... advancing the need for action.
"Anyone with “real-life experience” and a bachelor’s degree would be able to get a teaching license in any subject as long as they pass a test proving they are knowledgeable, under a budget provision Gov. Scott Walker announced Thursday.
The proposal would expand the non-traditional routes available to become licensed without an education degree. But many details weren’t disclosed Thursday, including whether it would call for any preparation for teaching, which is required in many of the current ways to get a teaching license without attending an education school.
Under Walker’s proposal, people with experience in fields they intend to teach could get licenses as long as they have a bachelor’s degree and demonstrate “that he or she is proficient in the subject or subjects that he or she intends to teach,” according to Walker spokeswoman Laurel Patrick.
The renewable license authorizes the individual to teach only in grades 6 to 12 for three years, Patrick said.
The proposal would be similar to nontraditional routes already available. Patrick said there are differences that will be outlined in the budget, but was not specific.....
Officials voice concern
.....In an emailed response to the proposal, DPI [Dept of Public Instruction] spokesman Tom McCarthy said, “You need more than textbook knowledge to be the kind of teacher that connects with students and helps all kids learn.”
“Like a skilled surgeon or a master electrician, high-quality teaching requires both skills and content knowledge,” said McCarthy. “Increasing the number of licensed teachers only addresses one side of the equation when it comes to finding and retaining the best teachers.”......
....John Forester of the Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance said without seeing details, the organization has “significant concerns over what appears to be the philosophical underpinnings” of the proposal. “Our reading of the research indicates that high quality preparation for teachers really matters,” he said. “We think content knowledge is only one part of the equation.”
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