Article Summary –
The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Teacher Pledge program, a donor-funded initiative that pays for the tuition and other expenses of prospective teachers, is being extended for another academic year. The program, which requires students to commit to working at a Wisconsin school for a minimum of three to four years, has secured $8 million in new donor funding, allowing it to continue until at least the 2028-2029 academic year. The initiative is designed to attract and retain teachers in Wisconsin, where many educators leave the profession or the state within the first six years of their career.
University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Teacher Pledge Program Extended
The University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) is extending its Teacher Pledge program, which covers tuition and other expenses for prospective teachers, for another academic year. The program, fully funded by donors, requires students to commit to teaching in Wisconsin schools for a minimum of three to four years.
Thanks to $8 million in new donations, the program will now continue through the 2028-2029 academic year. Since its launch in fall 2020, 773 students have enrolled in the program, with 354 already teaching in Wisconsin schools.
The Teacher Pledge program, designed to attract and retain Wisconsin teachers, was previously set to end in 2025. However, generous donations, including $5 million from authors Susan and James Patterson, have resulted in three extensions. To date, the School of Education has raised $33.3 million in funding for the Teacher Pledge.
According to a report by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, only 4,000 out of 5,000 people who completed an educator preparation program in Wisconsin during the 2021-2022 academic year became licensed teachers. Moreover, 40% of Wisconsin teachers leave the profession or the state within their first six years.
Wisconsin School of Education Dean Diana Hess emphasizes that the Teacher Pledge program provides crucial support to new teachers in their early career stages. The program also makes a teaching career financially feasible for many students, by alleviating the burden of student loans.
Erika Silva-Singh, a UW-Madison student, expresses how the program has given her the peace of mind to pursue teaching. Maddy Rauls, an alumna who now works as an elementary school teacher in Waunakee, mentions that the Teacher Pledge was a much-needed relief from her financial worries as a student.
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