Legislators introduced a bipartisan bill to expand Wisconsin’s Minority Teacher Loan Program beyond Milwaukee in attempt to increase minority teacher representation in predominantly minority K-12 schools.
The proposed bill –– authored by Rep. Amy Loudenbeck, R-Clinton, Rep. Jason Fields, D-Milwaukee, and Sen. Dale Kooyenga, R-Brookfield –– would expand application eligibility to minority teachers across the state who work in private or public school districts.
The bill encourages minority students to commit to finding a job in Wisconsin after graduation by promising to pay back the student loans accrued while achieving their credential. The second requirement is that those students must teach at a K-12 school with a minority student population of at least 40 percent.
Qualifying applicants must be a sophomore, junior or senior undergraduate student enrolled at least half-time at a University of Wisconsin System institution or a non-profit, independent college or university in the state of Wisconsin graduating with above a 3.0 grade point average.
Additionally, teachers would have to gain their licenses in a currently underrepresented area of study, or fields with teacher shortages. This year’s fields range from English and math to English as a Second Language and Technology Education.
“Schools across Wisconsin are trying to close the achievement gap between white and non-white students and research indicates that hiring teachers of color can help close achievement gaps for students of color,” said Rep. Loudenbeck.
The loan program is currently administered by the Higher Education Aids Board and is only available to teachers in Milwaukee.
According to Rep. Fields, the expansion of this loan program is a tool that would promote diversity in schools by giving minority teachers incentives to teach in Wisconsin. He also said the bill works into a larger conversation about providing resources to underrepresented groups in the state of Wisconsin.
“Wisconsin is a great place to teach,” Fields said. “Not only do we believe in diversity, we want teachers to stay here and contribute to making it a better place.”
Fields points to the bipartisan support the bill has to highlight its importance during a time of split government.
“The support for this bill sends a strong message that despite our partisan differences, there are things that we can agree on,” Fields said of promoting equality in education.
