SB 526

Under current law, all teachers at a private school participating in Milwaukee Parental Choice Program, Racine Parental Choice Program, or the statewide parental choice program must have a teaching license issued by the Department of Public Instruction or a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited institution of higher education. Under the bill, an individual who holds a substitute teacher permit issued by DPI may teach as allowed under the permit at a private school participating in a parental choice program.

Current law requires DPI to grant a substitute teacher permit, also known as the three-year short-term substitute teacher permit, to an applicant who 1) has an associate degree and successfully completes substitute teacher training or 2) is at least 20 years old, is enrolled in a teacher preparatory program and has enough credits to be a junior in that program, and has completed at least 15 hours of classroom observation. A substitute teacher permit authorizes the holder of the permit to teach as a short-term substitute in any subject in any grade level.