Imperfect Paradise: The cost of becoming a teacher in California. Who can afford to do it?

Norco 80

LAist Studios

True Crime

4.2 • 887 Ratings

🗓️ 20 August 2025

⏱️ 43 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Across the U.S., states are constantly in the midst of teacher shortages. California's teaching prep and residency programs are supposed to be part of the solution. But many hopeful teachers struggle to balance their passion with the risk of debt and high cost of living. Imperfect Paradise guest host and K-12 Senior Reporter Mariana Dale and LAist’s Higher Education Reporter Julia Barajas bring us the tale of two teachers in L.A. County, who are both facing difficult financial and professional choices. They examine what their stories say about teacher shortages and the cost of becoming an educator.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Support for LAST comes from FX's Social Studies.
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0:11.0	Featuring a diverse group of L.A. teens, social studies offers an intimate glimpse of growing up in the digital era.
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0:19.5	Support for L.A.S. comes from Car Pros Kia, presenting Kia's electrified lineup.
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0:30.8	offers before EV rebates expire. Learn more at CarPros Kia in Glendale, Huntington Beach,
0:36.5	and Marino Valley.
0:38.7	Hey, everyone.
0:39.6	This is Imperfect Paradise.
0:41.3	I'm your host, Mariana Dale, and I'm LASK-12 education reporter.
0:45.9	But before I came to Los Angeles, I reported on education in Arizona.
0:50.3	And while California and Arizona are very different states, there's something their school
0:56.4	districts have in common. Year after year, schools struggle to hire teachers. Many districts
1:04.4	nationwide are scrambling to find qualified teachers for every classroom. California and other
1:10.0	school districts across the U.S. are struggling with teacher shortages.
1:14.0	Tonight, a major crisis in many American school districts, not enough teachers.
1:19.2	Last year, more than a third of schools across the country had at least one teacher vacancy.
1:25.4	That's according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
1:29.4	In many states, there aren't enough dual language, science, math, and special education teachers.
1:35.0	Here in California, paid teacher prep programs are supposed to be part of the solution,
1:40.2	but it's still unaffordable for many to become educators.
	...

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