Teacher retention: California Diversifying the Teacher Workforce Grant Program.

Existing law requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to, among other duties, establish standards for the issuance and renewal of credentials, certificates, and permits. Existing law requires the commission to conduct an evaluation of certain grant programs to determine the effectiveness of those programs in recruiting, developing support systems for, and retaining special education, and bilingual education, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, teachers. This bill would establish the California Diversifying the Teacher Workforce Grant Program in the State Department of Education to provide one-time competitive grants to local educational agencies to develop and implement new, or expand existing, programs that address a local need to develop a teacher workforce that serves all pupil populations, including Black pupils. The bill would authorize grant program funding to be used for specified activities that support local efforts to develop support systems for, provide outreach and communication strategies to, and retain teachers. The bill would require grant applicants to demonstrate specified commitments, including a commitment to developing culturally responsive teachers, and challenges, including significant turnover of teachers. The bill would require the department to determine the number of grants to be awarded and to provide technical assistance and guidelines on the retention of teachers, social and emotional learning, school climate, and restorative justice for purposes of professional development. This bill would require grant recipients to submit annual reports on the status and progress of their grant programs and a final implementation report within 3 years of receiving a grant award. The bill would require the department to conduct an evaluation of the program to determine the effectiveness of the various initiatives in developing support systems for and retaining teachers, and to submit this evaluation to the Department of Finance and the appropriate fiscal and policy committees of the Legislature on or before June 30, 2026. The bill would make program implementation contingent on an appropriation being made for its purposes by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act or another statute. The bill's provisions would remain in effect only until January 1, 2027, and as of that date would be repealed.