Disir
Platinum Member
- Sep 30, 2011
- 28,003
- 9,607
- 910
Anyone with a bachelor's degree could be hired and licensed to teach sixth- through 12th-grade English, math, social studies or science in Wisconsin under a provision slipped into the state budget proposal by a Republican lawmaker.
And any person with relevant experience — even a high school dropout — could be licensed to teach in any other non-core academic subject in those grades, according to the provision.
Critics argue the changes, if approved, would dramatically lower Wisconsin's teaching standards.
The teacher certification provision was approved as part of a package of K-12 budget items by the Legislature's Joint Finance Committee last week in a 1:30 a.m. vote. It was proposed by Rep. Mary Czaja (R-Irma). She said she pursued the measure to help rural schools find and retain qualified teachers in hard-to-fill subjects.
But a rural schools leader said that's not what rural schools asked for.
"Heavens no," said Jerry Fiene, executive director of the Wisconsin Rural Schools Alliance. "This totally destroys any licensure requirements that we have in Wisconsin. It's very concerning."
Fiene said rural school district leaders have been looking for flexibility to expand options for degreed, licensed teachers. For example, allowing a credentialed English teacher already on staff to teach another subject if he or she has relevant experience.
And some districts seeking to expand technical education offerings have asked for credentialing flexibility, like the ability to hire someone with experience — but maybe not a bachelor's degree — to teach hands-on classes such as construction.
The question is how far Czaja's proposal goes.
In an interview, Czaja said the idea was to help schools fill specific niche areas, not to help people bypass a four-year degree and some kind of formal teacher training.
But when pressed about the impact of the broader provision, Czaja agreed it might make it easier to become a teacher in Wisconsin than in any other state.
Czaja couldn't name any districts that had asked for the broader flexibilities.
Provision slipped into budget dilutes teacher license rules
Yep. That reform is working out well in Wisconsin.
And any person with relevant experience — even a high school dropout — could be licensed to teach in any other non-core academic subject in those grades, according to the provision.
Critics argue the changes, if approved, would dramatically lower Wisconsin's teaching standards.
The teacher certification provision was approved as part of a package of K-12 budget items by the Legislature's Joint Finance Committee last week in a 1:30 a.m. vote. It was proposed by Rep. Mary Czaja (R-Irma). She said she pursued the measure to help rural schools find and retain qualified teachers in hard-to-fill subjects.
But a rural schools leader said that's not what rural schools asked for.
"Heavens no," said Jerry Fiene, executive director of the Wisconsin Rural Schools Alliance. "This totally destroys any licensure requirements that we have in Wisconsin. It's very concerning."
Fiene said rural school district leaders have been looking for flexibility to expand options for degreed, licensed teachers. For example, allowing a credentialed English teacher already on staff to teach another subject if he or she has relevant experience.
And some districts seeking to expand technical education offerings have asked for credentialing flexibility, like the ability to hire someone with experience — but maybe not a bachelor's degree — to teach hands-on classes such as construction.
The question is how far Czaja's proposal goes.
In an interview, Czaja said the idea was to help schools fill specific niche areas, not to help people bypass a four-year degree and some kind of formal teacher training.
But when pressed about the impact of the broader provision, Czaja agreed it might make it easier to become a teacher in Wisconsin than in any other state.
Czaja couldn't name any districts that had asked for the broader flexibilities.
Provision slipped into budget dilutes teacher license rules
Yep. That reform is working out well in Wisconsin.
