Proposal Easing Licensing Requirements for Some Wisconsin Educators Heads to Governor Evers' Desk

Thursday, February 22nd, 2024 -- 11:00 AM

(Sarah Lehr, Wisconsin Public Radio) Proposals that would ease licensing requirements for some Wisconsin educators now head to the governor's desk after being approved by the Republican-controlled state Senate and Assembly.

According to Srah Lehr with the Wisconsin Public Radio, one bill would remove the requirement that district superintendents be licensed by Wisconsin’s Department of Public Instruction.

Currently, candidates for a district administrator license in Wisconsin must have qualifications, including a master’s, education specialist, or doctorate degree, and at least six semesters of teaching or pupil services experience, according to the DPI.

Existing state law allows an exception to those rules for districts of a certain size, making Milwaukee Public Schools the only district not subject to the requirements. Republican backers said another bill that cleared the Legislature Tuesday would help alleviate a teacher shortage by easing the path for paraprofessionals to become teachers.

It would allow a paraprofessional who’s worked in a classroom for at least one year to get a temporary license to teach for three years while being mentored by a teacher.

If that provisional license-holder successfully completes those three years of teaching, the bill would require the DPI to grant a lifetime teaching license. That path would allow someone to bypass other licensing requirements for becoming a Wisconsin teacher, such as having a bachelor’s degree.

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