State education leaders are launching a recruitment campaign for new teachers to address a troubling shortage. Some of the incentives may range from student loan forgiveness to housing subsidies.
Results of a new poll released Tuesday shows California voters widely support the state stepping in to address teacher shortages.
In San Diego County, the shortage is only about 370 teachers, not a high average, according to county officials.
The number of new teaching credentials issued in California has steadily declined for more than a decade.
Even though the shortage in San Diego is not at record levels, parents told NBC 7 they were very concerned.
“I don't know exactly what can be done but whatever can be done to help them it's something the state should be worried about and considered doing,” said parent Sabrina Martins.
State education leaders discussed how to get the numbers back on track.
Local
State Superintendent Tom Torklason proposed a recruitment campaign to get young high school students interested in teaching, saying teachers once credentialed often want to teach in communities like the ones they grew up in
“If you have these programs in high poverty, high English language learner neighborhoods and diverse communities then you're going to see people like the students from the neighborhood coming back as the teachers to those students in the neighborhood,” Torklason said.
The poll surveying 1,002 registered voters statewide found there is broad voter support for having the state forgive a portion of a teacher's college loan.
The party breakdown of those polled was about 45 percent Dems, 27 percent Republican, and 27 No Party Preference.
