April 9, 2025
This is the second blog in the “Dual Language Learners in Transitional Kindergarten” blog series.
Note: This blog addresses the recruitment of TK lead teachers only and not the additional adults, or assistant teachers, in the classroom who are necessary to ensure a high-quality early learning and care environment. Additionally, interviews took place before teacher preparation programs were available for the PK-3 Early Childhood Education (ECE) Specialist Instruction Credential.
As California fully expands Transitional Kindergarten (TK) eligibility to all 4-year-old children, high-quality TK classrooms cannot exist without qualified teachers. With nearly 60% of California’s young children being Dual Language Learners (DLL),1 the definition of a fully prepared teacher has evolved to require background and knowledge to support and affirm a child’s home language.
California, like the rest of the country, faces a teacher shortage, which has grown since the pandemic. In the 2022-23 school year, there were 36% fewer new teacher credentials to teach TK and 15% fewer bilingual authorizations issued. This decline is especially troubling as the state nears full expansion of TK to include all four-year-olds. In the 2025-26 school year alone, more than 300,000 children are likely to enroll in TK, and California will need between 11,900 and 15,600 additional TK lead teachers to meet the demand.
Some school districts have stepped up to prioritize the recruitment and retention of a qualified and bilingual TK lead teacher workforce. These districts are providing valuable insights on strategies other communities can use, as well as identifying ways continual state support will be crucial in ensuring TK expansion truly meets the needs of California students.
Currently, to become a TK lead teacher, candidates must have a bachelor’s degree, 24 units of credits in or related to early childhood, and a teaching credential, such as the PK-3 ECE Specialist Instruction or Multiple Subject credential. Adding the bilingual authorization to either credential options would be ideal when serving the diverse learners of California.
Fresno Unified, the state’s third-largest school district, serves over 70,000 students, 20% of whom are identified as English learner students.2 To meet the needs of multilingual students, Fresno Unified partners with California State University, Fresno, where strong teacher preparation programs, coupled with bilingual authorization certification, already exist. With the financial assistance from the Teacher Residency Grant Program, the district is able to leverage various pathways for new TK lead teachers and professional development opportunities for current Fresno Unified educators.
New TK lead teacher candidates, for instance, can participate in the Fresno Teacher Residency Program. Unlike a traditional teacher preparation program, this pathway to become a TK lead teacher allows candidates to earn their credential and gain early childhood expertise at Fresno State while working in a TK classroom receiving a stipend at Fresno Unified. Beyond the Residency Program, faculty at Fresno State and the Fresno County Office of Education recognize the need for bilingual educators. For veteran teachers, Fresno Unified has a Teacher Development Department to provide opportunities to earn a bilingual authorization. Erica Piedra, Executive Officer of English Learner Services at Fresno Unified, celebrated the growth of bilingual TK lead teachers: “We’re happy to say that since 2020 we have hired 45 bilingual teachers [who] have come through [the Residency] program. This year, we already have 13 teachers who are working on their bilingual authorization to be able to teach next year in bilingual classrooms. So, as we grow our programs and we open more classrooms, we already have our teachers.”
Redwood City School District (RSCD) has made significant strides in expanding its TK program from three classrooms to 16 in just three years, all of which required quick and creative thinking to recruit lead teachers. With more than 38% of students identified as English Learners (ELs) in the district, Ann Tepoorten Berljafa, TK Program Coordinator at RCSD, searched near and far for potential TK lead teachers—from current students’ families to international educators. Many of these interested candidates were bilingual and already had at least one of the requirements needed to become a TK lead teacher. To become fully credentialed, however, they needed financial assistance to return to school. So, Tepoorten Berljafa sought out funding that could help supplement the costs. To support those who already have a bachelor’s degree, she applied for the Early Education Teacher Development (EETD) Grant and the Universal Prekindergarten Planning & Implementation (UPK P&I) Grant programs to cover the teacher preparation and bilingual authorization program tuition. These same grants also supported veteran kindergarten teachers to build their early childhood expertise by earning college credit. With these state grant programs, Tepoorten Berljafa highlighted the program’s impact: “I have three [candidates] right now, and we’re paying for their full credential program. So, they’ll be done by… Winter of 2025.”
Because of the strong recruitment of bilingual TK lead teachers, RCSD will have 17 TK classrooms for the 2025-2026 school year: Six dual language immersion classrooms, two 50-50 model Spanish bilingual classes, and nine Structured English Immersion (SEI) classrooms. Tepoorten Berljafa remarked, “It’s good for our Dual Language Learner families and kids to see. We call it mirrors and windows, right? So, people who mirror who they are and can potentially reflect their cultures, you know, and just have a deeper understanding of their needs.”
School districts like Fresno Unified and Redwood City are demonstrating how targeted recruitment, financial support for candidates, and strong partnerships can build a diverse, bilingual TK lead teacher workforce. However, these district efforts also require support from state grant programs, like Teacher Residency and UPK P&I. The current language for these state grant programs requires local education agencies (LEAs) to expend funds by June 30, 2026, or within five years of the grant award year. While the state agencies managing these grants have already disbursed all funds, recipients are still in the process of spending them down. Given that the PK-3 ECE Specialist Instruction Credential has only been in effect since April 1, 2024, LEAs and teacher preparation programs need more time to fully benefit from these programs, which create accessible pathways for candidates to earn both a teaching credential and bilingual authorization concurrently.
California’s TK expansion policy was the right move for the state. Now, the lessons learned in initial implementation should inform further state action that will ensure the state’s TK workforce is set up to successfully support all students, including the state’s large population of DLLs. State legislators have a timely opportunity in this year’s state budget to strengthen TK implementation by:
By sustaining and strengthening teacher pipelines that work, the state and school districts can ensure that all aspiring educators—especially those from historically underrepresented backgrounds—have the equitable access needed to enter and thrive in the classroom.
Overview of Transitional Kindergarten Teacher Pathways
Grant Programs for LEAs, COEs, and IHEs
Resources for Prospective Transitional Kindergarten Teacher Candidates
Endnotes