Rose Padilla Johnson has led Davis Street Community Center in San Leandro, California, since 1991. Under Rose Padilla Johnson’s leadership, the center in San Leandro now operates four childcare centers, three of which are located at public school sites, all offering curricula focused on school readiness. All are available through an alternative payment system for those with qualifying incomes.
For underserved communities, education is a pressing need, but about four-fifths of California’s school districts are affected by teacher shortages, driven by attrition and growing demand.
A 2019 report by the Learning Policy Institute shows a 13 percent attrition rate in Alameda County. Additionally, 37 percent of Alameda’s public school teachers are 50 years old or older, and 14 percent are over 60, indicating a large cohort nearing retirement age amidst steady increases in student enrollment.
Yet about 75 percent of California’s districts responding to a recent survey stated they were unable to fill all vacancies with fully credentialed instructors at the beginning of the 2018 school year. Areas of study especially short of qualified teachers include STEM subjects, bilingual tracks, and special education.
California has tried several approaches to solve the problem, including subsidizing teacher education for already-working paraprofessionals and fast-tracking emergency permits allowing non-certified personnel to teach. Most of these placements go to schools serving lower-income communities, with advocates for equity noting that this only exacerbates achievement gaps.
