Assembly Standing Committee on Public Employment and Retirement

Good morning. Good morning, Members and committee and the public. To the Assembly Committee on Public Employment and Retirement. Before we begin, we need to establish a quorum. Secretary, please call the role.

Here. McKinnor here. Lackey here.

Thank you. We have a quorum. I have two announcements to make. First, we have one item on the agenda. That is Bill SB, 765 Portantino. Second, we'll limit testimony to two primary witnesses on each side of the Bill, and each will have three minutes to speak. Let's begin. Senator Portantino, you may proceed when ready.

Move the Bill.

Second.

Thank you. Madam Chair and Members. First of all, I want to begin by thanking Chair for arranging this special hearing and the Superintendent of Public Instruction for bringing this Bill forward. As you know, we are in a significant teacher shortage. Since we have a motion and a second, I'll just keep it short. This Bill helps us do something in the interim as we recruit more teachers, to make it easier for teachers to come out of retirement to help teach kids.

And I respectfully ask for an aye vote. And obviously, the Bill has been amended, and I don't think I have to say accept it. I think they're already in print. Thank you. Respectfully ask for an aye vote and we have two witnesses who will also be brief.

Good morning, chair committee Members. Blake Johnson, on behalf of State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tony Thurman here as a proud co-sponsor. Keep my comments very brief. Urge to support the position. Thank you.

Thank you.

Good morning, Mr. Madam Chair and Members. Chris Reefe on behalf of the California School Boards Association. Also a co-sponsor. I just wanted to extend our appreciation and thanks to the staff committee. It's been a long process, but I think progress is progress. The one thing I'll just say is this tool is probably one of, if not the only, legislative tool this Legislature has to address the teacher shortage today.

Otherwise, we have to wait for and appreciate the significant investments that the state has made in the budget to produce greater support for credentialing programs. But this is the type of change that will result in school districts being able to fill classrooms in the coming school year. So thank you.

Thank you. Are there any others remaining in support? If so, please come forward and state your name, organization and position on the Bill.

Good morning, Madam Chair. Members. Dorothy Johnson on behalf of the Association of California School Administrators. Pleased to support.

Good morning. Caitlin Jung on behalf of the School Employers Association of California in support.

Good morning. Andreas Gordon, on behalf of the Alameda County Office of Education in support of this Bill. Thank you.

Morning, Madam Chair Members. I am here in support on behalf of four organizations: the Central Valley Education Coalition, the California Association of Suburban School Districts, the Orange County Department of Education, and the Long Beach Unified School District. Thank you.

Thank you. Madam Chair. Members Jeff Baca, representing the Riverside County Superintendent of Schools, in support.

Good morning, chair Members. Sam Nasher, on behalf of the Los Angeles County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Debra Duardo in support. Thank you.

Good morning, Madam Chair. And Members, Mishall Gill on behalf of California Association of School Business Officials in support.

Good morning. Jennifer Baker with the California Retired Teachers Association. We do have a watch position, but we do very much appreciate the amendments that have been taken and feel that it's a productive step forward.

Thank you.

Good morning, Madam Chair and Members. Seth Bramble here on behalf of the California Teachers Association. Just wanted to put on the record that we are removing our opposition. Thank you.

Thank you. I'm seeing there are no more witnesses in support. Is there anyone in opposition? Seeing no one in opposition. I will bring it to the committee. Is there any questions or responses?

Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you, Senator, for bringing this forward. I went to college to become a teacher, and I got a chance to see what it's like to be a teacher for a couple of years. And it's tough. It's really hard. And I feel like teachers don't get appreciated enough. We're all here because a teacher impacted our lives in some way, form or another.

And that the reality is there really is a shortage of teachers up and down California and that we do need tools to be able to ensure that our kids are able to go to school and have a teacher in front of them. As I dropped off my two little ones at school this morning, I thought about this Bill, and I appreciate that we have this tool, as mentioned earlier, for us to be able to utilize.

I do want to thank the staff, the chair, and for all parties coming together, because it really is about the kids, right? But it needs to be something that works for everybody, for teachers, for the kids, for the classrooms, for all district. And so I'm supportive of this. I want to see what it looks like in the next two years and see how we can improve.

If there are opportunities to improve, if there are opportunities to change it up a bit, and if there's ways that we could make it better, I think this is a really good start. It's something for us to work with. And so I want to thank you for bringing this forward and for all parties on working together to remove all opposition. Thank you.

Seeing anyone else like to respond? Seeing no others? I would like to tell you, Senator, I'd like to thank you for bringing this Bill forward. I'd like to thank you for your passion for the children, for ensuring that we make our kids successful across California and making sure teachers are there. We know there's a shortage, and I just appreciate you working with us and bringing this Bill forward and getting it done, seeing no more hearing anymore. I'm sorry. Would you like to close?

Thank you. Madam Chair, I appreciate the comments and everyone for collectively recognizing how important this is and for your leadership, too, and providing the opportunity to get us here. And staff's work, both my staff and your staff and all the advocates. You don't get first grade back. You don't get third grade back. And if you don't have a teacher in the classroom, that's not good for those kids. And so this will help kids somewhere. Not every kid. And we just have to do it the best we can. So respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you. Thank you. It was motioned by Assembly Member Fung and seconded by Assembly Member Lackey. Secretary, please call the room.

The motion is due passed and be referred to the Committee on Appropriations. . McKinnor Aye. McKinnor. Aye lackey. Aye. Lackey. Aye. Addis. Addis. Aye. Fong. Fong. Aye. Haney. Nguyen. Aye. Nguyen. Aye Schiavo Schiavo. Aye

The Bill is passed. Thank you. That we're adjourned. Thank you.