Teacher Workforce

New EdVoice Institute Policy Brief: Incentives to Attract and Retain Teachers in California's Highest-Need Schools

Teachers are the single most important school-based factor impacting student success, but access to qualified educators across California is limited and inequitable. This new brief dives deeper into one of the policy solutions outlined in the Every Child, Every Classroom agenda—a permanent, state-funded financial incentive program to encourage more educators to serve in the state's highest-need schools.

READ TEACHER INCENTIVE BRIEF

California's Challenge

Nearly 1 in 5

teachers were not fully credentialed in 2022-23

40%

more teachers in high-poverty schools lack necessary qualifications compared to higher-income schools

1 in 10

teachers in high-needs schools are inexperienced (2 or less years in the classroom)

Thank You to Our Coalition Partners

Together, we are championing solutions that ensure students in our highest-need schools across the state have access to well-prepared educators.

Contributing Authors

This policy brief was written in partnership with the following organizations:

Black Educator Advocates Network
Children Now
Diversity in Leadership Institute
Education Leaders of Color
Educators for Excellence, Los Angeles
Ensemble Learning
Families In Schools
Innovate Public Schools
TeachStart

Supporting Organizations

The following organizations have endorsed the policy brief:

Alliance for a Better Community
California STEM Network, a Project of Children Now
Californians for Justice
Center for Black Educator Development
Children’s Defense Fund CA
EdTrust-West
Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE)
National Council on Teacher Quality
Partnership for Children & Youth
Partnership for Los Angeles Schools
Urban Ed Academy
Young Invincibles