Wisconsin’s Department of Public Instruction is toying around with this statement.
“School districts throughout the state are experiencing difficulties obtaining and retaining licensed personnel. These difficulties can impact children’s educational experience. An emergency rule is needed to create additional flexibility in the teacher licensing process for individuals who are seeking a license for the upcoming school year.”
Tim’s Take.
There is NO NEED for an “emergency rule” that deregulates teacher licensure.
However:
There IS AN EMERGENCY need to address the reasons why teachers are fleeing Wisconsin classrooms. and…
There IS AN EMERGENCY NEED to address the reasons why students are not enrolling in teacher education programs at Institutions of Higher Education.
Any step that DPI takes to “reduce regulations” actually lowers the standards of the the people that will be charged with the educational and social/emotional welfare of OUR children.
The TEACHERS OUR CHILDREN DESERVE will never enter our schools through the dismantling process of deregulating the profession and intentionally lowering standards. The standards were put in place to guarantee a level of expertise.
In summary,
WE DON”T HAVE AN EMERGENCY THAT REQUIRES DUMBING DOWN THE PROFESSION OF TEACHING.
WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY THAT REQUIRES COURAGEOUS LEADERSHIP!
Our children and communities deserve courageous leaders that are willing to finally admit that we don’t have a burdensome system of regulations that are causing teacher shortages, rather, we have seriously inequitable conditions that are driving teachers from the profession and squashing the dreams of countless students that might see themselves as teachers one day!
Are we not good enough?
Are we not brave enough?
To become something greater
Than the violence in our nature?
