Poll: California voters say state must take action to address teacher shortage
California registered voters regard the emerging shortage of K-12 teachers as a very serious problem and think that the state should be taking decisive action to rectify the situation, according to a poll commissioned by EdSource and the Learning Policy Institute.
The survey was conducted by the Field Poll, in part with support from the Walter and Elise Haas Fund, following recent reports indicating that the number of new teaching credentials issued in California has declined steadily for more than a decade, along with even more precipitous reductions in teacher preparation program enrollments.
The poll found that statewide, 64 percent of voters describe the shrinking supply of teachers as “very serious,” and a similar proportion (65 percent) thinks it’s “extremely important” for the state to do more to encourage young people and others to enroll in teacher preparation programs.
“At a time when California is implementing new standards, it’s important that all students have access to teachers who are well-prepared in those subject areas,” said Linda Darling-Hammond, president and CEO of the Learning Policy Institute. She is also chair of the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. “A teacher shortage will set back the state’s education agenda.”
Darling-Hammond noted that the shortage is not being experienced uniformly across the state. Shortages are especially acute in math and science and special education, as well as in certain districts and regions of the state.
The survey of 1,002 registered voters statewide – including both English and Spanish speakers – found there is broad-based voter support (85 percent) for having the state forgive a portion of teachers’ college loans or offering more scholarships to prospective teachers as a way to bring greater numbers into the teaching profession.
By contrast, more than half (52 percent) oppose policies that would allow schools to hire individuals who have not yet completed their training or who have not earned a teaching credential as a means for dealing with teacher shortages.Poll: California voters say state must take action to address teacher shortage | EdSource: