Portantino Teacher Shortage Crisis Bill Passes Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement Committee
For Immediate Release: April 27, 2023
Contact: Lerna Shirinian, (818) 409-0400
Portantino Teacher Shortage Crisis Bill Passes Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement Committee
Sacramento, California – SB 765, authored by Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D – Burbank) and sponsored by Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, passed the Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement Committee. The bill offers long-term comprehensive solutions to the current teacher shortage crisis by making it easier for retired teachers to return to the classroom and provides financial incentives for new, prospective teachers.
“Addressing the teacher shortage crisis requires that we appropriately invest in our schools and teachers,” stated Senator Portantino. “We need long term solutions, including making it easier for retired teachers to come back to their teaching positions and make it easier for aspiring teachers to enter the workforce. Too many teachers are leaving the classroom and we need to step up our efforts to ensure that it does not negatively affect the quality of education that our children deserve.”
According to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC), there were over 10,000 teacher vacancies across California during the 2021-22 school year. Governor Newsom issued an executive order to provide more flexibility to hire retired teachers during the COVID-19 State of Emergency, which was vital to addressing the growing teacher shortage. Additionally, the CTC’s Teacher Residency Grant, which took effect in 2021, allowed teacher residents to receive up to $25,000 in stipends.
SB 765 seeks to continue these efforts to mitigate the teacher shortage crisis by streamlining the process for retired teachers to return to the classroom. Additionally, SB 765 expands the CTC Teacher Residency Grant by increasing the grant award for teacher candidates from $25,000 to $40,000. Finally, the bill waives the financial need requirement for 1,000 Cal Grant Awards given to students pursuing a teaching career.
"I am proud to sponsor SB 765, a critical piece of legislation that will enable our schools to meet the immediate needs of students with qualified educators, and offer long-term solutions to combat the California teacher shortage," said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond.
As mentioned above, SB 765 is sponsored by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond. Additionally, the bill has received support from the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA), California Association of School Business Officials (CASBO), California Association of Suburban School Districts (CALSSD), California Charter Schools Association, Central Valley Education Coalition (CVEC), Los Angeles Unified School District, Orange County Department of Education (OCDE), Riverside County Office of Education, and the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD).
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