Gov. Gavin Newsom released his proposed $348.9 billion balanced budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year with an investment in education remaining a top priority. 

The proposed budget announced $125.5 billion for TK-14 education with record per-pupil funding of $27,418, a 61% increase since 2018. It proposes ongoing commitments to fully implement Universal Transitional Kindergarten; before, after, and summer school programs; school meals, and the Golden State Literacy Plan.

California has provided more than $1.6 billion over the last decade to address teacher shortages, according to the Legislative Analyst's Office. The 2026-27 proposed budget includes $250 million to continue educator residency programs through 2029-30. California has invested $620 million in residency programs over the last five years; these funds will be fully awarded by the end of 2025-26.

“I am grateful for California’s investment in our teachers and our future,” said Commission on Teacher Credentialing Executive Director Mary Vixie Sandy. “We are well aware that residency models in particular are effective at recruiting and retaining diverse, well-prepared educators. The Governor’s continued support helps meet the critical need of placing educators in classrooms across our state.”

An updated budget will be provided in the May Revision. The Legislature must pass a balanced budget by June 15 to be enacted by June 30.

Several new laws that took effect on Jan. 1, 2026, underscore the state’s continued efforts to strengthen the education system by supporting both educators and students. Laws involving the Commission on Teacher Credentialing include:

AB 1123 (Muratsuchi) – Commission on Teacher Credentialing: Membership
Summary: Modifies the composition of the Commission to allow for representation from the early childhood education field. Allows for one of the six teacher positions to be filled by a teacher who holds a child development permit and teaches at a state-funded preschool or prekindergarten program, and upon the first vacancy designates one of the public member seats for a faculty member from the early childhood education field.

AB 606 (Quirk-Silva) – Professional Services Credential: Out-of-State Applicants
Summary: Requires the Commission to issue a two-year preliminary professional services credential with a specialization in pupil personnel services to out-of-state prepared applicants who satisfy specified alternative requirements. Allows local education agencies, in partnership with a regionally accredited institution of higher education, to offer preparation programs for a services credential with a specialization in pupil personnel services, not only in the area of child welfare and attendance.

AB 959 (Hadwick) – Administrative Services Credential: Internship Program
Summary: Authorizes Commission-approved county offices of education and school districts to offer internship programs for the preliminary services credential with a specialization in administrative services.

AB 1009 (Rubio, Blanca) – Teacher Credentialing: Occupational and Physical Therapists
Summary: Requires the Commission to accept a valid license to practice occupational therapy or physical therapy and verification of meeting a basic skills requirement, and five years of experience as a school-based occupational therapist or physical therapist to satisfy respective requirements for a preliminary services credential with a specialization in administrative services. These administrators would not be able to supervise or evaluate teachers.

AB 1034 (Farias) – Teacher Credentialing: Youth Mental Health
Summary: Codifies existing standards for teacher preparation programs to include a basic understanding of youth mental health in their health education experience.

AB 1306 (Muratsuchi) – School Employees: English Learner Authorization
Summary: Permits the Commission to authorize local school districts and county offices of education to offer teacher education programs for the purpose of earning a cross-cultural language and academic development certificate, English learner authorization, or a bilingual authorization certificate.

AB 1454 (Rivas) – Pupil Literacy: Administrative Services Credential Program Standards
Summary: Requires the Commission to ensure that the program standards for the professional preparation of candidates for the reading and literacy leadership specialist credential, the reading and literacy authorization, and the administrative services credential includes preparation on how to support teachers in delivering instruction through effective means for teaching literacy.

SB 848 (Perez) – Child Abuse Prevention: Criminal Communications with a Minor
Summary: Creates new requirements to improve pupil safety by addressing school employee misconduct, clarifying professional boundaries, enhancing comprehensive school safety plans, expanding child abuse prevention training requirements, requiring instructional programming on abuse prevention, and requires the Commission, upon funding, to create a statewide system for tracking employee misconduct investigations. It also expands the definition and reporting responsibilities of mandated reporters.

  
Updated February 03, 2026