California Executive Director Maricela Guerrero writes, “The COVID-19 pandemic has made very clear the essential nature of our educators for our families, communities and economy. Every parent now knows how hard the job of a teacher is. Every parent now knows just how critical it is to have great teachers in every classroom. And every parent knows that their child thrives under the direction of an excellent teacher.
Yet as our schools fully reopen again, teachers are leaving the profession in droves. This compounds an already decades-long teacher shortage here in California and across the country. As we start school this fall, we must seize this historic opportunity to invest in excellent teachers and widen pathways to the classroom.”
