The UW–Madison School of Education Wisconsin Teacher Pledge program was recently spotlighted in a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story examining programs working to address Wisconsin’s ongoing teacher shortage.
The article features UW–Madison alumna Claire Hitter, who began her career in education after discovering the Teacher Pledge while researching graduate school programs. The program covered the cost of her master’s degree in curriculum and instruction in exchange for her commitment to teach in a Wisconsin school after graduation.
Now a middle school teacher in the Monona Grove School District, Hitter says the program “really opened the door for me as someone who had no teachers in my family and who never really considered that as a possibility.” She added; “The Teacher Pledge makes it a viable career option for people who are looking at other options.”
The Journal Sentinel highlighted that the Teacher Pledge — launched in 2020 and entirely donor-funded — has generated enough support to continue at least through the 2029–30 school year.
The program covers in-state tuition, fees, and licensing costs for teacher education students who pledge to teach in Wisconsin public or private schools for four years after graduation — or three years in high-need districts or subject areas. More than 1,000 students have taken the pledge, with about 60% of undergraduates in the School of Education’s teacher preparation programs participating.
Thomas Owenby, associate dean for Teacher Education and affiliate faculty in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, told the Journal Sentinel that the pledge was a “design study” to demonstrate both interest and its effectiveness in retaining teachers in Wisconsin.
He added that organizers hope the state government will eventually fund a pledge agreement for prospective teachers at all public and private Wisconsin colleges and universities.