New State GOP Bill Would Remove Requirement of School Superintendents Needing a License or Specific Training

Friday, September 29th, 2023 -- 12:00 PM

(By Corrinne Hess, Wisconsin Public Radio) Wisconsin school district superintendents wouldn’t need a license or specific educational training under a GOP-proposed bill.

According to Corrinne Hess with Wisconsin Public Radio, the measure is an attempt to solve the high turnover rate among school district administrators and give local residents control of their schools, supporters say.

But opponents, including the state Department of Public Instruction, warn not having a licensed individual managing a school district could open districts up to countless liabilities with no option for recourse.

Current law requires that to be eligible for a district administrator license, the applicant must hold a teaching license or pupil service license, hold a principal license and have completed at least six semesters of teaching experience or six semesters of pupil services experience, including 540 hours of classroom teaching experience.

State Rep. Robert Wittke, R-Racine, said allowing school boards to appoint a lay person gives school districts more options. "This bill is about giving school districts another tool and not mandating anything into practice," Wittke said during a public hearing on the bill Tuesday.

"So, therefore, more flexibility as we’re trying to improve performance in this day and age is something I'm very much in support of." Wittke said a manager, chief financial officer or community leader could handle leading a school district since district administrators don’t oversee classrooms.

A report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum found between 2009 and 202, there were 811 instances of superintendent turnover across 427 districts. This equates to 16.2 percent of districts experiencing a superintendent transition each year on average.

Still, Jennifer Kammerud, DPI’s director of the Licensing, Educator Advancement and Development Team, says changing the law would be harmful to students, educators and public schools in the state. 

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.