Wisconsin 2023-2024 Regular Session

Wisconsin Senate Bill SB500 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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3	3	2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE
4	4	2023 SENATE BILL 500
5	5	October 16, 2023 - Introduced by Senators LARSON, SMITH, ROYS, HESSELBEIN,
6	6	AGARD, SPREITZER and CARPENTER, cosponsored by Representatives SHELTON,
7	7	MYERS, C. ANDERSON, ANDRACA, MADISON, JOERS, BALDEH, SUBECK, SINICKI,
8	8	RATCLIFF, J. ANDERSON, CLANCY and NEUBAUER. Referred to Committee on
9	9	Education.
10	10	AN ACT to amend 115.28 (7) (b), 118.19 (1), 118.19 (1b), 118.19 (1c) (b) (intro.),
11	11	118.19 (3) (a), 118.19 (3) (b), 118.19 (10) (b) 1., 118.191 (2) (a), 118.191 (2) (b),
12	12	118.191 (2m), 118.191 (3), 118.191 (4), 118.192 (4), 118.60 (2) (a) 6. a., 118.60 (2)
13	13	(a) 6. b., 119.23 (2) (a) 6. a. and 119.23 (2) (a) 6. b.; and to create 115.7915 (2)
14	14	(i), 118.60 (2) (a) 6m., 118.60 (2) (c) 3., 118.60 (2) (c) 4., 119.23 (2) (a) 6m., 119.23
15	15	(2) (c) 3. and 119.23 (2) (c) 4. of the statutes; relating to: teacher and
16	16	administrator licensure in parental choice programs and in the Special Needs
17	17	Scholarship Program and granting rule-making authority.
18	18	Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
19	19	With certain exceptions, this bill requires that, beginning on July 1, 2025,
20	20	teachers and administrators at private schools participating in a parental choice
21	21	program or in the Special Needs Scholarship Program must hold a license or permit
22	22	issued by the Department of Public Instruction. Under current law, teachers and
23	23	administrators at choice schools must have at least a bachelor's degree from a
24	24	nationally or regionally accredited institution of higher education, but they are not
25	25	required to be licensed by DPI. There are no current law requirements regarding who
26	26	may teach or be employed as an administrator at SNSP schools.
27	27	The bill provides an exception for a teacher who teaches only courses in
28	28	rabbinical studies and for an administrator at a private school that prepares and
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38	38	SENATE BILL 500
39	39	trains pupils attending the private school in rabbinical studies. In addition, the bill
40	40	provides a grace period for a teacher or administrator who has been teaching or
41	41	employed as an administrator for at least the five consecutive years immediately
42	42	preceding July 1, 2025, which allows the teacher or administrator to apply for a
43	43	temporary, nonrenewable waiver of the licensure requirement. An applicant for a
44	44	waiver must submit a plan for becoming licensed as required under the bill.
45	45	For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as
46	46	an appendix to this bill.
47	47	The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
48	48	enact as follows:
49	49	SECTION 1. 115.28 (7) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
50	50	115.28 (7) (b) Subject to the same rules and laws concerning qualifications of
51	51	applicants and granting and revocation of licenses or certificates under par. (a), the
52	52	state superintendent shall grant certificates and licenses to teachers in private
53	53	schools and tribal schools, except that teaching experience requirements for such
54	54	certificates and licenses may be fulfilled by teaching experience in public, private,
55	55	or tribal schools. An applicant is not eligible for a license or certificate unless the
56	56	state superintendent finds that the private school or tribal school in which the
57	57	applicant taught offered an adequate educational program during the period of the
58	58	applicant's teaching therein. Private Except as provided under ss. 115.7915 (2) (i),
59	59	118.60 (2) (a) 6m., and 119.23 (2) (a) 6m., private schools are not obligated to employ
60	60	only licensed or certified teachers.
61	61	SECTION 2. 115.7915 (2) (i) of the statutes is created to read:
62	62	115.7915 (2) (i) 1. Except as provided in subd. 3., beginning on July 1, 2025, all
63	63	of the eligible school's teachers have a teaching license or permit issued by the
64	64	department, except that a teacher employed by the eligible school who teaches only
65	65	courses in rabbinical studies is not required to hold a license or permit to teach issued
66	66	by the department.
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87	87	SECTION 2
88	88	SENATE BILL 500
89	89	2. Except as provided in subd. 3., beginning on July 1, 2025, all of the eligible
90	90	school's administrators have an administrator's license issued by the department.
91	91	3. Any teacher or administrator employed by the eligible school on July 1, 2025,
92	92	who has been teaching or employed as an administrator for at least the 5 consecutive
93	93	years immediately preceding July 1, 2025, and who does not satisfy the requirements
94	94	under subd. 1. or 2. on July 1, 2025, applies to the department on a form prepared
95	95	by the department for a temporary, nonrenewable waiver from the requirements
96	96	under subd. 1. or 2. The department shall promulgate rules to implement this
97	97	subdivision, including the form of the application and the process by which the
98	98	waiver application will be reviewed. The application form shall require the applicant
99	99	to submit a plan for satisfying the requirements under subd. 1. No waiver granted
100	100	under this subdivision is valid after July 1, 2030.
