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Report Sounds Alarm About State's Teacher Pool

SACRAMENTO (KCBS) - A new report has suggested that California's budget cuts have taken a severe toll on California's teachers.

Further complicating matters, an upcoming wave of retirements could leave the state short of qualified educators.

The Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning study indicated that the number of novice teachers is down by half from just two years ago, while about one-third of the state's teachers have indicated they would retire within the next ten years.

KCBS' Chris Filippi Reports:

"We have the fewest new teacher in the profession as we have had in more than 15 years," said the Center's director, Patrick Shields.

The study estimated that California's schools have been hit, overall, with more than $20 billion in cuts over the last three years.

"We're asking our teachers to do more and more with fewer resources, less support, erosion of support in terms of less professional development," acknowledged State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell.

He described teachers as being under increased pressure today.

"More responsibilities, even raising standards and looking to evaluate teachers in a different way. At the same time we're asking teachers to take a pay cut."

Shields wasn't surprised to see the drop in young professionals seeking a career in education.

"As you can well imagine if you were a young person today, you read in the headlines about teacher layoffs, pink slips, more budget cuts coming down the line, you might choose not to enter the profession."

(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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