BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Senator Carol Liu, Chair
2015 - 2016 Regular
Bill No: SB 915
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|Author: |Liu |
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|Version: |January 26, 2016 Hearing Date: |
| | March 9, 2016 |
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|Urgency: |No |Fiscal: |Yes |
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|Consultant:|Lenin DelCastillo |
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Subject: Teacher recruitment: California Center on Teaching
Careers
SUMMARY
This bill re-stablishes the California Center on Teaching
Careers (Cal Teach) for the purpose of recruiting qualified
individuals into the teaching profession. Specifically, this
bill requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI),
subject to an appropriation, to contract with a local
educational agency to establish the program, as specified.
BACKGROUND
The 2013-14 Budget Act implemented the Local Control Funding
Formula and permanently consolidated the vast majority of
categorical programs, including the Professional Development
Block Grant which supported professional development activities
such as teacher recruitment and retention incentives, along with
revenue limit apportionments, into a single source of funding.
The statutory and programmatic requirements for almost all of
these categorical programs were also eliminated, leaving any
related activities left to local districts' discretion.
ANALYSIS
This bill:
1) Establishes Cal Teach for the purpose of recruiting qualified
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and capable individuals into the teaching profession.
2) Requires the SPI, subject to an appropriation, to contract
with a local educational agency to establish Cal Teach with
the concurrence of representatives of the
Commission on Teacher Credentialing, the University of
California, the California State University, and
independent institutions of higher education, as specified.
3) Defines concurrence as an agreement on priorities, goals and
general objectives, as specified, and the order in which
the duties specified in this chapter are undertaken.
4) Specifies legislative intent language that activities of Cal
Teach be implemented with the active involvement of local
education agencies whenever appropriate.
5) Provides that the duties of the California Center on Teaching
Careers (Cal Teach) include, but not be limited to:
a) Developing and distributing statewide
public service announcements and publications 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 programs.
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.
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g) Developing and conducting outreach
activities to both prospective teacher candidates in
high school and college and to existing teachers to
fill existing teacher shortage areas.
6) Provides that Cal Teach, in conducting its duties, may
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.
7) Requires Cal Teach to 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.
8) Requires Cal Teach to periodically review all products and
communication tools for accuracy, quality, ease of use, and
effectiveness.
9) Requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, in
consultation with the Legislative Analyst, to conduct an
evaluation of Cal Teach on or before January 1, 2020.
STAFF COMMENTS
1) Need for the bill. The Learning Policy Institute recently
released a report, "Addressing California's Emerging
Teacher Shortage: An Analysis of Sources and Solutions."
In this report, the LPI included the following summary:
"After many years of teacher layoffs in California, school
districts around the state are hiring again. With the
influx of new K-12 funding, districts are looking to lower
student-teacher ratios and reinstate classes and programs
that were reduced or eliminated during the Great Recession.
However, mounting evidence indicates
that teacher supply has not kept pace with the increased
demand." The report included the following findings:
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a) Enrollment in educator preparation programs has
dropped by more than 70 percent over the last decade.
b) In 2014-15, provisional and short-term permits
nearly tripled from the number issued two years
earlier, growing from about 850 to more than 2,400.
c) The number of teachers hired on substandard
permits and credentials nearly doubled in the last two
years, to more than 7,700 comprising a third of all
the new credentials issued in 2014-15.
d) Estimated teacher hires for the 2015-16 school
year increased by 25 percent from the previous year
while enrollment in the University of California and
the California State University teacher education
programs increased by only about 3.8 percent.
SB 915 is part of a legislative package along with SB 933
(Allen) and SB 62 (Pavley) to help address the looming teacher
shortage. Specifically, this bill proposes to re-establish the
California Center on Teaching Careers (Cal Teach) and help
recruit teacher candidates from colleges, other careers, and
other states and identify critical shortage areas throughout the
state. It will also help prospective teacher candidates
navigate the credentialing process and provide them with
valuable information regarding financial aid and loan assistance
programs.
2) Learning Policy Institute (LPI) recommendations. The LPI
report offered several policy recommendations for
consideration. These recommendations include the
reinstatement of Cal Teach and the establishment of
incentives to attract diverse, talented individuals to
teach in high-need locations and fields. This can be
accomplished through programs that provide funding for
candidates who prepare and teach in such schools and
subject areas, e.g. the Assumption Program of Loans for
Education, which is the focus of SB 62 (Pavley). The
report also recommends the creation of more innovative
pipelines into teaching, such as high school career
pathways or teacher preparation models that encourage and
support young people and others to go into teaching in
their own communities.
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3) Original Cal Teach program. Cal Teach was initially
created in 1997 for the purpose of recruiting qualified and
capable individuals into the teaching profession. The
enabling legislation, SB 824 (Green, Chapter 864, Statutes
of 1997) directed Cal Teach to provide support for the
public relations and media campaigns for teacher
recruitments centers in the state. The program was
administered by the California State University and
conducted its responsibilities in a variety of methods,
including a website, telephone hotline and call center,
media campaigns, outreach, and collaboration. However, due
to state budget constraints, the program was last funded in
2001-2002 and subsequently repealed on January 1, 2008.
This bill would re-establish California Center on Teaching
Careers (Cal Teach) with virtually the same program
elements and responsibilities as when it was administered
by the California State University. However, the program
would be administered by a local educational agency
(contracted by the Superintendent of Public Instruction)
subject to funds being made available for that purpose.
4) Legislative Analyst Office (LAO) assessment. As part of
its Proposition 98 Education Analysis for the 2016-17
Governor's Budget released in February 2016, the LAO
includes a section on teacher workforce trends in which it
examines evidence for teacher shortages in specific areas,
identifies and assesse past policy responses to these
shortages, and raises issues for the Legislature to
consider going forward in terms of new policy responses.
In the report, the LAO indicates that the statewide teacher
market will help alleviate existing shortages over time and
that the shortages may decrease without direct state
action. However, the LAO notes there are perennial
staffing difficulties in specific areas, such as special
education, math, and science, for which they encourage the
Legislature to address with narrowly tailored policies
rather than with broad statewide policies. Specifically,
they recommend the Legislature "consider outreach to
re-engage former teachers or recruit out-of-state teachers.
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Both of these strategies are among the most cost-effective
for increasing the supply of teachers within California in
the short-term. If the state were to spend one-time funds
on outreach, we encourage it to focus specifically on
recruiting individuals who are trained to teach in
perennial shortage areas. Outreach can attract viable
teachers much faster and at a lower cost than many other
shortage policies."
5) Committee amendments. The bill is currently limited to the
concurrence of representatives from the Commission on
Teacher Credentialing, the University of California, the
California State University, and independent institutions
of higher education. Because the California community
colleges are also involved with the preparation of
teachers, staff recommends that the bill be amended to
require the local educational agency that is contracted to
establish the California Center on Teaching Careers to also
administer the program with the concurrence of
representatives from the California Community Colleges
Chancellor's Office.
6) Related legislation.
SB 62 (Pavley) makes various programmatic changes and
issues additional warrants for the existing Assumption
Program of Loans for Education.
SB 933 (Allen) creates a California Teacher Corps program
that would provide matching grants to local school
districts to create or expand teacher residency programs
while funding the teacher credentialing process for
recruited candidates.
SUPPORT
California Catholic Conference, Inc.
Californians Together Coalition
Common Sense Kids Action
StudentsFirst
Students Matter
Superintendent of Public Instruction
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OPPOSITION
None received.
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