Teacher shortages are a constant problem throughout the United States. In the Inland Empire, the San Bernardino City Unified School District expects to lose about 190 teachers this year — largely due to retirements and resignations.
To address the shortage, the district has partnered with UC Riverside to create a one-year teacher residency program.
In exchange for a commitment to teach locally, teacher candidates get free tuition, along with a mentor and a $32,000 stipend. That money will be used to help cover the candidates’ living expenses and to provide payments for their mentor teachers.
The program is paid for by a grant from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
What are challenges with the teacher pipeline?
Becoming a teacher can be strenuous and expensive, said Frances Valdovinos, assistant dean and director of teacher education at UC Riverside. “There are so many requirements,” she added, including 600 hours of student teaching…