SAN FRANCISCO BAY, CA, Jan. 21, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- More students, more teachers reaching retirement age and fewer newly issued credentials for any type of teaching: It all adds up to the California teaching shortage that's been predicted since 2007.
This year it even merited a mention from Gov. Jerry Brown in his inauguration/state of the state address.
"The tasks ahead are daunting: making sure that the new system of local control works; recruiting and training thousands of teachers; mastering the Common Core Curriculum and fostering the creativity needed to inspire students," he said.
Human resources specialists in the San Francisco Unified School District know the problem firsthand. They'll be recruiting for nearly hundreds of anticipated openings when they participate in the Teacher Job Fair sponsored by Brandman University's Walnut Creek campus.
"We anticipate hiring for a variety of credential areas including multiple subject, single subject, math, science, English, social science, P.E., special education and school psychologists," said Grace Pun, human capital specialist for the San Francisco Unified School District. The districts greatest need is for teachers who are bilingual in Cantonese, Mandarin and Spanish as well as with credentials in special education, biology, chemistry, physics and physical education.
"SFUSD hires teachers and other credentialed professions who are committed to delivering rigorous instruction to all students, continuous learning and improvement, creating a culturally responsive classroom environment and building meaningful connections with families and the community," said Pun.
Other school districts participating in the Feb. 7 event are San Lorenzo Unified School District, West Contra Costa School District, Mt. Diablo Unified School
District and Vallejo Unified School District.
The event runs from 9-11 a.m., 2950 Buskirk Ave., Suite 200, Walnut Creek.
"When we held this event in July of last year over 75 job seekers attended and 12 Bay Area districts participated," said Jody Morgan, Manager of Community Relations at Brandman Walnut Creek. "At least a dozen people were hired that day and we anticipate a similar situation with this event, so attendees should come prepared for on-the-spot interviews."
Participants should come prepared for same-day interviews and bring resumes and CBEST scores or out-of-state teaching credential. Those interested in substitute teaching need to meet the qualifications for applying for a 30-day substitute permit. Those and other criteria can be found at http://www.ctc.ca.gov/credentials.
Information will also be available for those interested in earning a teacher credential through Brandman's School of Education.
By the numbers:
- 7 percent: The decrease in the number of newly issued credentials for multiple subject, single subject and education specialist categories.
- Nine: The number of consecutive years that the total number of initial teaching credentials has decreased
- 30 percent: Decrease over the past five years in the number of new teaching credentials initially issued.
- 2 percent: Predicted increase in student population, although growth may vary widely depending on location.
- 7,603: Number of K-12 teacher retirements predicted statewide
Sources: California Teachers' Retirement System; California Commission on Teacher Credentialing; California Department of Education.
About Brandman University
Brandman University is a private, nonprofit institution accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission. As part of the Chapman University System, Brandman blends a legacy of academic excellence with innovative curriculum and strong support services designed for students with busy schedules. The university offers 50+ undergraduate, graduate, credential and certificate programs across its schools of arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and health. Brandman serves 12,000 students annually with programs available online and at 26 campuses throughout California and Washington. The university's online programs consistently rank among the top in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. www.Brandman.edu