CA AB2186

Establishes the Golden State STEM Teacher Grant Program administered by a county office of education selected by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, upon legislative appropriation.

Provides $10,000 grants to students enrolled in approved teacher credentialing programs who commit to teaching STEM subjects for 4 years after receiving a preliminary teaching credential.

Distributes grant funds in two payments: $5,000 after 2 years of STEM teaching employment and $5,000 after 4 years, with administrator limited to 5 percent of awards for program administration costs.

Recipients must maintain good academic standing during preparation, pass state basic skills proficiency tests, and have 5 years from program completion to fulfill the 4-year teaching obligation in a school district, county office of education, or charter school.

Allows partial credit toward the 4-year teaching requirement if a teacher completes at least half a school year, qualifies for Family and Medical Leave Act protections, is called to active military duty exceeding 30 days, or loses employment due to employer financial circumstances.

Requires the program administrator to submit annual reports to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing and a final implementation report within 7 years detailing program outcomes and effectiveness.