FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 23, 2024
IRG Action Fights for More High-Quality Teachers for Students
IRG Action Testifying in the Capitol today on Senate Bill 917
DELAFIELD, WI – IRG Action Fund’s Executive Vice President Chris Reader and Institute for Reforming Government’s Senior Research Director Quinton Klabon are in the State Capitol today to testify before the Senate Committee on Education on the need for teacher apprenticeships to help solve the teacher shortage. An IRG Action-supported proposal, authored by Senator Feyen and Representative Penterman, paves the way for teacher apprenticeship programs in Wisconsin, building on bipartisan success stories from 28 other states.
The hearing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. in Room 330 Southwest.
Ahead of this morning’s hearing, Klabon stated in his submitted testimony:
“In state after state, the way we train teachers contributes to the teacher shortage crisis. Fewer students are completing college, and an astounding 18% of teachers quit within their first 2 years. We don’t have teachers in schools because the 18-year-olds who dreamed about becoming educators aren’t teaching when they’re 24.
We’re here today because teacher apprenticeships could solve the teacher shortage if we design them in a way that gets the best results. This bill helps accomplish that.”
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For questions, please contact IRGActionPress@reforminggovernment.org. IRG Action Fund is the 501(c)(4) advocacy partner to the Institute for Reforming Government.