California is facing a critical teacher shortage, and Fresno State’s Kremen School of Education and Human Development is stepping up to the challenge with a new program — the Fast Track Teacher Internship Summer Bootcamp — that will give temporary permit teachers a head start on their internship before they are hired.

Three courses are being offered June 13-July 8 through Fresno State’s Division of Continuing and Global Education with the early registration deadline May 20.

Dr. Lisa Bennett, multiple subject coordinator and assistant professor of Literacy, said that according to the Learning Policy Institute, California has the highest student-teacher ratio in the nation at 24:1 and would need to hire 135,000 teachers now to meet the national average of 16:1.

“Approximately 600 teachers are needed in the Central Valley for fall 2016, and 375 of those are needed in Fresno Unified School District alone,” Bennett said. “Besides the large classroom sizes, California has awarded low numbers of teaching credentials and has seen a drop in enrollment in teacher preparation programs.”

Fresno State prepares the most new teachers in the California State University system at around 4,550, but this still falls short of what is needed, she added.

Currently, temporary teachers hold a permit for a year and must enroll in a credential program to take classes toward certification. But to increase the pool of prepared teachers and meet the growing needs of the Valley, the boot camp will offer three courses that will satisfy the pre-requisite requirements for the Teacher in Preparation (TIP) Internship Program.

It will be offered to multiple subject and special education candidates who have passed the California Subject Examinations for Teachers® (CSET®) and single subject candidates who have completed relevant coursework or passed the CSET®, Bennett explained.

“Studies have shown that the number of credentials issued to fully-prepared new math and science teachers dropped by 32 and 14 percent respectively just over the past four years, while at the same time the number of underprepared teachers (emergency permits, waivers, intern credentials) in those fields increased by 25 percent and 51 percent respectively,” she said.

For questions regarding Bootcamp Enrollment, contact:

The early registration for the summer boot camp is now underway until Friday, May 20. Participants are allowed to register for courses up until the first day of class, if space permits.

The total cost for the eight units is $2,520 ($315 per unit). Scholarship funds are available to partially offset the cost for those planning to teach mathematics or science.

For other questions regarding the Teacher Internship Program, email internship@csufresno.edu or call 559.278.0232.