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Administration seeks $100 million Proposition 98 to extend National Board incentive program for teachers in priority schools
Summary
The governor proposed $100 million in one‑time Proposition 98 funding to continue the state's National Board Certification subsidy and incentive program. The Department of Education and supporters argued the program encourages higher teacher effectiveness and retention in priority schools; the LAO suggested rejecting the proposal until additional
The governor's budget includes $100 million one‑time Proposition 98 to extend California's National Board Certification incentive and subsidy program, officials told the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance.
Under the administration's proposal, the program would continue providing a $25,000 incentive to teachers who earn National Board Certification and work in a priority school (paid over up to five years), a $2,500 subsidy for candidates pursuing certification, and $495 to support maintenance of certification. Department of Finance staff told the committee the proposal would fund approximately 3,600 incentive award recipients and about 4,000 subsidy recipients under the proposed appropriation.
California's program has increased participation in National Board candidacy: state officials said the number of candidates pursuing certification in priority schools rose from about 415 before the subsidy to over 4,000 in recent years, and that 807 subsidy recipients have completed National Board Certification to date. The Department of Education and supporters said National Board candidates report changes in practice that benefit students and that board‑certified teachers lower turnover and raise student learning, particularly for students of color and low‑income students.
The Legislative Analyst's Office recommended rejecting the administration proposal at this time, noting available program funds would likely cover application cycles through 2025–26 and recommending the Legislature assess impact data from completed cohorts before funding new cycles. The Department of Education asked the Legislature to consider ongoing funding and to allow subsidy funds to be used for district‑ or university‑led candidate support programs under statute.
Committee members asked for additional data on where National Board‑certified teachers are concentrated, whether incentives cluster at large districts, and how many certified teachers are needed at a site to create meaningful peer effects. The Department of Education said it would provide more detailed placement and cohort data and recommended continuing funding to maintain candidate confidence after a previous abrupt cancellation during the Great Recession discouraged participation.
The subcommittee left the proposal open and asked staff to develop evaluation metrics and distributional data to inform any final appropriation.
