Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/417576
P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y S C O T T B U S C H M A N themselves when it comes to finding induction programs to clear a credential. The Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) does not have com- prehensive data on the number of school districts that do not offer induction, but teachers surveyed statewide say induction programs are closing down or asking participants to pay. To fill the void, a few California State University and University of Califor- nia campuses recently created regular or online programs to clear credentials. But these programs lack the advantages of mentoring from "support provid- ers" who are familiar with the school and student population where a new teacher works. Meanwhile, with the five-year window, it's becoming more common for new teachers to delay induction, which means they are not get- ting support when they need it the most — at the beginning of their career. Many on CTA's Facebook page said they were delaying induc- tion for financial reasons. Experts say the induction fiasco might discourage people from entering the pro- f e s s i o n , j u s t w h e n o u r s t a t e f a c e s a h u ge teaching shortage. Anger over costs and accessibility Jenn Kline, a second-year teacher in Monterey County's Toro School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, has one year of BTSA left. She recently heard that she might have to pay for it. "I don't think it's fair," says Kline, Monterey County Office of Education Teachers Associa- tion. "You'd think school districts and counties would want to put us through these programs so we would have support, stay long-term, and not have a high turnover rate." BTSA was once free in West Covina Unified School District, but new teachers now pay for it. "Last year they made Year 1 candidates pay $500 to defray costs," says David Boege, Teachers Association of West Covina president. "This year they're making Year 1 pay $1,000 and Year 2 pay $500. One of the administrators wanted to double it. It's embarrassing because our district holds the money that's passed through the consortium, and all four other districts agreed to this." Boege says his district is sitting on $16 million in reserves, and if new teachers complain about having to pay, the district tells them to consider working elsewhere. One teacher who initially agreed to be interviewed for this story tearfully declined over fear of termination. "It's unfair, because BTSA is a condition of continued employment and staying in the profession." says Boege. "Districts should be offering it as a tool to be successful." they must pay out of pocket to enroll in a local program that was once free, which is tough on a starting teacher's salary just as student loan repayment kicks in. For new teachers, it's a catch-22 because induction pro- grams are not optional. State law requires that teachers complete induction within the first five years of teaching. "I guess I'll put it off one more year," says Rollings, Moreland Teachers Association (MTA). His district has told new teachers to "wait and see" for the time being and not enroll elsewhere. MTA President Paul Mack is not happy about the BTSA cancellation and says his association will "demand to bargain" over the issue. But it may be tricky: His district was part of a consortium of several districts that received state grant money, and the funds were disbursed through another district that acted as the distributor for the consortium. The dilemma of whom to bargain with is playing out in other districts statewide, impacting CTA chapters whose districts belong to consortiums where one district received funding for eligible teachers in all participating districts. Induction crisis hits California BTSA programs used to be funded by state grant money matched by school districts. That grant money dis- appeared because the LCFF no longer requires local educational agencies (LEAs) to fund teacher induction programs. Consequently, LEAs have opted to spend funds on other priorities, including hiring new teachers. The downside is that many new teachers must fend for David Boege F i r s t -y e a r t e a ch e r s l i k e Chase Rollings a r e b u s y g e t t i n g e s t a b l i s h e d a n d s t a y i n g o n t o p o f r u n n i n g a c l a s s , l e s s o n p l a n n i n g , t e s t i n g , e t c . " We c o u l d u s e t h e s u p p o r t " i n t e r m s o f m e n t o r i n g a n d h e l p i n e a r n i n g a c l e a r c r e d e n t i a l , h e s a y s . 29 V O L U M E 1 9 I S S U E 4