The current shortage of K-12 teachers is having a profound impact on the education of California’s children. As the state agency whose mission is to “provide leadership, assistance, oversight, and resources so that every Californian has access to an education that meets world-class standards,” the California Department of Education has dedicated resources to encourage individuals to become teachers and provided support to school districts taking steps to recruit and retain qualified teachers.
These documents provide additional insight into this issue:
The Status of the Teaching Profession 2009
This report finds that California’s teacher development system is not adequately aligned with high school reforms that seek to increase rigor, make instruction more relevant and foster more personal and supportive learning environments for students. The research further indicates that high school teacher knowledge and skills differ substantially by school poverty level. The report also includes the latest available data on demand, supply, qualifications and distribution of the state’s K-12 teacher workforce.
Critical Path Analysis of California’s Science and Mathematics Teacher Preparation System
(PDF)
Science and technology are important features of California’s economy, and providing positive experiences with mathematics and science for K-12 students can provide the impetus for future careers in science, technology and mathematics. Despite the key role that teachers play in educating California’s young people, California continues to face a shortage of qualified mathematics and science teachers. In order to better understand this phenomena and provide recommendations to legislators and policymakers, the California Council on Science and Technology
collaborated with the Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning
to produce a study that describes the supply and demand for mathematics and science teachers, the teacher preparation process, teacher recruitment and retention, teacher induction, and professional development.
