Assembly Bill 551
Professional teaching permits issued by the Department of Public Instruction, the qualifications necessary to teach in a private school participating in a parental choice program, and making an appropriation
Topics: Parochial and private educational institutions, Public Instruction, Department of, School: Attendance, Teacher: Certificate
Stopped in committee
It never got a , so it never came up for a vote. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.
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Introduced, passed
Feb 8, 2012
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Committee, stopped here
Stopped here. No public hearing was held.
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Assembly vote, not reached
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Senate vote, not reached
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Governor, not reached
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Law, not reached
Latest entry in the official record, Mar 23, 2012: “Failed to pass pursuant to ”
It never got a hearing in the Assembly Committee on Education. See every bill that never got a hearing this session.
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Terms on this page
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. More in the glossary
Legislative Reference Bureau
The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.
Official term: LRB analysis. More in the glossary
Author
A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.
Official term: Author, coauthor. More in the glossary
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor. More in the glossary
What it would have done
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
Under current law, the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) provides an alternative teaching training program consisting of approximately 100 hours of formal instruction. A person who holds a bachelor's degree in engineering, music, art, foreign language, computer science, mathematics, or science; has at least five years of professional experience in the subject area; demonstrates competency in his or her subject area; and satisfactorily completes the 100-hour program, is entitled to a professional teaching permit, which authorizes the person to teach the subject area specified by DPI in grades kindergarten to 12. The initial permit is valid for two years, but is renewable for five-year periods.
This bill establishes three additional ways of obtaining a professional teaching permit. The bill directs DPI to establish a 40-hour teacher training program that is designed to provide a person with effective instructional techniques and practices and that is to be taught by school district staff. DPI must also develop an examination designed to determine whether a person has mastered the material taught in the training program.
Read the full summary Show less
Under the bill, if DPI determines that a person is fluent in a foreign language as well as in English, and the person passes the examination described above, DPI must grant the person a professional teaching permit authorizing him or her to teach the foreign language in grades specified by DPI. If DPI determines that a person has at least an associate of arts degree and at least ten years of exceptional work experience in a particular field, and the person passes the examination described above, DPI must grant the person a professional teaching permit authorizing him or her to teach the subject in which he or she is experienced in grades specified by DPI.
Finally, if a person holds a teaching license issued by DPI and passes a proficiency exam, administered by DPI, in a subject in which he or she is not licensed, DPI must grant the person a professional teaching permit authorizing him or her to teach the subject of the examination in the grades that his or her teaching license authorizes him or her to teach.
Under current law, with certain exceptions, all of the teachers in a private school that is participating in a parental choice program (PCP) must have a bachelor's degree.
This bill allows a person to teach in a PCP school if he or she has a bachelor's degree or holds a license or permit to teach issued by DPI.
Who's behind it
9 lawmakers are its . All 9 are Republicans.
1 more lawmaker .
See all 10 names Hide the names
Authors (9)
- Garey Bies · Republican, Assembly
- Edward Brooks · Republican, Assembly
- Mark Honadel · Republican, Assembly
- Dean Knudson · Republican, Assembly
- Dale Kooyenga · Republican, Senate
- Daniel LeMahieu · Republican, Assembly
- Michelle Litjens · Republican, Assembly
- Don Pridemore · Republican, Assembly
- Jeremy Thiesfeldt · Republican, Assembly
Signed on in support (1)
- Pam Galloway · Republican, Senate
What happened
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Mar 23, 2012
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
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Feb 8, 2012
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Education.
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Feb 8, 2012
Introduced in the Assembly.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Feb 8, 2012 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives Litjens, Thiesfeldt, Kooyenga, Pridemore, Knudson, LeMahieu, Bies, Honadel and Brooks;Cosponsored by Senator Galloway
- Feb 8, 2012 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to committee on Education
- Mar 23, 2012 · Assembly
Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1
Terms on this page
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. More in the glossary
Legislative Reference Bureau
The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.
Official term: LRB analysis. More in the glossary
Author
A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.
Official term: Author, coauthor. More in the glossary
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor. More in the glossary
From the Wisconsin Legislature's official record, checked Sep 15, 2026. See the source
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1
Legislative Reference Bureau
The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.
Official term: LRB analysis
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor