Rubio Bill Strengthening Reading Instruction For Children Signed by Governor Newsom
SACRAMENTO, CA – Governor Gavin Newsom today signed a bill by Sen. Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park) that strengthens reading instruction and ensures teacher candidates are qualified and prepared to teach students based on best practices.
SB 488 will require the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to revise their preparation program standards and Teaching Performance Expectations to ensure teacher candidates are qualified and prepared to teach students how to read using the most current best practices. The bill will also require the Commission to ensure an approved teaching performance assessment (TPA) assesses all candidates for competence in instruction in literacy.
“As a public school teacher for 17 years, I know how hard teachers work to ensure their students succeed, and I’m grateful that I can advocate for them,” Senator Susan Rubio said. “That's why I've been fighting to update our reading standards in schools. I thank Governor Newsom for signing this bipartisan bill that will help schools, teachers and most importantly, our children, so they receive the reading instruction they need to be successful. ”
“We are in a time of unprecedented teacher shortages around the state,” said Karen Stapf Walters, Executive Director of California County Superintendents Educational Services Association (CCSESA). “In order to meet the needs of California students, the pathways to credentialing need to remove barriers for diverse candidates and provide means to prepare new teachers for teaching literacy. SB 488 addresses two issues that can help create more effective and equitable means for teaching candidates to demonstrate the ability to teach literacy and subject matter competence.”
“SB 488 is the result of many years of negotiations regarding the best ways to assess teaching reading and literacy within teacher preparation programs. This update will maintain California’s high standards for teacher preparation while helping address the state’s teacher shortage, increase teacher diversity, and prepare all educators to teach reading,” said Dr. Wesley Smith, Executive Director, Association of California School Administrators.
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Media Contact: Edward Barrera, edward.barrera@sen.ca.gov