Alternative
Teacher Licensure: Here's the Rest of the Story
There has been a lot of discussion over the
last couple weeks regarding the idea of Wisconsin offering an alternative
teacher license to qualified individuals. This is a topic that has inspired
a great deal of debate on all sides. You can find recent media
coverage
here and here.
I have been
working on this idea since my time serving as a member of last session's
bipartisan Rural Schools Task Force. I introduced the alternative teacher
licensure proposal as part of a motion in the Joint Finance Committee on
Tuesday, May 19th as we deliberated the education package in the state
budget. The motion was passed 12-4.
There has
been some confusion since that time about the goal of the proposal. The
option of an alternative teacher license is not to challenge the
traditional four-year education degree. Wisconsin has many talented teachers
and nothing in this optional alternative will change that. To help provide
context and add factual background to this debate, this coming week in your
local newspaper you will see a 'Letter to the Editor' from me on this topic.
For those of you who subscribe to my e-update, here is an advance read:
Letter
to the Editor
Rep.
Czaja Comments on Teacher Licensure
June
12th, 2015
As the great radio announcer Paul Harvey used
to say, “And Now…for the Rest of the Story.”
Recent
media coverage has omitted some important details of the teacher licensing
proposal that is currently being debated at the State Capitol. While I
appreciate the concerns that have been raised, it is important to have all
the facts clearly stated. So, here is the rest of the story.
Last session, the bipartisan Assembly
Speaker’s Task Force on Rural Schools identified alternative teacher
licensure as a tool that could help school districts around the state. We
heard from superintendents about the hiring difficulties they faced in
certain subjects. We also heard about the wide gap in courses and electives
that are available to students in rural districts, compared to those in more
urban areas.
In my current role as a member of the
budget-writing Joint Finance Committee, I have made it a priority to
advocate for many of those recommendations from the Rural Schools Task
Force. Already included as part of this state budget are increased funds for
school transportation costs and additional funds for digital learning to
increase course offerings across the state; both were passed by the JFC as
part of the education package. I also worked to include the teacher license
flexibility as part of that package.
For example, in small districts with a lower
enrollment, there may only be a few kids interested in an accounting course
or a woodworking shop class. The alternative teacher license is one
additional way for a skilled instructor to offer that opportunity. There are
a few key points to keep in mind.
First, this alternative license proposal is
completely optional. No school
district or board is required to use this option if it does not wish to. The
alternative license is not intended to dilute or compete with a traditional
four-year teaching degree.
Second, an alternative license would only be
valid for the district where that person was deemed qualified. It
cannot be transferred to any other district
in the state. The entire basis of the alternative license is that local
districts know best the needs of their own classrooms and can identify those
skilled members of the community that could give back by helping the next
generation of learners.
Third, any person holding an alternative
teacher license could not be a full-time employee
of the district. That was a main concern that has been raised, and it was
never the intent for an alternative license holder to be full-time staff. I
have said publicly in the media and will say again here, that before final
JFC passage of the budget I will offer language to clarify that intent.
Thank you for reading. (end of letter)
This coming Monday, June 15th I will also be
speaking to the Lincoln County Retired Educators' Association on this topic.
The meeting is held at the Road Lake Pub and Grill in Tomahawk, beginning at
10:00am.
Mark Your Calendar: Lincoln
County Dairy Breakfast
This Sunday,
June 14th the annual
Lincoln County Dairy Breakfast will be held at the MARC in Merrill. The
event runs from 8:00am - 12:00 noon. This is a great opportunity to meet the
local people who produce the products you use everyday. I am looking forward
to serving as a volunteer again this year.
Breakfast
includes all-you-can-eat Dad's Belgian Waffles with toppings, scrambled
eggs, sausage links, real Wisconsin cheese curds, chocolate and white milk,
cranberry juice, orange juice and coffee. A portion of the breakfast
proceeds support the FFA Alumni Scholarship fund. Horse and wagon rides,
Grandpa's Farm petting zoo, kids activity areas, Bel Canto Ringers at 10am,
Lincoln County Farm Bureau's Ag Producer Expo. Tickets for adults are $7,
children 5 and under are free.
Have a great
weekend,
Share your ideas at
www.WisconsinAssemblyRepublicans.com and on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/WisconsinAssemblyRepublicans. #ForwardAgenda
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