Highly criticized teacher licensure changes to be removed from state budget

MADISON -- Highly criticized teacher licensure changes that would have allowed some people without high school degrees to be licensed to teach in Wisconsin are slated to be removed from the state budget.

Republicans on the Legislature's Joint Finance Committee approved the changes in a late-night session last month. But they were calling for their removal from the budget on Thursday, July 2nd.

The committee had previously approved allowing anyone with a bachelor's degree to be licensed to teach in core subjects of English, math, social studies or science.

Anyone with experience in other non-core subjects, including high school drop outs, could have been certified to teach under the previously adopted motion. That, too, was to be removed.

Teachers and others had spoken out against the licensing changes when they were first added.