California education leaders unite to strengthen, transform future of teacher workforce
SACRAMENTO, Calif., July 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The California State Educator Workforce Collaborative, a first-ever partnership of 12 education agencies and institutions, today released a new report and forward-looking vision outlining the critical need for a coordinated statewide approach to long-term teacher workforce planning.
The report titled, "Strengthening California's Teacher Workforce: Toward a Statewide Strategic Framework," outlines a new vision for addressing some of the current challenges to teacher workforce planning by establishing a set of statewide measurable goals for the workforce along with guiding principles.
Facilitated by nonpartisan research agency, WestEd, the California State Educator Workforce Collaborative brings together leaders from major state agencies and institutions including the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, State Board of Education, Student Aid Commission, Department of Education, public and private university systems, and community colleges, among others.
"This unprecedented collaboration of statewide leaders in education represents a transformative approach to teacher workforce development in California. By breaking down silos and collaborating to create a new model of how to grow and sustain the teacher workforce, we're developing long-term solutions that will benefit California's students for years to come," said Marquita Grenot-Scheyer, chair of the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing and professor emeritus in the College of Education at California State University, Long Beach.
The Collaborative's framework is focused on the following goals intended to address teacher shortages, improve equitable access, and increase teacher diversity.
- Improve current structures: Enhance existing systems to better support long-term teacher workforce planning and coordination between institutions.
- Improve planning: Create a comprehensive approach to teacher workforce planning that addresses recruitment, preparation, placement, and retention.
- Improve sustainability: Establish permanent collaborative structures to ensure ongoing coordination and continuous improvement.
Building on state investments
California has invested approximately $1.6 billion in the last decade to strengthen the teacher workforce with a focus on increasing teacher supply in shortage areas, improving affordability and access to teacher preparation, and incentivizing skilled teachers to work in high-need schools.
The 2025-26 state budget includes $464 million allocated to three teacher recruitment programs including $300 million for the new Student Teacher Stipend Program that will provide teacher credential candidates with $10,000 stipends for their required student teaching. Other investments include:
- $70 million to extend the Teacher Residency Program that funds the expansion or creation of new residency programs.
- $64 million to extend the Golden State Teacher Grant program, which offers college tuition for those who agree to work at either a priority school or a California State Preschool Program.
- $30 million to extend the National Board Certification program, which offers teachers funding for certification and for teaching in high priority schools.
Commission on Teacher Credentialing Executive Director Mary Vixie Sandy adds that strategically leveraging all state funding will require more local, regional, and statewide planning. The Commission is expected to take a leadership role in centralizing the administration of teacher workforce investments.
Advancing recent initiatives
The Collaborative's vision builds on its earlier work focused on improving affordability and access to teacher preparation pathways, including:
- The Roadmap to Teaching resources for aspiring teachers to research and find a teaching credential pathway.
- Enhanced guidance on available financial resources for aspiring teachers and teacher preparation program leaders to increase affordability of and access to high quality teacher preparation pathways.
- Education Career Counselors available to provide one-on-one guidance to aspiring teachers.
The success of the Collaborative's initial efforts has demonstrated the power of cross-institutional collaboration in addressing complex educational challenges.
"The Roadmap to Teaching and accompanying listing of financial aid resources for teacher candidates is an invaluable tool to demystify the various pathways to teaching careers along with the institutional, state, and federal funding available to make it more affordable to pursue preparation for a career in teaching," said Shireen Pavri, commissioner and assistant vice chancellor for Educator and Leadership Programs, California State University.
"With our mission to provide high quality, clinically rich, and affordable programs for future educators, our CSU Universities have made full use of state residency grants, Golden State Teacher Grants, federal TEACH and Pell grants, and other financial resources to provide access to new candidates to enter the field of education and to diversify the state's future educator workforce," Pavri said.
The Collaborative includes the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, State Board of Education, Department of Education, Student Aid Commission, Department of Finance, Governor's Office, University of California system, California State University system, California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office, and Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities with support from the Learning Policy Institute, Statewide Residency Technical Assistance Center, and Los Angeles Unified School District.
Additional resources
California's Statewide Educator Workforce Collaborative
Roadmap to Teaching and Financial Resources for Aspiring Educators
Addressing Critical Challenges in the Teacher Workforce: A Collaborative Approach in California
Estimated Number of Teacher Hires: California Department of Education DataQuest
New California Law Aims to Address Teacher Shortage by Easing Entry into Credential Programs
The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) serves as a state standards board for educator preparation for public schools, licensing and credentialing of professional educators, enforcement of professional practices of educators, and discipline of credential holders in California. Its mission is to ensure integrity, relevance, and high quality in the preparation, certification, and discipline of the educators who serve all of California's diverse students.
SOURCE California Commission on Teacher Credentialing
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