WISC-TV/News 3’s Kathryn Merck spoke with UW–Madison’s Kimber Wilkerson about the looming teacher shortage that is affecting schools across the country, and how UW–Madison is helping to combat this issue through the School of Education Wisconsin Teacher Pledge Program.
Wilkerson, the associate dean for teacher education in the School of Education, said there are many reasons hiring teachers is difficult right now.
“A critique of the teaching profession is the pay,” said Wilkerson. “I think COVID has exacerbated that experience by making the working conditions for teachers even more challenging.”
Wilkerson said the School of Education Wisconsin Teacher Pledge Program is important to help get new teachers into jobs and keep them there.
The program pledges to pay the equivalent of in-state tuition and fees, testing, and licensing costs for all UW–Madison teacher education students. In return, they pledge to work at a Wisconsin PK-12 school for three to four years after graduation.
“In this environment particularly, universities, and certainly us included, are thinking about induction support — so that bridge to their first years of teaching,” Wilkerson said.
Wilkerson also spoke about the perks of the teaching profession.
She noted that (faculty) aim to nurture (future teachers) and show them “the ways that their enthusiasm — and their planning and preparation — are really going to have a wide and broad impact on young people … who are our future, really,” she said.
To learn more, check out the print version of the report, and the video report that appeared at the top of the 6 p.m. newscast on Aug. 3, 2022.