Under a "Torrential Wave of Expectations and Requirements": The Experiences of Uncredentialed California Teachers

• In Event: Research on Teacher Induction Paper Session

Abstract

This qualitative study investigates the experiences of teachers with intern or emergency permits in a large, urban, Title 1 school district in California, where over one fourth of classrooms are staffed by teachers without a teaching credential (Fensterwald, 2022). Using survey data, focus groups, and interviews, the study examines how teachers working to earn their credential during their initial years of teaching perceive the induction process. Employing a micro-meso-macro framework, the research explores the connection between the challenges faced by these teachers and state-level teacher pipeline and induction policies. Findings reveal overwhelming workload challenges at the micro level, lack of meso-level support, and the ways that macro-level state policies impact teachers' decisions about entering the profession without a credential.

Authors

• Emily N. Reich, University of California - Berkeley

• Joy Esboldt, University of Delaware