US Department of Education report highlights importance of supporting rural educators

The U.S. Department of Education recently released a report, Raise the Bar: Supporting Rural Communities — Boldly Improve Learning Conditions, Eliminate Educator Shortages, highlighting ways to better support educator workforce preparation for rural communities. “Eliminating the educator shortage is especially urgent for rural schools, which […]

CSBA webinar brings together experts spotlighting PD needs for strong math instruction

California adopted a new K-12 mathematics framework in 2023 with the goal of promoting the complex skills students need to succeed in their education and beyond, including mastery of challenging content, critical thinking, problem solving, effective communication and collaboration. The shift requires local educational agencies […]

Research highlights improvements and continued gaps in STEM educator workforce

While large gaps persist in subject-specific training and credentials to teach STEM courses like physical sciences and computer science, the STEM teacher workforce in high-need schools has been surprisingly resilient despite increasing staffing pressures over the last three decades, according to new research from the […]

Research finds larger pay increases and better benefits key to boosting teacher retention

A nationally representative RAND survey of K-12 teachers found that providing significant pay increases and better benefits could help keep teachers in the classroom. Low pay is a top reason individuals consider leaving the profession and is a top source of job-related stress for one […]

Survey shows school shooter drills do not make teachers feel safe or prepared for a real incident

One in six teachers nationwide works in a district impacted by gun violence since the 2019–20 school year, according to a Rand Corp. report released Sept. 18. Additionally, teachers were more concerned about being victims of gun violence in the 2023–24 school year than in […]

Teachers’ awareness of available open education resources is expanding

About one-third of K-12 teachers in the U.S. are aware of open educational resources (OER) — teaching and learning materials that are free to use and adapt as needed — according to an annual survey conducted by Bay View Analytics, an Oakland-based statistical research firm. […]

California rated one of the best states for teacher compensation and conditions

A state-by-state analysis of the factors influencing teacher shortages, teaching conditions that may impact supply and demand, and equitable access to well-qualified teachers was released by the Learning Policy Institute (LPI) in late July. California’s overall attractiveness for teachers based on indicators considered was 3.7 out of 5.