Loyola Marymount University’s (LMU) School of Education (SOE) and three local K-12 district partners have secured $6 million in Teacher Residency Implementation Grant funds awarded by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC).
Beginning in fall 2026, the grants will support paid teacher residencies over a period of four years for more than 150 candidates from Glendale Unified School District; Montebello Unified School District; and Avance Residency Los Angeles, which is comprised of Camino Nuevo Charter Academy, Para Los Niños, STEM Preparatory Schools, New Los Angeles Charter School, Watts Learning Center, and Equitas Academy Charter Schools.
California has grappled with teacher shortages for years, the byproduct of both attrition and a shrinking number of people entering the profession. Despite lower enrollment projections, K-12 schools and districts continue to find it difficult to fill vacancies with qualified and fully credentialed teachers, especially for math, science, special education, and bilingual education.
“This CTC implementation grant will boost the workforce pipeline for educators overall, and will support the preparation of qualified teachers in specific areas of need identified by our partners,” said Estela Zarate, dean of SOE.
Glendale Unified School District’s focus area will be special education. Montebello Unified School District is looking to develop special education teachers, TK and kindergarten teachers, and elementary school teachers who hold a bilingual authorization. Avance Teacher Residency Los Angeles will focus on developing residencies in special education, secondary teachers for STEM subjects, and early childhood education (grades pre-K to 3), as well as elementary school teachers who hold a bilingual authorization.
Through this partnership, each teacher candidate, or resident, will be matched with a mentor teacher at a partner school. Residents serve as student teachers who work closely with their mentor teachers throughout the academic year. Each resident receives a stipend through the CTC grant to defray the cost of their preparation coursework at LMU.
“This residency model allows school districts to be proactive, invest early in qualified professionals, build internal capacity, and create a more stable, committed workforce,” said Darneika Watson, superintendent of Glendale Unified School District. “It allows us to develop our own pipeline of teachers who are trained in our classrooms, working with our students, and grounded in our district’s instructional expectations from the very beginning. We see this partnership with LMU not as a short-term solution, but as a valuable long-term strategy to ensure every classroom is led by well-prepared, effective educators.”