Vision

Driven by equity and justice, California’s educators engage in culturally sustaining practices to create learning opportunities that promote each student’s academic, social, emotional, and physical growth.

Guiding Principles

  • Advancing equity, inclusion, and diversity
  • Taking a whole student approach
  • Ensuring the safety and well being of all students and educators
  • Accepting, affirming, and validating cultural and linguistic diversity
  • Advancing the education profession

About the Commission

The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing is an agency in the Executive Branch of California State Government. It was created in 1970 by the Ryan Act and is the oldest of the autonomous state standards boards in the nation. The major purpose of the agency is to serve as a state standards board for educator preparation for the public schools of California, the licensing and credentialing of professional educators in the State, the enforcement of professional practices of educators, and the discipline of credential holders in the State of California.

The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing consists of nineteen Members, fifteen voting Members and four ex-officio, non-voting Members. The Governor appoints fourteen voting Commissioners and the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, or his/her designee, serves as the fifteenth voting Member. The four ex-officio Members are selected one each by the major elements of the California higher education constituency: Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities; Regents of the University of California; the California State University; and California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office. The Governor-appointed Commissioners consist of six classroom teachers, one school counselor or non-services credential holder, one governing school board member, one early childhood faculty member, two public members, one school administrator, one human resources administrator, and one higher education faculty member from an institution that grants baccalaureate degrees. Governor-appointed Commissioners are typically appointed to four-year terms and serve as volunteers in unpaid positions.

A History of Policies and Forces Shaping California Teacher Credentialing

General Information

Meetings and Events

Other Information

Updated January 06, 2026