Besides paying back student loans and serving at the lower end of the salary scale, new teachers must "enroll in costly induction and professional development programs aimed at converting their preliminary credential to a permanent or 'clear' credential."
California has suffered from a lack of educators since the recession hit in 2007. The conference says easing a teacher's financial difficulties would incite greater quality and quantity of new blood to the profession.
The state requires teachers to complete the "clear" credential within the first five years of being employed, but schools or districts are not required to pay for these programs. Local educational agencies have an average annual fee of $2,000, and universities or colleges may charge up to $5,000 yearly to complete the induction programs.
New teachers are forced to pay out-of-pocket, and the legislative groups says the financial strain ultimately affects their students.
The bill, AB 516, would either give teachers working towards a "clear" credential a tax credit or a deduction for professional expenses. Newly accredited teachers would have the option to either claim up to a $500 credit or deduct $2,500 from their state income taxes to balance the fees required for these programs.
Over 310,000 teachers were employed in California, but after the economic recession in 2007, it has dropped to less than 296,000 in the 2014-2015 school year. According to the Learning Policy Institute, a study in 2013 reveals that California's student-teacher ratio was 24 to 1 and is the highest ratio in the nation compared to the national average of 16 to 1.