Group Action Plans

Confirmed Priority Concerns:

Proposed Strategies for Addressing at least three top Identified Concerns:

Organization(s) that have the resources or authority to take the lead in addressing the concerns:

Need for competitive salaries and benefits

• Provide salary schedules which are competitive with private industry for individuals with equal/like educational backgrounds.
• Provide benefits for all, including part-time faculty.
• Apply credit for all years of experience and previous benefits in determining salary schedule when a teacher transfers to a new district.
• Ensure fair employment practices regarding salary and benefit issues.
• Develop a state-wide salary schedule with special modifications (e.g., Willy Brown Act which allows part-time teachers to have others teacher a part of the day or part of a week.)
• Provide a cost of living differential.

Need to provide foreign language instruction beginning in kindergarten and extending through university

• Government agencies and foreign language associations should publicize the benefits of learning a foreign language in the primary grades and continue through the university.
• Government agencies and foreign language associations should publicize comparisons on how the United States ranks internationally in foreign language studies.
• California Department of Education should mandate foreign language studies as part of the core curriculum.
• Districts should implement the study of foreign language at an early age, creating an interest in and developing acquisition of languages other than English.

Need to provide incentives for potential foreign language teachers to obtain credentials (remove road blocks)

• Educational agencies should provide scholarships to participate in: (1) high school and university study abroad programs; and (2) university foreign language teacher preparation programs.
• Federal and state governments should provide financial support for students who want to teach foreign language. Create partnerships between corporations, governments, and students.
• Create a teaching major in the university that: (1) reduces or eliminates the fifth year; (2) includes "classes specific to teaching foreign language" in the major; and (3) gives students practical teaching experience before they become student teachers.
• Standardize credential requirements nationally.