Wisconsin’s Superintendent of Schools has characterized the state’s current teacher shortage as a crisis.
The Department of Public Instruction recently released a report highlighting concerning statistics: 40 percent of new teachers leave the profession within six years, and 30 percent of aspiring teachers never enter classrooms.
Superintendent Jill Underly emphasized that the shortage is particularly acute in special education.
Part of the problem was attributed to Act 10, a policy change over a decade ago that altered teachers’ ability to negotiate salaries and benefits.
However, a separate examination of Wisconsin’s teaching landscape suggests Act 10 resulted in substantial taxpayer savings and increased pay for high-performing teachers.
