Under a new grant, Wisconsin will receive $10.5 million in federal funding over five years to expand teacher apprenticeships and other programs aimed at growing the state’s special education workforce.
The U.S. Department of Education awarded the grant to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction as part of a program meant to improve results for children with disabilities. In an Aug. 17 statement, the DPI said the funding would “strengthen Wisconsin’s special education workforce and help more special education teachers build careers in Wisconsin schools.”
DPI spokesperson Chris Bucher said the funding will help expand Wisconsin’s teacher apprenticeship program to include special education and provide stipends to participating districts. The DPI plans to partner with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which was recently approved to offer the state’s first teacher apprenticeship program in special education, to offer apprenticeships to those who already have bachelor’s degrees and are seeking special education teaching licenses.
Bucher said the program “will begin with a small cohort from select small, rural districts, before scaling up across the state.”
State Superintendent Jill Underly and Gov. Tony Evers launched the statewide apprenticeship program for elementary and middle school teachers in 2024. The program is meant to recruit, prepare and retain educators. Prospective teachers earn money working for a school district while pursuing their education and teaching licenses.
The investment comes as Wisconsin’s teacher apprenticeship program has struggled to gain traction, according to reporting from Wisconsin Watch. The report found only eight apprentices were enrolled in the program statewide, and no new students were signed up to start this fall. School districts cited the cost of participation as a significant barrier.
In addition to apprenticeships, the funding will also go toward the DPI’s Special Educator Induction Program, which provides first- and second-year special educators with mentorships and professional development opportunities.
Underly said the need for special education teachers is urgent in Wisconsin. The DPI reported only 43% of special education teachers remain working in the state’s public schools by their eighth year.
“When we lose educators, it is our students who feel the greatest impact,” she said. “Strengthening our schools begins with strengthening the teaching profession, and this grant is a major investment in that effort.”
The DPI effort is in collaboration with the state Department of Workforce Development and the Wisconsin Improvement Program for Special Education Leadership.
“We are looking forward to this opportunity to work with our partners across Wisconsin to strengthen the special education workforce and support educators throughout their careers,” Underly said.
Kayla Huynh covers K-12 education, teachers and solutions for the Journal Sentinel. Contact: khuynh@gannett.com. Follow her on X: @_kaylahuynh.
Kayla Huynh’s reporting is supported by Herb Kohl Philanthropies and reader contributions to the Journal Sentinel Community-Funded Journalism Project. Journal Sentinel editors maintain full editorial control over all content. To support this work, visit jsonline.com/support. Checks can be addressed to Local Media Foundation (memo: “JS Community Journalism”) and mailed to P.O. Box 85015, Chicago, IL 60689.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin gets $10.5M to train more special education teachers
Reporting by Kayla Huynh, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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By Kayla Huynh, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
