Thanksgiving Letter from John P. Mattek
November 22, 2022
What is a microschool? Here’s what to know about microschooling
February 8, 2024
In a record-setting year, 16% of public-school teachers left their classrooms in Wisconsin 2023. The origin of the teacher turnover situation and how it impacts an overall teacher shortage in the state has been debated, but, like many situations post-pandemic, the answer is likely multi-faceted, the nuances of which will not be discussed here.
Rather, here’s what we’re interested in: in the wake of a burgeoning teacher shortage in Wisconsin, what are the solutions to this problem in the short term? In the here and now, how do young learners receive the education they need? More, how do these young minds receive the best education, despite the shortage? Innovative answers to the teacher shortage in Wisconsin are needed. Read on to learn about two such solutions.
A Solution for the Future: Accelerated Teacher Training
One solution seeks to remove a barrier for new teachers to enter the field: a four-year bachelor’s degree. By offering accelerated teacher training courses and certifications, professionals with a degree in a different field can dovetail their experience into a teaching degree through a master’s degree that also provides a Wisconsin Teaching License.
By opening up teaching positions to those who come into teaching as a second career, Wisconsin schools can cast a wider net and draw from a bigger pool of credentialed teachers in the future. Additionally, learners will benefit from the broad range of perspectives and viewpoints that second-career teachers bring.
A Solution for the Present: Microschools
A microschool is a small school that provides blended learning (a combination of both in-person and online instruction) in a technology-rich learning environment.
Microschooling provides a solution to the teacher shortage in Wisconsin by matching up fully-trained teachers who are able to virtually instruct in a classroom anywhere across the state. For example, Britestar Christian offers a comprehensive range of K4-12 online courses taught by credentialed educators in a virtual or blended setting. Britestar offers this service throughout Wisconsin, ideal for schools that are grappling with teacher vacancies and need an immediate remedy.
Another benefit of microschools is that they allow schools to be fully staffed and financially viable even with low enrollment. Britestar provides an affordable school solution for any Wisconsin community by pairing Britestar teachers with paraprofessional facilitators in the classroom itself. Here’s how it works – one in-person classroom aide facilitates the learning environment, while virtual instructors teach varying ages and grade levels. This set up allows students to remain part of their current school with simultaneously benefitting from virtual instruction.
With Britestar, schools get access to credentialed live-streamed teachers to fill vacancies quickly and can use these educators to provide students with increased course offerings without needing a full-time instructor. Learn more about microschools with Britestar here.
As the teacher shortage continues to impact students throughout the state, it is imperative that young scholars continue to receive a high-quality education, despite difficulties in staffing. It’s evident that creative solutions are required, both for the current school year and beyond.