Amended in Senate May 31, 2016

Amended in Senate March 14, 2016

Senate Bill No. 915

Introduced by Senator Liu

(Coauthor: Senator Allen)

January 26, 2016

An act to add Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 44760) to Part 25 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Education Code, relating to teacher recruitment.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 915, as amended, Liu. Teacher recruitment: California Center on Teaching Careers.

Existing law establishes various programs for the recruitment of teachers.

This bill would establish the California Center on Teaching Careers for the purposes of recruiting qualified and capable individuals into the teaching profession. From funds appropriated for that purpose, the begin delete Superintendent of Public Instruction end delete begin insert Commission on Teacher Credentialing end insert would be required to begin delete contract with end delete begin insert provide a multiyear grant to end insert a local educational agency begin insert through a competitive grant process end insert to establish and administer the center with the concurrence, as defined, of representatives of the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, the University of California, the California State University, the Chancellor’s Office of the California Community Colleges, and independent institutions of higher education, as defined. begin insert The bill would require that the activities of the California Center on Teaching Careers be implemented with the active involvement of local educational agencies end insert begin insert that elect to participate, whenever appropriate. end insert The California Center on Teaching Careers would be required to perform specified duties, including, among others, creating or expanding a referral database for qualified teachers seeking employment in the public schools. The bill would begin delete authorize end delete begin insert require end insert the California Center on Teaching Careers, in conducting those duties, begin insert to focus on chronic teacher shortage areas, including special education and bilingual teachers, and end insert to coordinate and work collaboratively with the Education Job Opportunities Information Network, existing teacher recruitment centers, school districts, county offices of education, and other teachers clubs and organizations.

This bill would require the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, begin delete in consultation with the Legislative Analyst, end delete begin insert on or before January 1, 2020, end insert to conduct an evaluation begin delete of the program on or before January 1, 2020. end delete begin insert and report to the Department of Finance, relevant policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature, and the Legislative Analyst’s Office on the outcomes of the California Center on Teaching Careers. end insert

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

It is the intent of the Legislature that ongoing
support for the California Center on Teaching Careers established
pursuant to Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 44760) of Part
25 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Education Code be appropriated
in the annual Budget Act.

SEC. 2.  

Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 44760) is added
to Part 25 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Education Code, to read:

 

Chapter  3.5. Teacher Recruitment Program

 

44760.  

(a) The California Center on Teaching Careers is hereby
established for the purpose of recruiting qualified and capable
individuals into the teaching profession. From funds appropriated
for that purpose, the begin delete Superintendent end delete begin insert Commission on Teaching
Credentialing end insert shall begin delete contract with end delete begin insert provide a multiyear grant to end insert a
local educational agency begin insert through a competitive grant process end insert to
establish and administer the center with the concurrence of
representatives of the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, the
University of California, the California State University, the
Chancellor’s Office of the California Community Colleges, and
independent institutions of higher education, as defined in
subdivision (b) of Section 66010. For purposes of this subdivision,
“concurrence” means agreement on both of the following:

(1) The priorities, goals, and general objectives of the duties set
forth in Section 44761.

(2) The order in which the duties specified in this chapter are
undertaken.

(b)  begin delete It is the intent of the Legislature that end delete begin insert The end insert activities of the
California Center on Teaching Careers begin insert shall end insert be implemented with
the active involvement of local educational begin delete agencies end delete begin insert agencies that
elect to participate, end insert whenever appropriate.

44761.  

The duties of the California Center on Teaching Careers
include, but are not limited to, all of the following:

(a) Developing and distributing statewide public service
announcements relating to teacher recruitment.

(b) Developing, modifying, and distributing effective recruitment
publications.

(c) Providing information to prospective teachers regarding
requirements for obtaining a teaching credential.

(d) Providing specific information to prospective teachers
regarding admission to and enrollment into conventional and
alternative teacher preparation begin delete programs. end delete begin insert programs, including
identification of public and private postsecondary educational
institutions that provide an integrated four-year preparation
program. end insert

(e) Providing specific information to prospective teachers
regarding financial aid and loan assistance programs.

(f) Creating or expanding a referral database for qualified
teachers seeking employment in the public schools.

(g) Developing and conducting outreach activities to high school
begin delete pupils as well as to end delete begin insert pupils, end insert college begin delete students. end delete begin insert students, and
paraprofessionals employed by local educational agencies. end insert

(h) Developing and conducting outreach activities to teachers
to fill existing teacher shortage areas.

44762.  

(a) The California Center on Teaching Careers, in
conducting its duties, begin delete may end delete begin insert shall focus on chronic teacher shortage
areas, including special education and bilingual teachers. end insert

begin insert (b) end insert begin insert   end insert begin insert The California Center on Teaching Careers, in conducting
its duties, shall end insert coordinate and work collaboratively with the
Education Job Opportunities Information Network, existing teacher
recruitment centers, school districts, county offices of education,
and other teachers clubs and organizations.

begin delete

(b)

end delete

begin insert (c) end insert  The California Center on Teaching Careers shall periodically
reassess its recruitment activities aimed at individuals from
different populations or target audiences for effectiveness and
efficiencies in light of the state’s teacher workforce, changing
market conditions, changes to state and federal law, and any other
evolving circumstances.

begin delete

(c)

end delete

begin insert (d) end insert  The California Center on Teaching Careers shall periodically
review all products and communication tools for accuracy, quality,
ease of use, and begin delete effectiveness. end delete begin insert effectiveness, and consider
developing and distributing statewide public service
announcements and recruitment publications in other languages
and that are culturally and linguistically representative of
California’s diverse population and communities. end insert

44763.  

begin delete The end delete begin insert On or before January 1, 2020, the end insert Commission on
Teacher begin delete Credentialing, in consultation with the Legislative Analyst, end delete
begin insert Credentialing end insert shall conduct an evaluation begin delete of the program
established by this chapter on or before January 1, 2020. end delete begin insert and report
to the Department of Finance, relevant policy and fiscal committees
of the Legislature, and the Legislative Analyst’s Office on the
outcomes of the California Center on Teaching Careers, including,
but not limited to, both of the following: end insert

begin insert

(a) A focus on information that identifies the impact of the
California Center on Teaching Careers on meeting the objective
of recruiting teachers for California schools.

end insert begin insert

(b) Survey data from a representative sample of teacher
preparation candidates, new teachers, and school districts to assess
which methods of public outreach and engagement were most
impactful on recruitment.

end insert