CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

97

CHAPTER 122

Statutes of 2026

Introduced by Assembly Member Ortega

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Addis, Aguiar-Curry, Ahrens, Alanis, Alvarez, Ávila Farías, Bains, Bauer-Kahan, Bennett, Berman, Boerner, Bonta, Bryan, Calderon, Caloza, Carrillo, Castillo, Chen, Connolly, Davies, DeMaio, Dixon, Elhawary, Ellis, Fong, Gabriel, Gallagher, Garcia, Gipson, Jeff Gonzalez, Mark González, Hadwick, Haney, Harabedian, Hart, Hoover, Irwin, Jackson, Johnson, Kalra, Krell, Lackey, Lee, Lowenthal, Macedo, McKinnor, Muratsuchi, Nguyen, Pacheco, Papan, Patel, Patterson, Pellerin, Petrie-Norris, Quirk-Silva, Ramos, Ransom, Rivas, Michelle Rodriguez, Rogers, Blanca Rubio, Schiavo, Schultz, Sharp-Collins, Solache, Soria, Stefani, Ta, Tangipa, Valencia, Wallis, Ward, Wicks, Wilson, and Zbur)

April 30, 2026

Relative to the California Day of the Teacher.

Fiscal committee: no

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

This measure would proclaim May 13, 2026, as the California Day of the Teacher.

WHEREAS, Today’s teachers continue to mold the minds of our future workforce and generations to come; and

WHEREAS, Today, we recognize that teachers continue to face significant challenges, as their workloads continue to increase; their schools and school districts are underresourced and subject to budget cuts; and their wages and benefits lag behind those of comparable professionals; and

WHEREAS, In 2026, the California Teachers Association published “The State of California’s Public Schools: A Survey of TK-12 Educators” (survey), which contained the results of over 2,000 member surveys and reported that 80 percent of those educators surveyed reported that schools in California do not have enough resources to meet the needs of pupils; and

WHEREAS, The California Teachers Association survey found that 88 percent of educators surveyed reported insufficient funding for schools and low pay for educators, while 78 percent reported their classrooms were overcrowded; and

WHEREAS, The California Teachers Association survey found that 84 percent of educators surveyed reported insufficient resources, staff, or training to support special education pupils, yet despite all the statistics, 77 percent of those surveyed still say they love their job; and

WHEREAS, Today, we recognize that teachers continue to face significant challenges as their workloads increase due to additional duties being added on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis; and

WHEREAS, Although teachers lack appropriate resources, they have done and will continue doing incredible work with what they have been given; and

WHEREAS, Teachers deserve to be honored in the highest regard for their resilience, their dedication, and the ongoing support they provide to our pupils; and

WHEREAS, No other profession touches as many people with such a lasting effect and has the potential to transform lives the way teachers do; and

WHEREAS, Advocating for smaller class sizes is beneficial for the classroom environment as it allows teachers to connect more with pupils, increases instructional time, and individualizes education; and

WHEREAS, Good teaching grows in value and pays dividends far beyond the classroom and will continue to shape future generations to come; and

WHEREAS, To continue educating the population of California, teacher grant programs are necessary to provide the training and mentorship needed to encourage teachers to remain in classrooms; and

WHEREAS, Currently, the recipients of these grants mirror the race and ethnicity of the population of California, and having a diverse workforce leads to an increase in innovation and has a positive impact on the younger generation; and

WHEREAS, According to the State Department of Education, California is facing a teacher shortage, with more than 10,000 vacancies statewide, showing the dire need to retain teachers; and

WHEREAS, California teachers bring a variety of cultural backgrounds that increase the academic performance of pupils of color, including improved reading and mathematics test scores, improved graduation rates, and an increase in pupil aspirations to attend college; and

WHEREAS, Long ago California recognized the immeasurable value of our teachers, and the second Wednesday in May has traditionally been recognized as the California Day of the Teacher, a special observance that honors teachers and the teaching profession; and

WHEREAS, The California Day of the Teacher has been sponsored by the California Teachers Association and the Association of Mexican American Educators, and was first recognized in 1982; and

WHEREAS, California has patterned its celebration after the traditional El Día del Maestro festivities observed in Mexico and other Latin American countries; and

WHEREAS, The national Day of the Teacher will be celebrated on May 5, 2026; and

WHEREAS, The Day of the Teacher should be a day for school districts, parents, public officials, and the community to recognize the dedication and commitment of teachers who are educating our children; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the day of May 13, 2026, be proclaimed the California Day of the Teacher; and be it further

Resolved, That the Legislature hereby urges all Californians to observe the Day of the Teacher by taking the time to remember and honor all individuals who give the gift of knowledge through teaching; and be it further

Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.