101	101	SECTION 3. 118.19 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
102	102	118.19 (1) Except as provided in subs. (1b) and (1c) and s. 118.40 (8) (b) 1. and
103	103	2., any person seeking to teach in a public school, including a charter school, or in a
104	104	school or institution operated by a county or the state, in a private school
105	105	participating in a parental choice program under s. 118.60 or 119.23, or in a private
106	106	school participating in the program under s. 115.7915 shall first procure a license or
107	107	permit from the department.
108	108	SECTION 4. 118.19 (1b) of the statutes is amended to read:
109	109	118.19 (1b) An individual may teach an online course in a subject and level in
110	110	a public school, including a charter school, in a private school participating in a
111	111	parental choice program under s. 118.60 or 119.23, or in a private school
112	112	participating in the program under s. 115.7915 without a license or permit from the
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138	138	SECTION 4 SENATE BILL 500
139	139	department if the individual holds a valid license or permit to teach the subject and
140	140	level in the state from which the online course is provided.
141	141	SECTION 5. 118.19 (1c) (b) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
142	142	118.19 (1c) (b) (intro.) A faculty member of an institution of higher education
143	143	may teach in a public high school, including a charter school that operates only high
144	144	school grades, in a private school participating in a parental choice program under
145	145	s. 118.60 or 119.23 that operates only high school grades, or in a private school
146	146	participating in the program under s. 115.7915 that operates only high school grades
147	147	without a license or permit from the department if the faculty member satisfies all
148	148	of the following:
149	149	SECTION 6. 118.19 (3) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
150	150	118.19 (3) (a) No license to teach in any public school may be issued unless the
151	151	applicant possesses a bachelor's degree including such professional training as the
152	152	department by rule requires, except as permitted under par. (b) and ss. 115.28 (17)
153	153	(a), 118.191, 118.1915, 118.192, 118.193, 118.194, and 118.197. Notwithstanding s.
154	154	36.11 (16), no teacher preparatory program in this state may be approved by the state
155	155	superintendent under s. 115.28 (7) (a), unless each student in the program is
156	156	required to complete student teaching consisting of full days for a full semester
157	157	following the daily schedule and semester calendar of the cooperating school or the
158	158	equivalent, as determined by the state superintendent. No license to teach in any
159	159	public school may be granted to an applicant who completed a professional training
160	160	program outside this state unless the applicant completed student teaching
161	161	consisting of full days for a full semester following the daily schedule and semester
162	162	calendar of the cooperating school or the equivalent, as determined by the state
163	163	superintendent. The state superintendent may grant exceptions to the student
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191	191	SECTION 6
192	192	SENATE BILL 500
193	193	teaching requirements under this paragraph when the midyear calendars of the
194	194	institution offering the teacher preparatory program and the cooperating school
195	195	differ from each other and would prevent students from attending classes at the
196	196	institution in accordance with the institution's calendar. The state superintendent
197	197	shall promulgate rules to implement this subsection. If for the purpose of granting
198	198	a license to teach or for approving a teacher preparatory program the state
199	199	superintendent requires that an institution of higher education be accredited, the
200	200	state superintendent shall accept accreditation by a regional or national
201	201	institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. department of education or
202	202	by a programmatic accrediting organization.
203	203	SECTION 7. 118.19 (3) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
204	204	118.19 (3) (b) The state superintendent shall permanently certify any
205	205	applicant to teach Wisconsin native American languages and culture who has
206	206	successfully completed the university of Wisconsin-Milwaukee school of education
207	207	approved Wisconsin native American languages and culture project certification
208	208	program at any time between January 1, 1974, and December 31, 1977. School
209	209	districts shall A school district, the governing body of a private school participating
210	210	in a parental choice program under s. 118.60 or 119.23, or the governing body of a
211	211	private school participating in the program under s. 115.7915 may not assign
212	212	individuals certified under this paragraph to teach courses other than Wisconsin
213	213	native American languages and culture, unless they qualify under par. (a).
214	214	SECTION 8. 118.19 (10) (b) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:
215	215	118.19 (10) (b) 1. Conduct a background investigation of each applicant for
216	216	issuance or renewal of a license or permit, including a license or permit issued to a
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242	242	SECTION 8 SENATE BILL 500
243	243	pupil services professional, and for a faculty member seeking to teach in a public high
244	244	school without a license or permit.
