Leading Forward: WI Education Workforce Initiative

Status of the Profession

Wisconsin faces ongoing staffing challenges despite continued success in attracting people to the profession as demonstrated by the number of students enrolling in educator preparation programs. The state continues to prepare more teachers than are retiring.

Wisconsin’s staffing challenges are driven by retention of its educators. In following a cohort of first-year teachers, only 55.6 percent are still teaching in public schools by their seventh year.

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction completes an annual, deep data analysis to determine areas of need and focus in collaboration with partners to establish and guide strategies for positive impact throughout the work of attracting, preparing, licensing, recruiting, and ongoing development for retention of educators.

What Data and Research Tell Us

The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) analyzes data from multiple sources to determine needs and impact. Sources have included Wisconsin educator preparation program enrollment and completion, testing rates, responses to a statewide hiring survey, as well as educator retention, salary, demographics, and retirement information.

Important takeaways from the most recent analysis:

• In 2022-23 there were 2,187 retirements. At the same time Wisconsin produced 3,334 educator preparation program completers.
• Some license areas have few enrollments and few or no programs available.
• Only 55.6 percent of teachers were still teaching in public schools by their seventh year. The rate for special education teachers was even lower at 46 percent.
• 79.3 percent of completers became licensed and only 66.6 percent of completers went on to become employed in a Wisconsin public school.
• Since 2019-20 there has been a 24 percent increase in the number of licenses with stipulations issued.
• There were 3,338 one-year licenses with stipulations issued in 2022-23.
• The largest shortage area for licensure is now in regular education in elementary and middle school.
• Cities and charter schools are experiencing the highest shortages.

Focus on All Stages of Educator Development

Data analysis calls for a comprehensive approach across each point of the development of future and current educators. The ability of schools to recruit and retain quality educators has a strong connection to student achievement.

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction is focused on strategies in the following areas:

• Grow a new generation & support career changers ( Attract)
• Strengthen preparation (Prepare)
• Advance licensing options (License)
• Support growth of the workforce across the state and in high-need areas (Recruit)
• Build effectiveness (Develop)
• Retain the workforce (Retain)