According to a report by the Wisconsin Public Forum, the Department of Public Instruction issued 3,197 emergency teaching licenses in the 2021-2022 academic year. This is an increase of 184% from the 2012-2013 academic year, when the DPI only issued 1,125 emergency licenses.

Emergency teaching licenses are granted to individuals without a teaching license but who then will apply for a regular teaching license. These emergency licenses are normally granted when school districts encounter teacher shortages, according to the Wisconsin Public Forum. 

Communications officer for the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Chris Bucher, said in an email statement to the Badger Herald that these emergency licenses are issued to allow flexibility in staffing demands across the state of Wisconsin. 

Bucher said these licenses are granted for a one-year period and can be renewed if teachers meet certain requirements and are in the process of obtaining a full teaching license in the state of Wisconsin. 

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According to the Department of Public Instruction, the minimum requirement to obtain a teaching license in the state of Wisconsin is a bachelor’s degree in any subject. This requirement changed in 2018 when Wisconsin expanded the pathways to becoming a teacher by repealing and amending the state administrative code, PI 34. 

Wisconsin legislation became more flexible about teaching licenses in response to hiring challenges experienced by school districts across the state to hire new teachers. 

Wisconsin outranks other Midwest states in the number of students who enroll in educator preparation programs, but 76.8% of those students complete their programs. 

Gov. Tony Evers recently announced his 2023-2025 budget proposal, including a segment catered to solving the teacher shortage in Wisconsin. In his proposal, Wisconsin would reimburse the cost of grow-your-own educators programs and would also fund stipends for student teachers and interns.

“These programs help teachers and staff obtain further licensure, and encourage current students to enter the teaching profession,” Bucher said.

Wisconsin retained 91.7% of teachers from 2021-2022, according to the DPI. But, only 67% of teachers stay in the state of Wisconsin with their first teaching jobs after their first five years.

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According to the DPI, there is a relatively stable number of teachers in Wisconsin overall, yet districts and schools are still facing challenges.

A cause for this could be salary, as the Post Crescent points out — the median salary for teachers fell from over $62,000 in 2011 to $56,000 in 2021.

According to the Cap Times, both the number of emergency licenses and the number of districts using emergency licenses have increased, indicating that the issuing of licenses is not solely a reflection of teacher shortages.  

School Districts have two options for emergency licensing. They can give teachers a one-year license while they complete the requirements for a full license, or they can give teachers a three-year license to teach outside their expertise if the teacher has a regular license already, according to the Post Crescent.