245	245	SECTION 9. 118.191 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
246	246	118.191 (2) (a) Notwithstanding s. 118.19 (7) to (9), the department shall grant
247	247	an initial teaching license to teach a technical education subject to an individual who
248	248	is eligible for licensure under s. 118.19 (4) and (10), who scores at least 100 points on
249	249	the point system under sub. (5), of which at least 25 points are from sub. (5) (a) 1. and
250	250	at least 25 points are from sub. (5) (a) 2., and who agrees to complete during the term
251	251	of the license a curriculum determined by the school board of the school district, by
252	252	the governing body of the private school participating in a parental choice program
253	253	under s. 118.60 or 119.23, or by the governing body of the private school participating
254	254	in the program under s. 115.7915 in which the individual will teach.
255	255	SECTION 10. 118.191 (2) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
256	256	118.191 (2) (b) Notwithstanding s. 118.19 (7) to (9), the department shall grant
257	257	an initial teaching license to teach a vocational education subject to an individual
258	258	who is eligible for licensure under s. 118.19 (4) and (10), who scores at least 100 points
259	259	on the point system under sub. (5m), of which at least 25 points are from sub. (5m)
260	260	(a) 1. and at least 25 points are from sub. (5m) (a) 2., and who agrees to complete
261	261	during the term of the license a curriculum determined by the school board of the
262	262	school district, by the governing body of the private school participating in a parental
263	263	choice program under s. 118.60 or 119.23, or by the governing body of the private
264	264	school participating in the program under s. 115.7915 in which the individual will
265	265	teach.
266	266	SECTION 11. 118.191 (2m) of the statutes is amended to read:
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293	293	SECTION 11
294	294	SENATE BILL 500
295	295	118.191 (2m) An initial teaching license issued under sub. (2) authorizes an
296	296	individual to teach only in the school district controlled by the school board, or in the
297	297	private school controlled by the governing body, that determined the curriculum the
298	298	individual agreed to complete in order to qualify for the initial teaching license.
299	299	SECTION 12. 118.191 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
300	300	118.191 (3) An initial teaching license issued under sub. (2) is valid for 3 years.
301	301	An initial teaching license issued under sub. (2) is void if the license holder ceases
302	302	to be employed as a teacher in the school district or private school in which the license
303	303	holder is authorized to teach under sub. (2m).
304	304	SECTION 13. 118.191 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:
305	305	118.191 (4) Upon the expiration of the 3-year term of an initial teaching license
306	306	issued under sub. (2), the department shall issue to the license holder a professional
307	307	teaching license to teach the technical education subject or vocational education
308	308	subject if the individual successfully completed the curriculum that the individual
309	309	agreed to under sub. (2), as determined by the school board of the school district, by
310	310	the governing body of the private school participating in a parental choice program
311	311	under s. 118.60 or 119.23, or by the governing body of the private school participating
312	312	in the program under s. 115.7915 that established the curriculum. The department
313	313	shall indicate on a professional teaching license issued under this subsection that the
314	314	license was obtained under the experience-based licensure program under this
315	315	section.
316	316	SECTION 14. 118.192 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:
317	317	118.192 (4) A school board or private school participating in a parental choice
318	318	program under s. 118.60 or 119.23 that employs a person who holds a professional
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344	344	SECTION 14 SENATE BILL 500
345	345	teaching permit shall ensure that no regularly licensed teacher is removed from his
346	346	or her position as a result of the employment of persons holding permits.
347	347	SECTION 15. 118.60 (2) (a) 6. a. of the statutes is amended to read:
348	348	118.60 (2) (a) 6. a. Except as provided in subd. 6. c. and d., all of the private
349	349	school's teachers have a teaching license issued by the department or a bachelor's
350	350	degree or a degree or educational credential higher than a bachelor's degree,
351	351	including a masters master's or doctorate, from a nationally or regionally accredited
352	352	institution of higher education. This subd. 6. a. does not apply after June 30, 2025.
353	353	SECTION 16. 118.60 (2) (a) 6. b. of the statutes is amended to read:
354	354	118.60 (2) (a) 6. b. All of the private school's administrators have at least a
355	355	bachelor's degree from a nationally or regionally accredited institution of higher
356	356	education or a teaching license or administrator's license issued by the department.
357	357	This subd. 6. b. does not apply after June 30, 2025.
358	358	SECTION 17. 118.60 (2) (a) 6m. of the statutes is created to read:
359	359	118.60 (2) (a) 6m. a. Except as provided in subd. 6m. c., beginning on July 1,
360	360	2025, all of the private school's teachers have a teaching license or permit issued by
361	361	the department.
362	362	b. Except as provided in subd. 6m. c., beginning on July 1, 2025, all of the
363	363	private school's administrators have an administrator's license issued by the
364	364	department.
