Cal State Northridge Leads State in Teacher Preparation

Cal State Northridge leads the state in teacher preparation among public universities, according to the latest statistics from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

Students from CSUN's College of Education were awarded 795 teaching credentials during the academic year 1999-2000, more than any other public university in California. That total included 602 multiple subject credentials for elementary school teachers and 193 single subject credentials for high school teachers.

"You don't become the leader and stay the leader without good reasons," said Philip Rusche, dean of the College of Education. " Our good reasons are strong faculty, quality programs and committed students. We're big because of the quality of what we do."

Following Northridge in the CTC rankings for 1999 to 2000 are Cal State San Bernardino, with 783 single and multiple subject credential recipients, and Cal State Dominguez Hills, with 749 recipients. In all, the CSU system was responsible for 10,359 teacher credential awards that year.

As the need for well-qualified teachers continues to grow, CSUN's College of Education, along with the rest of the campuses in the CSU, is continuing to respond.

According to the most recent state report, 18 percent of the certificated public schools staff in Los Angeles County (16,120 educators) worked on emergency permits in 1999-2000. In San Diego County, five percent of public school educators had emergency permits, and in Orange County, eight percent.

Emergency permits allow teachers to work in public schools before they have earned their teaching credentials.

Rusche said CSUN's College of Education is facing the challenge of having a very high share of part-time credential candidate students, by some estimates up to 90 percent, because its students are being hired by school districts under emergency permit status almost before they have even begun their credential programs.

Despite the state's financial crisis, Rusche said CSUN's teacher preparation programs will continue to grow.

"We're committed to continuing to address the education workforce needs of the greater San Fernando Valley," he said.