THE SEVERE ELEMENTARY TEACHER SHORTAGE WHICH LOS ANGELES FACED IN THE FALL OF 1966, INVOLVING A DEFICIT OF SOME 1200 TEACHERS AFTER NORMAL RECRUITING PROCEDURES, IS DISCUSSED. SINCE THE SHORTAGE RESULTED IN LARGE PART FROM REDUCED ENROLLMENT IN THE ELEMENTARY EDUCATION PROGRAMS OF THE 12 LOS ANGELES AREA TEACHER TRAINING INSTITUTIONS, WHICH TRADITIONALLY SUPPLY TWO-THIRDS OF ALL NEW TEACHERS TO THE SYSTEM, AN INTENSIVE OUT-OF-STATE RECRUITING PROGRAM WAS INSTITUTED. THE CAMPAIGN RESULTED IN 15 MORE OUT-OF-STATE RECRUITS THAN WAS NORMAL, FOR WHOM THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION GRANTED PROVISIONAL CERTIFICATION. NEXT, LOCAL RADIO AND TELEVISION WERE USED TO APPEAL TO ALL QUALIFIED PEOPLE IN THE AREA TO APPLY. FROM THE FLOOD OF RESPONSES, STAFF NEEDS WERE MET. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT IMPROVED DATA COLLECTION COULD HELP AVOID SUCH LAST MINUTE CRISES IN THE FUTURE. THIS DOCUMENT APPEARED IN GILBERT, H.B., AND LANG, G., "TEACHER SELECTION METHODS," 1967. (RP)