Eric.ed.gov – California Teacher Workforce Trends Signal Worsening Shortages. Research Brief

In the past year, overall teacher workforce trends in California have worsened, with especially severe consequences in special education, math, and science, and significant threats in bilingual education. California’s teacher shortage has worsened as teacher demand grows and teacher supply stagnates. As a result, districts are having to hire a growing number of teachers on substandard permits and credentials, which are increasing more quickly than are preliminary credentials. California’s goals for high-quality education will be undermined if the state continues to supplement an inadequate teacher supply with underprepared teachers who leave at high rates (two to three times greater than prepared teachers), thereby provoking greater churn in high-need schools and depressing student achievement. To address the shortfalls, this brief offers three solutions. [For the full report “Addressing California’s Growing Teacher Shortage: 2017 Update,” see ED606729.]