-Santa Barbara), and Assemblymember Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles). It awaits its first committee hearing, currently slated for April 26, in front of the California Senate Governance and Finance Committee.
EdVoice is a nonprofit grassroots network of over 50,000 parents, community leaders, educators, and the state’s leading education philanthropists, working together to increase student achievement for all kids and be heard in the decision making process in Sacramento. Follow us on Twitter at @EdVoice.
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EdVoice is a nonprofit grassroots network of over 50,000 parents, community leaders, educators, and the state’s leading education philanthropists, working together to increase student achievement for all kids and be heard in the decision-making process in Sacramento.