WUSD Works To Fill Teacher Positions

On Monday night, the WUSD School Board tackled the issue of incentivizing hard to fill positions at its schools. Particularly, bilingual teachers for English Learner students. There are currently 4 vacancies for the position. As of June, there had been 5 applicants. However, all applicants either withdrew or turned down offers from the district. To remedy this, it was proposed that the district either offer to pay the cost of a CESA 2 licensure course for a willing teacher, which would cost $6,100, or offer a $3,000 sign-on bonus to a new hire who is already qualified. However, the payment of $3,000 would require a two-year commitment by the new hire. The solution is based on similar actions taken by schools in Green Bay and Beloit. This problem is not exclusive to Whitewater, as Board members commented on a nationwide issue filling this position. The proposal was approved, with the intention of being amended as new ideas are formed.