Budget Gap, Baby Boomers Behind Looming Calif. Teacher Shortage
LOS ANGELES (CBS) — A new survey suggests a shaky California economy and the lure of retirement could both be behind a dwindling supply of teachers statewide.
KNX 1070's Vytas Safronikas reports the data the ongoing state and local school district budget problems have also not helped as young people try to decide on a career.
Podcast
According to Sacramento-based research institute Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning at WestEd, students enrolling in teacher preparation programs have dropped from 77,000 to 36,000 between 2001 and 2010.
The report entitled "The Status of the Teaching Profession 2011" shows during that same period, first and second year teachers dropped from 15 percent of California's teacher pool to just 5 percent, while the number of retirements doubled.
With the average age of retirees ranging from 57 to 66 years old, the study — which tracked retirement patterns of California educators statewide since 1995–96 — warned that a wave of retirees may be imminent.
And as fewer young people consider teaching as a viable profession, the number of teaching credentials issued statewide has tumbled by nearly one-third since 2004-05, signaling uncertainty for teaching prospects in future graduating classes.
