Gov. Tony Evers vetoed the bill, saying it interfered with the existing DWD program.
Ben Gagne-Maynard is National Center for Grow Your Own’s chief program officer. He’s based in Madison and said he’s excited to start working with local education partners to expand teacher apprenticeships.
“As a son of a teacher and a former teacher myself, and as someone now based here in Madison, I care a lot about uplifting and sustaining the teaching profession here in Wisconsin,” Gagne-Maynard said.
Gagne-Maynard said the teacher apprenticeship model can be a game changer particularly for rural communities since many rural districts often have to get creative about how they hire and retain new teachers.
“Apprenticeships can create a more structured way for districts to tap into local talent pools, most notably individuals who are often already working in local schools but might face barriers to becoming licensed teachers,” Gagne-Maynard said.