The California Teachers Association predicts thousands of San Diego County educators could retire in the next few years, leaving a huge void for local school districts to fill. KPBS reporter Ana Tintocalis has more.
CTA spokesman Frank Caso says 8,000 to 10,000 teachers in San Diego County may retire over the next five years. He says there have never been so many teachers calling it quits in such a short period of time. Caso says most of the retirees will be elementary school teachers. He says local school districts will be under incredible pressure to replace thousands of veteran teachers.
Caso: They have 20, 30 and sometimes 40 years of teaching experience and even with the best educated and the most enthusiastic new teachers, they can't cover the experience gap that is going to remain.
Experts say what's even more troubling is the number of new teachers is declining. And they say unlike older teachers, fewer young educators view teaching as a lifetime profession. Ana Tintocalis, KPBS News.
