ASSEMBLY SUBSTITUTE AMENDMENT 1,
TO ASSEMBLY BILL 640
February 12, 2024 - Offered by Representative Dittrich.
AB640-ASA1,1,3 1An Act to amend 115.28 (7) (a) and 118.19 (3) (a); and to create 118.198 of the
2statutes; relating to: a license to teach based on working as a paraprofessional
3 in a school district.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB640-ASA1,1 4Section 1 . 115.28 (7) (a) of the statutes, as affected by 2023 Wisconsin Act 20,
5is amended to read:
AB640-ASA1,2,126 115.28 (7) (a) License all teachers for the public schools of the state; make rules
7establishing standards of attainment and procedures for the examination and
8licensing of teachers within the limits prescribed in ss. 118.19 (2) and (3), 118.191,
9118.1915, 118.192, 118.193, 118.194, 118.195, and , 118.197, and 118.198; prescribe
10by rule standards, requirements, and procedures for the approval of teacher
11preparatory programs leading to licensure, including a requirement that, to be

1approved by the state superintendent, a teacher preparatory program shall
2demonstrate that it provides instruction that prepares teachers to teach reading and
3language arts using science-based early reading instruction, as defined in s. 118.015
4(1c) (b), and does not provide instruction on teaching reading and language arts that
5incorporates 3-cueing, as defined in s. 118.015 (1c) (c), and a requirement that,
6beginning on July 1, 2012, and annually thereafter, each teacher preparatory
7program located in this state shall submit to the department a list of individuals who
8have completed the program and who have been recommended by the program for
9licensure under this subsection, together with each individual's date of program
10completion, from each term or semester of the program's most recently completed
11academic year; file in the state superintendent's office all papers relating to state
12teachers' licenses; and register each such license.
AB640-ASA1,2 13Section 2 . 118.19 (3) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB640-ASA1,3,1214 118.19 (3) (a) No license to teach in any public school may be issued unless the
15applicant possesses a bachelor's degree including such professional training as the
16department by rule requires, except as permitted under par. (b) and ss. 115.28 (17)
17(a), 118.191, 118.1915, 118.192, 118.193, 118.194, and , 118.197 and 118.198.
18Notwithstanding s. 36.11 (16), no teacher preparatory program in this state may be
19approved by the state superintendent under s. 115.28 (7) (a), unless each student in
20the program is required to complete student teaching consisting of full days for a full
21semester following the daily schedule and semester calendar of the cooperating
22school or the equivalent, as determined by the state superintendent. No license to
23teach in any public school may be granted to an applicant who completed a
24professional training program outside this state unless the applicant completed
25student teaching consisting of full days for a full semester following the daily

1schedule and semester calendar of the cooperating school or the equivalent, as
2determined by the state superintendent. The state superintendent may grant
3exceptions to the student teaching requirements under this paragraph when the
4midyear calendars of the institution offering the teacher preparatory program and
5the cooperating school differ from each other and would prevent students from
6attending classes at the institution in accordance with the institution's calendar.
7The state superintendent shall promulgate rules to implement this subsection. If for
8the purpose of granting a license to teach or for approving a teacher preparatory
9program the state superintendent requires that an institution of higher education
10be accredited, the state superintendent shall accept accreditation by a regional or
11national institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. department of
12education or by a programmatic accrediting organization.
AB640-ASA1,3 13Section 3 . 118.198 of the statutes is created to read:
AB640-ASA1,3,15 14118.198 License to teach; paraprofessional experience. (1) In this
15section:
AB640-ASA1,3,1716 (a) “Employing school district” means a school district that employs an
17individual as a paraprofessional.
AB640-ASA1,3,1918 (b) “Experienced teacher” means a teacher who satisfies all of the following
19criteria:
AB640-ASA1,3,2120 1. The teacher has taught for at least 3 school years in an employing school
21district.
AB640-ASA1,3,2322 2. The teacher has mentored a first-year teacher or a teacher who is newly
23employed by an employing school district.
AB640-ASA1,4,2 24(2) Notwithstanding s. 118.19 (4m), (6) to (9), (12), and (14), the department
25shall grant a nonrenewable Tier I license to teach for a term of 5 years to an

1individual who is eligible for licensure under s. 118.19 (4) and (10) and who satisfies
2all of the following:
AB640-ASA1,4,43 (a) The individual worked as a paraprofessional in a classroom for at least 3
4days a week for at least 3 consecutive school years in the employing school district.
AB640-ASA1,4,65 (b) The individual has earned at least 60 credits from an accredited institution
6of higher education or technical college or has earned an associate degree.
AB640-ASA1,4,87 (c) The individual is enrolled in a teacher preparatory program approved by the
8department that leads to licensure under s. PI 34.040 (2) (a), Wis. Adm. Code.
AB640-ASA1,4,109 (d) All of the following recommend the individual for a provisional license to
10teach by signing the individual's application for a license under this section:
AB640-ASA1,4,1111 1. The principal of the school at which the individual worked under par. (a).
AB640-ASA1,4,1312 2. The school district administrator of the employing school district or the
13school district administrator's designee.
AB640-ASA1,4,1514 (e) The individual submits an application for a license under this section by
15September 1 of the school year in which the license is requested to be issued.
AB640-ASA1,4,18 16(3) (a) A license to teach issued under sub. (2) authorizes the license holder to
17teach only in the employing school district that recommended the license holder
18under sub. (2) (b).
AB640-ASA1,4,2019 (b) The department may not issue a license to teach issued under sub. (2) in any
20of the following teaching areas:
AB640-ASA1,4,2121 1. Early childhood special education.
AB640-ASA1,4,2222 2. Cross-categorical special education.
AB640-ASA1,4,2323 3. Speech-language pathology.
AB640-ASA1,4,2424 4. Deaf or hard of hearing.
AB640-ASA1,4,2525 5. Blind and visual impairment.
AB640-ASA1,5,1
16. American Indian language license.
AB640-ASA1,5,22 7. American Indian history, culture, and tribal sovereignty.
AB640-ASA1,5,83 (c) During at least the first school year that the license holder is employed as
4a teacher by the employing school district, the employing school district shall ensure
5that the license holder is mentored by an experienced teacher. The employing school
6district shall provide paid release time to the experienced teacher to observe the
7license holder teaching and provide feedback to the license holder about the
8experienced teacher's observations.
AB640-ASA1,5,129 (d) The employing school district shall ensure that an individual holding a
10license issued under sub. (2) receives the professional development described in 2023
11Wisconsin Act 20
, section 27 (2) (a), before the individual teaches a grade from
12kindergarten to 3 in the employing school district.
AB640-ASA1,5,14 13(4) Notwithstanding the term of a license under sub. (2), a license under sub.
14(2) expires on the date that any of the following occur:
AB640-ASA1,5,1815 (a) The employing school district notifies the department that the individual
16who holds the license is no longer employed by the employing school district or is no
17longer enrolled in a teacher preparatory program approved by the department that
18leads to licensure under s. PI 34.040 (2) (a), Wis. Adm. Code.
AB640-ASA1,5,2219 (b) The department determines that the individual who holds the license is no
20longer employed by the employing school district or is no longer enrolled in a teacher
21preparatory program approved by the department that leads to licensure under s. PI
2234.040 (2) (a), Wis. Adm. Code.
AB640-ASA1,4 23Section 4. Effective date.
AB640-ASA1,5,2424 (1) This act takes effect on July 1, 2024.
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