May Revision funds CTC staffing, transcript‑review platform and modest fee increase

The Commission on Teacher Credentialing would receive new state operations funding and trailer‑bill authority under the May Revision, Department of Finance staff told the committee. Liz Mai (DOF) said the package includes $125,000 ongoing and one position to implement SB 848, $807,000 and four positions to handle a growing educator misconduct caseload, and $47,000 to upgrade an analyst position to an education consultant.

The May Revision also proposes $5 million one‑time Proposition 98 General Fund to build a statewide transcript‑review platform and $2 million ongoing teacher‑credential funds to operate transcript review. To help backfill lost testing revenue linked to a subject‑matter competency exemption, the administration proposes raising the clear credential renewal fee from $100 to $125.

Adam Ibrahim of the Commission said artificial intelligence would assist the transcript review by matching coursework to competency domains, but results would be verified by human reviewers. “The AI would do the process of connecting coursework that is completed from the transcripts with the sort of domains of subject matter competence … and then it would be reviewed by a human that would verify or dissent,” Ibrahim said.

LAO staff recommended the legislature receive additional cost information for the transcript platform and noted the fee increase is estimated to generate nearly $5 million ongoing, which could offset platform costs. They recommended adopting the fee and ongoing review funding if the platform is pursued, and suggested reconsidering the $30 million one‑time proposal for the Statewide Residency Technical Assistance Center because the center currently has funding through 2029.