MADISON – Today, the Wisconsin Senate passed AB 195 which modifies the license to teach based on reciprocity. This legislation changes a license to teach based on reciprocity from an initial license to a provisional license. This change allows the Department of Public Instruction to issue a lifetime license to a classroom teacher that was educated out of state and successfully completes six semesters (three school years) of teaching in a Wisconsin school.
During the 2018-2019 school year, the Department of Public Instruction issued 409 teacher licenses based on reciprocity. This number is derived from the 2017-2019 state budget, which removed the requirement for a teacher to receive an offer of employment to teach in a school located in the state in order to qualify for an educator license based on licensure in another state.
“Today, Wisconsin took a step in the right direction” Rep. Myers stated. She went on to lament, “As an educator that earned my license outside of Wisconsin, I personally understand the struggle to obtain a teaching license in this state. I also know the fleeting feeling of having to renew a license every five years, understanding that no matter how great an educator I proved I was, I would never have the ability to earn a lifetime license like my colleagues. The senate’s passage of AB 195 today creates parity amongst certified teachers and will prove to be beneficial in attracting and retaining professional educators to Wisconsin’s classrooms.”
AB 195 has now passed both houses of the legislature and is headed to Governor Evers’ desk to be signed into law.
