Is Teacher Shortage a Union-Created Problem?
Last month, California state Sens. Henry Stern and Cathleen Galgiani rolled out the “Teacher Recruitment and Retention Act of 2017,” which offers an incentive for teachers to remain in the profession. Senate Bill 807 would exempt California educators from paying the state income tax after five years in the classroom, and also allow a tax deduction for the cost of attaining a teaching credential. If the bill passes in its current state, it is estimated to cost the California taxpayers an additional $600 million a year.
The authors claim that the bill is necessary because of the “current and growing shortage of teachers in schools and districts across the state.” Allegedly, teachers are just not flocking to the profession the way they used to. But if there really is a shortage, wouldn’t each school district desperately cling to every last one of its teachers? This is not the case, however.
