- Simone Braithwaite
- Simone.Braithwaite@asm.ca.gov
SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) has introduced a Four-Year Teaching Degree bill that would allow future teachers to graduate with their bachelor’s degree and teaching credential in four years. AB 2401 will award accredited colleges and universities grants up to $500,000 to create and/or expand four-year integrated teacher credentialing programs, targeting fields with teacher shortages including Pre-K and Transitional Kindergarten.
“Right now, California is going through a teacher crisis due to a shortage of instructors especially in early education,” said Assemblymember Kevin McCarty. “It’s a long process to become a credentialed teacher. This bill will shorten the program to four years helping alleviate the shortage, strengthening the teacher pipeline and making the path to getting credentialed more affordable.”
Grant funding for this program is awarded by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing and once the program has been implemented, money from the grant will go to support students with items such as tuition, books, and exam fees.
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Kevin McCarty represents California’s 7th Assembly District, which include the cities of Sacramento, West Sacramento and unincorporated Sacramento County. McCarty serves as Chair of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance. Website of Assemblymember Kevin McCarty: https://a06.asmdc.org/