California teacher candidates would get paid while student teaching, and the state would begin a public relations campaign to recruit new teachers to the profession, if two new bills pass the Legislature and are signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The bills are among a raft of legislation that lawmakers are considering during the 2023-24 legislative session to make it easier for people to become teachers.
Before earning a credential, California teachers are required to complete 600 hours of student teaching. The lack of pay for this work has long been considered a major roadblock for teacher candidates, who must still pay tuition, for books and supplies plus other living expenses, while completing student teaching and taking teacher preparation courses.
Assembly Bill 238, authored by Al Maratsuchi, D-Torrance, would use one-time state funds to create a grant program for student teachers. Districts that win grants would pay student teachers at the same rate as their substitute teachers. An Assembly analysis estimates the program could cost as much as $300 million annually if all student teachers are paid. The state would also pay about $306,000 a year to hire two people to administer the grant at the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, according to the analysis.
“The state’s ongoing educator and workforce shortage has only increased as a result of the pandemic,” Maratsuchi said in a statement. “Schools are having trouble finding appropriately credentialed teachers, especially in...
An Orange County man with multiple prior fraud convictions has been sentenced in California federal court to 30 years in prison for his role in a $270 million Medi-Cal prescription drug... To view ...