AB 2245 Amends Education Code Section 44910 to Grant Regional Occupational Center Program Teachers Pathway to Obtain Permanent Status

On September 29, 2024, Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill (“AB”) 2245 into law, amending Education Code section 44910 to require school districts to grant service credit to regional occupational center or program (“ROCP”) teachers, if the ROCP is operated by a single school district.

Existing law establishes ROCPs for students to engage with and learn career technical education skills. While ROCP teachers are certificated employees, their ROCP service previously did not count toward attaining permanency.  Prior to AB 2245, ROCP teachers remained in perpetual temporary status.  Following two significant Court of Appeals’ decisions in 2006 and 2007,[1] ROCP instructors were properly designated as “probationary,” even though their status would not lead to permanent status (commonly referred to as “prob zeroes”).

Effective July 1, 2025, AB 2245 amends Education Code section 44910 to remove the exemption from permanent status for teachers working in ROCP programs operated by a single school district.  If an ROCP is operated by multiple school districts or educational entities (such as a JPA), the previous statutory scheme applies. 

Single school districts with ROCPs must plan ahead of the 2025-2026 school year to ensure ROCP  teacher service is tracked towards permanency in accordance with the new statutory scheme.  We also recommend reviewing any contract templates related to ROCP teachers to ensure compliance with the amended law.

If your agency requires counsel on how to prepare for upcoming changes and compliance with AB 2245 or if you have any questions about this Alert, please contact your AALRR attorney or the authors of this Alert.  

Special thank you to Larissa Alvarez, NCELPG law clerk, for her contribution to the alert.

[1] See Teachers Association v. Bakersfield City School District (2006) 145 Cal.App.4th 1260; California Teachers Association v. Vallejo City Unified School District (2007) 149 Cal.App.4th 135.

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