Dearth of Teachers Discussed at Forum

Aiming to address the state’s dearth of public schoolteachers, policymakers and educators met Monday to discuss training and attracting more qualified instructors.

During a public forum at Cal State Fullerton, local school officials recommended that the state consider pay incentives to attract math and science teachers, more funding for mentorship programs for new instructors, and greater flexibility in credential requirements.

“We have a crisis in the state as far as getting sufficient, qualified teachers,” said Marian Bergeson, the governor’s secretary of child development and education.

Bergeson said about 250,000 new teachers will be needed over the next few years to keep pace with statewide student enrollment and the ongoing program to reduce class size in the primary grades.

She and a panel of education leaders have traveled across the state in the past two months to hear how school districts recruit and train teachers, and to hear local officials’ problems and concerns.

At Monday’s meeting, the last in a series of four visits, district representatives from Los Angeles and Orange counties talked about tapping into public and private colleges from across the country for prospective teachers. Some districts are even seeking teacher candidates from abroad, such as Spain, Canada and Mexico.

District administrators urged the panel to consider innovative ways to allow teachers to earn credentials--for example, more support for online courses for student teachers, and more college loans and scholarships for those planning to teach.

Administrators also emphasized the importance of pay incentives for veteran teachers to pursue advanced degrees and otherwise sharpen their teaching skills.

“Money works,” said Vera Munoz-Harrison, Santa Ana Unified’s director of teacher personnel.