2011-12 WEAC Legislative Agenda
Professional Development & Licensure
The Wisconsin Education Association Council believes educators, prepared through quality pre-service education, should
be engaged by their district and their union in continuous relevant learning opportunities driven by locally bargained,
growth-oriented models, coordinated with licensure and certification standards.
WEAC supports full funding for the professional development initiatives and mentoring required under the new teacher
licensure system, PI 34, to ensure its success in developing educators with a greater understanding of their strengths
and weaknesses, a broader vision of their roles, and a deeper appreciation of the school-community relationship.
PI 34 consists of three stages of licensure: initial, professional, and master educator. PI 34 requires school districts to
provide initial educators with mentors who hold a Professional or Master Educator License and are trained to provide
support and assistance to initial
educators. It is a wellestablished
principle that one
of the most important factors in
retaining new teachers is appropriate
support and mentoring. Unfortunately, resources for such
mentoring programs are scarce
at both the state and local level. Current state categorical funding
of $1.3 million to reimburse
school districts for mentoring
costs is inadequate.
Under PI 34, educators also
must create and implement a
Professional Development Plan
(PDP) and license renewal is based on the documented completion of the plan as verified by a PDP review team. The plan must embody the ten Wisconsin Teacher Standards, show verifiable professional growth, and evidence of
the effect of that growth on student learning. An initial educator’s review team must include a peer, an administrator,
and a representative from an institute of higher education. The professional educator’s team must include three peers.
The state funds a peer review and mentoring competitive grant program at $482,500 annually with a 20% local match
to implement peer review and mentoring programs; however, the funding does not meet the actual costs.
In addition to an adequately funded PI 34 licensure system,
meaningful professional development for educators is
important to student success. Professional development
programs or activities should be structured in a way that
affords educators the opportunity for meaningful and
collaborative reflection on their practice that leads to
continual growth and effectiveness that ensures student
achievement.
The most effective professional development systems
are collaborative efforts involving teachers, administrators
and education support professionals. To facilitate such
collaboration, WEAC supports making educator professional
development a mandatory subject of bargaining. Our
education system is served best when educators and
administrators work together to create a professional
development program in their school district that challenges
educators to think about and improve their craft throughout
their careers.
Return to Legislative Agenda Page