2009 - 2010 LEGISLATURE
April 23, 2009 - Introduced by Senators Plale, Olsen, Darling and Hopper,
cosponsored by Representatives Fields, Honadel, Grigsby, Davis, Vukmir,
Kerkman, Ripp, Bies, Knodl, Brooks, Spanbauer, Gunderson, Townsend, Vos,
Dexter
and Ballweg. Referred to Committee on Education.
SB175,1,3 1An Act to amend 115.28 (7) (a), 118.19 (3) (a), 118.19 (6) and 118.19 (8); and to
2create
118.19 (14) of the statutes; relating to: the issuance of licenses to teach
3mathematics or science.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill establishes an alternative route for obtaining a teaching license. The
bill directs the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to issue a one-year,
nonrenewable license to teach mathematics, general science, biology, chemistry, or
physics in grades 6 to 12 to any person who is certified by a national alternative
teacher certification organization that was established with federal funds; has a
teacher recruitment, preparation, and certification program designed for
professionals who want to change careers; requires candidates to hold a bachelor's
degree and pass professional teaching and subject area examinations and a criminal
background check; and provides a teacher mentoring program.
Upon completion of a one-year mentoring program operated by a school district
or by an organization described above, an applicant who holds the one-year,
nonrenewable license is eligible for a regular initial teaching license that authorizes
the holder to teach mathematics, general science, biology, chemistry, or physics in
grades 6 to 12. The bill prohibits DPI from issuing more than 200 such licences to
such applicants in any school year and from issuing such a license to such an
applicant after June 30, 2015.

For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as
an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
SB175, s. 1 1Section 1. 115.28 (7) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB175,2,72 115.28 (7) (a) License all teachers for the public schools of the state, make rules
3establishing standards of attainment and procedures for the examination and
4licensing of teachers within the limits prescribed in ss. 118.19 (2) and, (3), and (14),
5118.192 and 118.195, prescribe by rule standards and procedures for the approval of
6teacher preparatory programs leading to licensure, file in the state superintendent's
7office all papers relating to state teachers' licenses and register each such license.
SB175, s. 2 8Section 2. 118.19 (3) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB175,3,59 118.19 (3) (a) No license to teach in any public school may be issued unless the
10applicant possesses a bachelor's degree including such professional training as the
11department by rule requires, except as permitted under par. (b), sub. (14), and ss.
12115.28 (17) (a) and 118.192. Notwithstanding s. 36.11 (16), no teacher preparatory
13program in this state may be approved by the state superintendent under s. 115.28
14(7) (a), unless each student in the program is required to complete student teaching
15consisting of full days for a full semester following the daily schedule and semester
16calendar of the cooperating school. No license to teach in any public school may be
17granted to an applicant who completed a professional training program outside this
18state unless the applicant completed student teaching consisting of full days for a full
19semester following the daily schedule and semester calendar of the cooperating
20school or the equivalent, as determined by the state superintendent. The state
21superintendent may grant exceptions to the student teaching requirements under

1this paragraph when the midyear calendars of the institution offering the teacher
2preparatory program and the cooperating school differ from each other and would
3prevent students from attending classes at the institution in accordance with the
4institution's calendar. The state superintendent shall promulgate rules to
5implement this subsection.
SB175, s. 3 6Section 3. 118.19 (6) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB175,3,127 118.19 (6) In granting certificates or licenses for the teaching of courses in
8economics, social studies or agriculture, adequate instruction in cooperative
9marketing and consumers' cooperatives shall be required. In Except as permitted
10in sub. (14), in
granting certificates or licenses for the teaching of courses in science
11or social studies, adequate instruction in the conservation of natural resources shall
12be required.
SB175, s. 4 13Section 4. 118.19 (8) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB175,3,1814 118.19 (8) The Except as permitted in sub. (14), the state superintendent may
15not grant to any person a license to teach unless the person has received instruction
16in the study of minority group relations, including instruction in the history, culture
17and tribal sovereignty of the federally recognized American Indian tribes and bands
18located in this state.
SB175, s. 5 19Section 5. 118.19 (14) of the statutes is created to read:
SB175,4,320 118.19 (14) (a) The department shall issue a one-year, nonrenewable license
21to teach mathematics, general science, biology, chemistry, or physics in grades 6 to
2212 to any person who is certified by a national alternative teacher certification
23organization that was established with federal funds; has a teacher recruitment,
24preparation, and certification program designed for professionals who want to
25change careers; requires candidates for the program to hold a bachelor's degree, pass

1a professional teaching knowledge examination and a subject area examination, and
2pass a criminal background investigation; and provides a teacher mentoring
3program.
SB175,4,114 (b) The department shall issue an initial educator license under s. PI 34.17,
5Wis. Adm. Code, to teach mathematics, general science, biology, chemistry, or physics
6in grades 6 to 12 to any person who has held a license issued under par. (a) for one
7year and has successfully completed during that year a one-year mentoring program
8operated by a school district or by an organization described in par. (a). The
9department may issue no more than 200 licenses under this paragraph in any school
10year. The department may not issue a license under this paragraph after June 30,
112015.
SB175,4,1312 (c) Notwithstanding sub. (10) (b) 1., the department is not required to conduct
13a background investigation of an applicant for a license under par. (b).
SB175,4,1414 (End)
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