365	365	c. Any teacher or administrator employed by the private school on July 1, 2025,
366	366	who has been teaching or employed as an administrator for at least the 5 consecutive
367	367	years immediately preceding July 1, 2025, and who does not satisfy the requirements
368	368	under subd. 6m. a. or b. on July 1, 2025, applies to the department on a form prepared
369	369	by the department for a temporary, nonrenewable waiver from the requirements
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397	397	SECTION 17
398	398	SENATE BILL 500
399	399	under subd. 6m. a. or b. The department shall promulgate rules to implement this
400	400	subd. 6m. c., including the form of the application and the process by which the
401	401	waiver application will be reviewed. The application form shall require the applicant
402	402	to submit a plan for satisfying the requirements under subd. 6m. a. or b. No waiver
403	403	granted under this subd. 6m. c. is valid after July 1, 2030.
404	404	SECTION 18. 118.60 (2) (c) 3. of the statutes is created to read:
405	405	118.60 (2) (c) 3. Notwithstanding par. (a) 6m., a teacher employed by a private
406	406	school participating in the program under this section who teaches only courses in
407	407	rabbinical studies is not required to hold a license or permit to teach issued by the
408	408	department.
409	409	SECTION 19. 118.60 (2) (c) 4. of the statutes is created to read:
410	410	118.60 (2) (c) 4. Notwithstanding par. (a) 6m., an administrator of a private
411	411	school participating in the program under this section that prepares and trains
412	412	pupils attending the school in rabbinical studies is not required to hold an
413	413	administrator's license issued by the department.
414	414	SECTION 20. 119.23 (2) (a) 6. a. of the statutes is amended to read:
415	415	119.23 (2) (a) 6. a. Except as provided in subd. 6. c., all of the private school's
416	416	teachers have a teaching license issued by the department or a bachelor's degree or
417	417	a degree or educational credential higher than a bachelor's degree, including a
418	418	masters master's or doctorate, from a nationally or regionally accredited institution
419	419	of higher education. This subd. 6. a. does not apply after June 30, 2025.
420	420	SECTION 21. 119.23 (2) (a) 6. b. of the statutes is amended to read:
421	421	119.23 (2) (a) 6. b. All of the private school's administrators have at least a
422	422	bachelor's degree from a nationally or regionally accredited institution of higher
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448	448	SECTION 21 SENATE BILL 500
449	449	education or a teaching license or administrator's license issued by the department.
450	450	This subd. 6. b. does not apply after June 30, 2025.
451	451	SECTION 22. 119.23 (2) (a) 6m. of the statutes is created to read:
452	452	119.23 (2) (a) 6m. a. Except as provided in subd. 6m. c., beginning on July 1,
453	453	2025, all of the private school's teachers have a teaching license or permit issued by
454	454	the department.
455	455	b. Except as provided in subd. 6m. c., beginning on July 1, 2025, all of the
456	456	private school's administrators have an administrator's license issued by the
457	457	department.
458	458	c. Any teacher or administrator employed by the private school on July 1, 2025,
459	459	who has been teaching or employed as an administrator for at least the 5 consecutive
460	460	years immediately preceding July 1, 2025, and who does not satisfy the requirements
461	461	under subd. 6m. a. or b. on July 1, 2025, applies to the department on a form prepared
462	462	by the department for a temporary, nonrenewable waiver from the requirements
463	463	under subd. 6m. a. or b. The department shall promulgate rules to implement this
464	464	subd. 6m. c., including the form of the application and the process by which the
465	465	waiver application will be reviewed. The application form shall require the applicant
466	466	to submit a plan for satisfying the requirements under subd. 6m. a. or b. No waiver
467	467	granted under this subd. 6m. c. is valid after July 1, 2030.
468	468	SECTION 23. 119.23 (2) (c) 3. of the statutes is created to read:
469	469	119.23 (2) (c) 3. Notwithstanding par. (a) 6m., a teacher employed by a private
470	470	school participating in the program under this section who teaches only courses in
471	471	rabbinical studies is not required to hold a license or permit to teach issued by the
472	472	department.
473	473	SECTION 24. 119.23 (2) (c) 4. of the statutes is created to read:
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501	501	SECTION 24
502	502	SENATE BILL 500
503	503	119.23 (2) (c) 4. Notwithstanding par. (a) 6m., an administrator of a private
504	504	school participating in the program under this section that prepares and trains
505	505	pupils attending the school in rabbinical studies is not required to hold an
506	506	administrator's license issued by the department.
507	507	SECTION 25.0Effective dates. This act takes effect on the day after publication,
508	508	except as follows:
509	509	(1) TEACHER LICENSURE IN CERTAIN PRIVATE SCHOOLS. The treatment of s. 118.19
510	510	(1), (1b), (1c) (b) (intro.), and (3) (b) takes effect on July 1, 2025.
511	511	(END)
512	512	1
513	513	2
514	514	3
515	515	4
516	516	5
517	517	6
518	518	7
519	519	8
520	520	9