New study by the UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools Identifies Nine Rural California Counties as Teacher Education “Deserts”

Amid a persistent and growing teacher shortage crisis in California, a new study from the UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools (CTS) makes clear the state’s rural border counties face significant challenges to teacher development, recruitment, and retention, illuminating the profound impact that geographic, social, economic, and educational factors have on the teacher supply in rural parts of the state.  Among recommendations for addressing the challenges, the report recommends California’s community colleges play an expanded role in teacher education in rural counties.

“Teacher education deserts are a barren landscape for teacher recruitment and retention,” said Kai Mathews, UCLA CTS California Educator Diversity Project Director and lead author of the report. “By isolating rural communities from a qualified educator pipeline, these deserts cultivate an unending cycle of teacher turnover, underprepared instructors, and ultimately, stunted student potential. This educational disparity is a physical barrier that shines a light on the inequity inherent in our infrastructure. We have an opportunity and a duty here to creatively collaborate to level the odds and ensure that all students, regardless of zip code, have access to the qualified teachers they deserve.”

The report, “California’s Teacher Education Deserts: An Overlooked & Growing Equity Challenge,” profiles nine counties in which the office of education is over 60 miles away from the nearest teacher education program: ​​Alpine, Del Norte, Imperial, Inyo, Lassen, Modoc, Mono, Sierra, and Siskiyou. Indicating a shortage of teachers and the difficulties schools have in hiring and retaining fully prepared teachers, eight of nine of the counties have rates of underprepared teachers that exceed the average in California and higher rates of those teaching outside of their authorized subject field. The report highlights geographic location, numbers of teachers with substandard teaching credentials, poverty rates, academic test scores, school stability rates, and education attainment rates to suggest their cumulative impacts on teacher recruitment and retention.

Accompanying the report, an interactive map provides K-12 data for each of California’s 58 counties, statewide underprepared teacher rates, and the locations of teacher education programs and community colleges statewide. The map demonstrates the impact of community colleges being permitted to provide teaching credentials to non-teacher residents already possessing a bachelor’s degree, which would benefit five out of the nine desert counties. 

 “This report delineates the importance of a better understanding of the geography of opportunity—the ways in which the physical location and spatial distribution of resources and services affect individuals’ social and economic prospects—in the preparation of teachers in California,” said Cecilia Rios-Aguilar, Professor of Education and Department Chair at UCLA’s School of Education & Information Studies, and a research affiliate of Wheelhouse: The Center for the Community College Leadership and Research at UC Davis.

 “Without careful consideration, attention, and intention directed toward these locations, California may inadvertently perpetuate inequities within the educational system. The report offers concrete and significant recommendations to bridge the gaps between teacher supply and demand in the state. The authors’ recommendations focus on the role of resources, relationships, collaboration, and communication among various sectors and their actors, including the potential for the state’s community colleges to play a larger role in teacher preparation. Teachers play a crucial role in shaping students’ learning trajectories. Now is the time to reaffirm our commitment to communities that have traditionally been overlooked in policy efforts and reforms.”

Key among the findings:

Underprepared & Inexperienced Teachers

Nearly all of the counties have rates exceeding the state average of teachers with substandard or uncleared credentials or those who are teaching out of their authorized subject field, indicating that districts in these areas are facing challenges in hiring fully credentialed and prepared teachers to fill vacancies. 

Geographic Location

All nine counties share part of their border with either another state or with Mexico and experience higher teacher vacancy rates. Teacher candidates are more likely to leave rural counties for more urban or suburban counties–potentially even crossing state borders–in search of more opportunities for upward mobility. Rural counties also tend to be more politically polarized, creating stressful work environments for teachers. A 2022 statewide survey of teachers commissioned by UCLA’s Center for the Transformation of Schools found that “political and ideological attacks” are one of the top three reasons that teachers would consider leaving the profession.

Education Attainment

Two-thirds of the counties have higher than state average high school completion rates, but lower than average bachelor’s degree completion rates, suggesting that the majority of local teacher candidates are not returning to teach in their county of origin after leaving to pursue postsecondary education and credentialing.

Economic Landscape

Nearly all of the counties have poverty rates exceeding the state average of 12%, some nearing 20%. Schools in communities experiencing high rates of poverty tend to provide lower salaries and fewer benefits for educators. Research shows that college graduates who come from low-income families are less likely to return to their community to work. 

Academic Performance

All nine counties are performing below the state average on English Language Arts and Mathematics standardized test scores, with the exception of Mono County in Mathematics. Low-performing schools require increased workloads for teachers, and are less likely to attract and retain high-quality teachers.

Stability Rates and Numbers of Foster Students

All nine counties have lower school stability rates and higher rates of foster students compared to state averages. The impermanence of foster care combined with the seasonal nature of migrant farm work in these highly agricultural regions are potential causes of school instability. 

School instability can result in poor academic performance and negative school climates, which can impact teacher recruitment and retention. 

The report concludes with recommendations for addressing teacher supply issues in these regions including: financial support for underprepared and under-credentialed teachers to complete coursework and credentials; mentorship, training and professional development for educators; community college credentialing; increasing DEI efforts in teacher recruitment; and marketing efforts to support recruitment. 

“This research offers the state’s policymakers and education leaders new insight into the challenges confronting California’s teaching supply and the harmful impact the persistent shortage of teachers has on rural communities and the students they serve,” said, Annamarie Francois, Associate Dean of Public Engagement at the UCLA School of Education and Information Studies.

“California needs to act now to make the state’s teaching deserts bloom."

The report and interactive map will be available online on April 23 on the UCLA CTS website at https://transformschools.ucla.edu/research/californias-teacher-education-deserts/and https://transformschools.ucla.edu/teacher-education-desert-map/. 

The authors will present the report at a panel discussion with invited speakers in a webinar on April 23 at 12 p.m PT. To attend, RSVP at https://ucla.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_sBtV1HdVRSuVFjlTqC7yKw#/registration. 

Funding for the research has been provided by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the William + Flora Hewlett Foundation.