Teacher Career Paths
Are you considering a career change? Have you always wanted to be a teacher? What’s stopping you?
Did you know you may be able to start teaching while you earn your teaching credentials? What are you waiting for? Get your career in education!
Explore the pathways to teaching!
Bachelor’s Degree Pathway
Is this you?
- No Bachelor’s degree
- High School graduate
- Returning adult student
- First teaching license in WI
This pathway requires the candidate to complete a bachelor’s degree and an approved teacher preparation program at a Wisconsin college/university. Upon completion, the Wisconsin college/university will endorse you for a Wisconsin license.
Visit the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Pathways to Licensure page for more information. Click on Initial Teacher Pathways and review option #1 for the .
Post Baccalaureate Pathway
Is this you?
- Bachelor’s degree
- Career changer, entering teaching
- Educator seeking additional license
- College graduate, seeking MS degree in a new content area
Having earned a Bachelor’s degree, these candidates choose to return to a Wisconsin college/university approved to offer a teacher licensure program. Post-baccalaureate programs provide subject area and teaching coursework that lead to teacher licensure only or towards a master’s degree program.
Visit the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Pathways to Licensure page for more information. Click on Initial Teacher Pathways and review option #2 for the .
Alternative Route Program Pathway
Is this you?
- Bachelor’s degree, with a major in the license subject
- Career changer, entering teaching
- Educator seeking an additional license in a Wisconsin shortage area (see below)
- Seeking licensure in a shortage area in Wisconsin shortage area: mathematics, science, career and technical education subjects, business education, world languages, special education, bilingual/bicultural and ESL; also regional shortages (Always verify with WI DPI, as shortage list periodically updated)
For subject-speciï¬c licensure, the candidate must have already completed a major in the subject area of the license they are seeking. Wisconsin Alternative Route programs prepare candidates with teaching coursework for Wisconsin licenses in shortage areas. These programs are for licensure only and do not lead to a degree.
Visit the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Pathways to Licensure page for more information. Click on Initial Teacher Pathways and review option #3 for the .
American Board
Is this you?
- Bachelor’s degree, with a major in the license subject
- Career changer, entering teaching
- Complete a certiï¬cation program that meets the Wis. Stat. 118.197
As of April 2023, the The is currently the only certiï¬cation program that meets all of the requirements in this statute. (Always verify this information with the WI DPI as program approvals may change.)
Visit the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Pathways to Licensure page for more information. Click on Initial Teacher Pathways and review option #4 for the .
Experience-based Technical and Vocational Education Subjects Pathway Candidate Proï¬le
Is this you?
- Have training and/or experience in a trade, technical ï¬eld, and/or vocational area
- Have pedagogical training/experience
- Have a district interested in hiring him/her to teach technical or vocational education subjects
People who ï¬t this pathway proï¬le are being supported by a Wisconsin public school district to teach technical or vocational education in their school.
To see if this is the pathway for you, visit the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Pathways to Licensure page for more information. Under Pathways to Licensure, review the .
Out-of-State Teachers
Is this you?
Do you have a teaching license from another state or from outside the United States and seek certiï¬cation in Wisconsin? Visit the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Pathways to Licensure page for more information. Under Pathways to Licensure, click on .
Montessori Pathway
Is this you?
With a bachelor’s degree, complete a teacher preparation program accredited by the Montessori Accreditation Council of Teacher Education (MACTE) or Association Montessori International (AMI). Submit required documents and test scores, then apply for a license. Visit the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Pathways to Licensure page for more information. Under Pathways to Licensure, click on .
School ÃÛÌÒÖ±²¥ Support License Pathways
Is this you?
Upon completing a minimum of 100 hours of formal instruction in the application of modern curricula and passing the subject-speciï¬c content tests, an individual is permitted to teach. This pathway is designed for school districts seeking to ï¬ll shortage areas with experienced content professionals.
To see if you ï¬t the candidate proï¬le for this pathway, Visit the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Pathways to Licensure page for more information. Under Pathways to Licensure, click on .
Substitute Teacher Licensure
Is this you?
- Hold an associate degree or higher from an accredited college or university as demonstrated by an official transcript.
- AND complete an approved substitute training program. NOTE: ÃÛÌÒÖ±²¥ offers an approved online substitute training program to our substitute teachers. Apply to be a ÃÛÌÒÖ±²¥ substitute teacher to get started!
OR
- Are at least 20 years of age
- Enrolled in an educator preparation program, approved by the state superintendent that awards a bachelor’s degree
- Has successfully completed a minimum number of credits to have achieved junior status,
- AND has completed 15 hours of classroom observation
Visit the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction page for more information.
The above pathways information is from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction page regarding . Always check the WI DPI site for the most current licensing information.
Feel free to reach out to HumanResources@kusd.edu for additional information, or visit our ÃÛÌÒÖ±²¥ employment page to link to our current opportunities!