Janesville leaders warn teacher-licensure rules and a shrinking pipeline could slow reading-law rollout

District officials told legislators Aug. 18 that workforce constraints and licensure rules create a major risk for implementing the new literacy law.

"We're finding most of our elementary teachers are not passing the fort test and they have to pass it within a year or so," Allison DeGraff, the districts director of learning and innovation, said, describing a state assessment that new teachers must pass for reading licensure. DeGraff said the district has created a course for new teachers that produced a 100% pass rate for participants, but warned that higher-education preparation and licensure limits reduce the available pool of qualified candidates.

Superintendent Mark Holzman and other leaders explained how recent changes in licensure narrow the grade bands that many teachers receive when they graduate, limiting district flexibility to move staff between grade levels or subject areas. Holzman described how restrictive licensure can force districts to hire provisional-license holders with little classroom experience or to reassign veteran teachers to cover gaps.

District staff described local pipeline efforts to recruit and prepare future teachers: an "aspiring educators" class, partnerships with UW-Whitewater at Rock County, student opportunities to work in elementary classrooms, and plans for a teacher academy that could offer college credit. Chris Medmold, director of secondary education, said the district is developing academies and mini-course experiences so students can see careers in education early.

Legislators acknowledged the pipeline problem and said they would consider workforce-development supports, including potential incentives or work with higher education programs. They also encouraged the district to flag implementation problems that may require statutory or administrative fixes.

What's next: District leaders asked legislators to explore supports such as stipends for student teaching and other measures to expand the teacher pipeline; legislators asked to be notified of recurring implementation issues as they arise.