California Commission on Teacher Credentialing Reports Positive Gains in Teacher Workforce with Increase of New Credentials Issued
SACRAMENTO, Calif., April 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing reports a rise in the number of newly issued teaching credentials in the 2023-24 academic year, signaling a promising development in addressing the state's teacher shortage.
A total of 17,328 new teaching credentials were issued in 2023-24, an 18.2% year-over-year increase, and the first surge in new teaching credentials issued since the pandemic in 2020-21, according to the latest Teacher Supply in California Report to the Legislature.
The 2023-24 report highlights year-over-year increases in all three basic types of teaching credentials issued by the Commission for TK-12 academic settings, including:
- A 28.3% increase in Multiple Subject teaching credentials that authorize service in self-contained classrooms most commonly in elementary schools.
- A 10.4% increase in Single Subject teaching credentials that authorize service in departmentalized classes, most commonly in middle and high schools.
- A 14.5% increase in Education Specialist Instruction credentials that authorize special education instruction in a variety of settings for students with special needs.
"At a time when schools across the nation are facing teacher shortages, the growth in California's newly credentialed teachers indicates that state investments in teacher recruitment are beginning to pay off," said Mary Vixie Sandy, executive director of the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
"While these findings are a bright spot for California's education system, we recognize the significant shortage of qualified teachers that still exists and encourage those interested in positively impacting our state's youth to consider teaching as a profession."
In addition, the report notes a reduction in the following emergency teaching credentials which may help maintain stability in the classroom for many students:
- A nearly 30% decrease in teaching waivers, which are issued to provide flexibility for school districts and county offices of education to address a specific teacher shortage.
- A more than 11% decrease in Limited Assignment Teaching Permits, which are issued to allow fully credentialed teachers to temporarily teach outside their authorized areas.
Additional positive data include:
- An increase in 2023-24 credentials issued in shortage areas such as math, science, and special education.
- More than 1,800 Career Technical Education credentials issued in 15 different industry sectors with nearly 24% in Arts, Media, and Entertainment.
- The representation of Latino teachers has increased 3.8 percentage points since 2019-20.
- The number of bilingual authorizations awarded increased nearly 35% in the 2023-24 compared to the previous year.
California's colleges and universities prepared over three-quarters of the state's newly credentialed teachers in 2023-24. The California State University system increased its share of credentialed teachers by 3.9 percentage points since 2019-2020, highlighting the continued importance of public universities in the state's educator pipeline.
While an overall 5% decline in enrollment in teacher preparation programs is being monitored, alternative pathways into the profession are experiencing growth with both university and school district intern credentials having double-digit increases from the previous year- 24.6% and 39.4% respectively.
A California teaching credential may be earned through a variety of preparation pathways and the state has implemented numerous measures to address barriers to entering the teaching profession, including simplifying the pathway and adding resources to support aspiring teachers.
The Commission on Teacher Credentialing offers the following resources for those interested in pursuing a teaching credential:
Career Counselor Appointment Request
Funding Your Future in Teaching
For additional information on how to become an educator in California, visit ctc.ca.gov.
The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing is an agency in the Executive Branch of California State Government. It was created in 1970 by the Ryan Act and is the oldest of the autonomous state standards boards in the nation. The major purpose of the agency is to serve as a state standards board for educator preparation for the public schools of California, the licensing and credentialing of professional educators, the enforcement of professional practices of educators, and the discipline of credential holders in California.
SOURCE California Commission on Teacher Credentialing
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