Improve public school outcomes by ending teacher licensing.

Our public schools are failing children by imposing strict and impractical licensing requirements, which prevent highly qualified individuals from becoming teachers. We must introduce flexibility in licensing to allow experienced professionals to shape young minds. By doing so, we can ignite a passion for learning in our students.

Unlocking Potential

Our children are hungry for practical skills that will empower them to thrive in the job market. There are countless adults with expertise in welding, machining, law, art, graphic design, writing, accounting, and more. These individuals possess the skills our children need to succeed.

This becomes even more evident when we consider the nationwide shortage of teachers. A recent survey of schools conducted in 2022 revealed that nearly half of the schools reported having at least one teaching vacancy. It is illogical to require individuals in the later stages of their careers to spend a year or more obtaining a license, especially when there are so many unfilled positions.

As an attorney, I am barred from teaching about the Constitution in Milwaukee Public Schools, despite my legal expertise. I spent 12 years as a business litigator, yet I am not allowed to teach basic principles of supply and demand. Throughout my 22-year legal career, I communicated with countless lawyers, judges, and juries, but I am prohibited from teaching public speaking in our public schools. However, at Milwaukee Lutheran, where I direct the Free Enterprise Academy, I have the freedom to teach all these subjects.

Why shouldn’t principals in public schools have the option to hire professionals like me with extensive real-world experience? In Wisconsin charter schools, a candidate only needs a bachelor’s degree and demonstrated competency in the subject area. They can major or minor in the subject or pass a content test or assessment. However, to teach full-time in a Wisconsin public school, one must navigate time-consuming and resource-draining hoops to obtain an occupational license.

Last semester at Milwaukee Lutheran, a fellow teacher paid me the highest compliment. He shared that during a discussion about the courses offered at the high school, several students expressed that the skills taught in our Free Enterprise Academy were exactly what they needed to succeed.

Like most teenagers, these students may not fully appreciate Shakespeare or algebra at their current stage in life. However, they recognize the value of practical life skills imparted by experienced professionals. Where would these students be if I had been prevented from teaching them?

Whenever I write about education reform, I often receive messages from self-proclaimed education “experts” who argue that strict licensing requirements ensure high-quality instruction. They claim that these requirements lead to better-performing students and schools. However, in reality, this concept has not proven effective.

With the alarming state of our public schools now exposed (source), proficiency rates are plummeting in most states and school systems. Our children are becoming less educated, less skilled, and ill-prepared for adulthood. Trying a different approach than the one that has failed students for decades can’t make the situation any worse.

These exclusionary licensing requirements only benefit unionized teachers, shielding them from the accountability demanded by a free market. By keeping qualified individuals out of the teaching profession, these requirements hinder progress.

If we genuinely want to reform education in this country, we must abandon the outdated model that fails to meet the needs of our students.