Section 34.19. Master educator license.

 

(1)   General . The state superintendent shall design an application and assessment process for awarding a Wisconsin master level license in educator categories not covered by the national board of professional teaching standards, and may design such a process and award master level licenses for categories covered by the national board of professional teaching standards as appropriate to address issues of accessibility, equity, or quality. The master educator license is not required. The master educator license is a renewable license and shall be issued for a period of 10 years. Effective July 1, 2000, certification by the national board for professional teaching standards shall be accepted in lieu of meeting the requirements under this section.

(2)   Application . Effective July 1, 2004, a candidate for the master educator license shall submit an application to the state superintendent that includes all of the following:

(a) Documentation of a related master's degree.

(b) Verification of at least 5 years of successful professional experience in education with at least one cycle at the professional educator level or while holding a 5-year license or a life license issued prior to July 1, 2004.

(c) Evidence of contributions to the profession.

(d) Evidence of improved pupil learning.

(3)   Assessment.

(a) Upon approval of the application under sub. (2) by an assessment team, the master educator license shall be granted upon completion of both of the following requirements:

1. A formal assessment by the team under sub. (4) of the standards under s. PI 34.02 for teachers, s. PI 34.03 for administrators and s. PI 34.04 for pupil service professionals. A formal assessment may include interviews, objective examinations, review of portfolios and essays or other methods of analysis and appraisal.

2. A demonstration of exemplary classroom performance through video or on-site observation by the team under sub. (4) .

(b) The assessment process developed by the department for master educator certification shall be comparable in expectations to the national board for professional teaching standards process.

(4)   Assessors . The candidate for a master educator's license shall be assessed by a team of 3 educators who have the same or similar job responsibilities and, in addition, may include a school board member. Assessors under this subsection shall be selected by the state superintendent and shall meet all of the following requirements:

(a) Been provided training by the department.

(b) Been nominated by professional organizations, including school board organizations.

(c) Been approved for appointment by the state superintendent.

(5)   Approval and renewal .

(a) The master educator shall meet the requirements under subs. (2) and (3) in order to receive or renew the master educator license. The assessment team under sub. (3) shall recommend to the state superintendent whether a license may be issued or renewed under this section. The state superintendent shall issue a decision.

(b) The master educator shall meet the requirements under s. PI 34.18 (2) in order to renew a license at the professional educator stage.

(6)   Appeals . Appeals of decisions made by the state superintendent may be made as follows:

(a) For teachers and pupil service professionals, appeals shall be made to the state superintendent. The professional standards council may establish procedures to hear appeals referred. If the professional standards council agrees to hear an appeal, it shall, upon completion of its deliberations, make a recommendation to the state superintendent. The state superintendent shall issue a decision concerning the appeal.

(b) For administrators and individuals who wish to contest decisions under par. (a) , appeals shall be made to the state superintendent as prescribed under s. PI 34.35 (8) .

History: Cr. Register, April, 2000, No. 532 , eff. 5-1-00.