California's Teacher Supply Reaches Decade High as State Workforce Investments Yield Promising Results

SACRAMENTO, Calif., May 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Teacher Appreciation Week is recognized from May 4-8, 2026, and California has good news to report on its investments to build a stronger, well-prepared, and diverse educator workforce.

The latest data from the Commission on Teacher Credentialing indicate that the state issued more new teaching credentials in 2024-25 than at any point in the last decade, according to the new teacher supply report.

A total of approximately 20,100 new teaching credentials were issued in 2024-25, a 16% year-over-year increase in the number of newly issued Multiple Subject, Single Subject, Education Specialist, and PK-3 Early Childhood Education Specialist teaching credentials.

The 2024-25 data mark the second consecutive year of growth in new teaching credentials after a two-year decline.

• New credentials for Multiple Subject and Single Subject teaching reached 10-year highs, and Education Specialist credentials, covering special education, reached their second highest level on record.
• Total enrollment in California's teacher preparation programs grew by 4.6% to 40,388. New candidate enrollment, a leading indicator of future teacher supply, rose by nearly 14% over the prior year to a total of 21,069.

"This increase in new teaching credentials issued is a strong signal that state investments in teacher recruitment are having a positive impact in helping to ensure that California's students receive instruction from qualified, well-prepared, and diverse teachers," said Mary Vixie Sandy, executive director of the Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

However, Executive Director Sandy adds, teacher supply gains alone may not be sufficient to produce a stable and equitable workforce. "Understanding the state's teacher staffing challenges requires attention not only to preparation and entry, but also to the workforce conditions associated with continued turnover," she said.

These staffing challenges often result in low-income students, students of color, English learners, and students with disabilities more likely to experience inconsistent access to fully prepared and appropriately assigned teachers, including some classrooms staffed with emergency and temporary teaching authorizations.

The decline in these authorizations, however, is another promising indicator of a stabilizing teacher pipeline.

• Short-Term Staff Permits and Provisional Internship Permits, used in acute and anticipated circumstances when fully credentialed teachers are unavailable, experienced a year-over-year drop by 5.5 % and 4.7 %, respectively.
• Variable Term Waivers, the final option for public school employers to meet staffing needs when a suitable fully qualified credentialed employee cannot be found, dropped by 71.3% to a five-year low of only 119 issuances statewide.

The latest teacher supply data includes an increase in diversity with over half of new teacher credential program enrollees identifying as candidates of color. This progress represents a critical step toward the goal of building a teacher workforce that reflects California's diverse student population.

State Educator Workforce Investments

California's decade-long investments in teacher recruitment and retention total approximately $1.6 billion 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 eligible 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.

For more information, see the full 2024-25 teacher supply report. For details on how to become an educator in California, visit the Commission on Teacher Credentialing. 

The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing serves as a state standards board for educator preparation, the licensing and credentialing of professional educators, the enforcement of professional practices, and the discipline of credential holders in California. The Commission is in the executive branch of California State Government and is the oldest of the autonomous state standards boards in the nation created in 1970 by the Ryan Act.

SOURCE California Commission on Teacher Credentialing