General Information

As of August 2004, PI 34 requires that each initial educator (i.e., new teacher, administrator, and pupil services personnel) assemble an Initial Educator Team. Membership includes a teacher, administrator, and representative from an institution of higher education (IHE). Currently, IHE representatives have been meeting to discuss a variety of issues associated with this requirement. While there have been some advances made such as clarification of who can serve as an IHE rep and whose responsibility it is to select the representatives, there has been no coherent process for identifying potential models nor has there been a satisfactory resolution to critical issues like workload, compensation, and supply/demand. The outcomes for this project include:

1. Completing an environmental scan documenting the range of models in place across the state and the plans that Wisconsin IHEs are working on to address the critical issues identified above,
2. Creating a white paper that summarizes the range of models, the cost of operation and possible compensation policies consistent with workload of models, the ways that IHE are working with PK-12 systems, CESA agencies, and other professional agencies,
3. Providing leadership for a system-wide symposium in the fall of 2005 where the white paper will be disseminated for feedback and discussion about the feasibility of endorsing a range of options within UW System,
4. Developing a set of policy recommendations related to the IHE role in supporting Initial Educators related to the issues identified above,
5. Identifying initiatives that could enhance the qualifications and contributions of U.W. System IHE representatives and strengthen the leadership role of the U.W. System in supporting the professional development of Wisconsin Educators.