Senate Bill 577 specified that the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, in coordination with the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, may award up to three grants to collaboratives formed for the purpose of offering teacher credential coursework remotely in areas of the state with low rates of PK-12 credentialed public school teachers, at a participating community college or colleges. 

 

With this pilot, FRC and the Dual Language and English Learner Education Department at SDSU will act as a “hub” that serves the entire state of  California via partnerships with various county offices across the state to meet the needs of rural areas and areas of high needs such as bilingual education. The rationale for FRC to serve as the hub site is based on two key factors.  First, DLE-FRC, in partnership with the Future Educator Support program, has been able to establish a statewide community-based partnership to form one of the nation’s top teacher credential programs and pathways and the first fully online bilingual credential program in the state of California. Second, there is a critical need for teachers in high-need subject areas that are difficult to fill, such as bilingual, STEM, and special education in the state of California after the passage of Proposition 58. As the demand for bilingual/dual-language programs continues to grow across the state of California, the number of teachers on Short-Term Staff Permit (STSP) and Provisional Intern Permit (PIP) credentials will increase unless programs are created to meet this growing need in rural, low socio-economic status (SES), and other high-need areas in California. FRC is already serving students in these areas of California through the partnership with SDSU, BCOE, and numerous county offices of education. 

 

The consortium will focus on the expansion of the foundation already established through the fully online credential program by adapting the coursework and adding peer mentoring, professional development, and technology support to meet the unique needs of working adults from rural and other high-need areas.