Alternative Teacher Licensing Program Under Fire

A new alternative licensing program for teachers is drawing criticism. State education officials unveiled a new license this week that bypasses traditional training requirements, but takes into account job experience.

President Elect of the Wisconsin Association of Colleges for Teacher Education Melanie Agnew says the new license could create a work force of under-prepared teachers and lacks the rigor and classroom supervision of the current training program. “Right now the license equivalency uses a dispositions assessment. That is a self-assessment verified by a self-selected reviewer, and there is no approved program in the state that uses such a system. So it has some problems in there, I think, around quality and assessment of performance and competency.”

Supporters, including Governor Scott Walker and State Superintendent Tony Evers, say the new program will help address the shortage of science and math teachers.