Wis. Admin. Code Department of Public Instruction PI 34.041

Current through October 28, 2024

Section PI 34.041 - Tier III lifetime license

(1) DEFINITIONS. In this section:

(a) "Educational entity" includes any of the following:

1. CESA.

2. Charter school.

3. Licensed child care provider under contract with a school district to provide 3 or 4-year-old kindergarten.

4. Private school.

5. School district.

5m. Tribal school.

6. Wisconsin center for the blind and visually impaired.

6m. Wisconsin Challenge Academy under s. 321.03 (1) (c), Stats.

7. Wisconsin educational services program for the deaf and hard of hearing.

(b) "Regularly employed in education" means employed as an educator providing services directly to students, families or fellow educators in a prekindergarten through college setting or providing administrative oversight in a prekindergarten through grade 12 setting for one hour per day per semester or its equivalent.

(c) "Successfully completed" means the fulfillment of duties as a teacher, pupil services professional, or administrator for each semester completed under the terms of employment.

(2) AUTHORIZATION. A tier III license issued under this section authorizes an individual to teach or work in the license area specified under subch. VI, VII, or VIII.

(3) ELIGIBILITY. The state superintendent may grant a tier III license to an applicant if all of the following requirements are met:

(a) The applicant holds or has held a valid tier II license.

(b) The applicant meets one of the following requirements:

1. Completed 6 semesters of experience in the license area of the tier II license. The 6 semesters of experience shall be completed within the five years preceding the start date of the new tier III license. The 6 semesters of experience shall include experience providing direct services to students or providing administrative oversight in a prekindergarten through grade 12 setting in the license area of the tier II license while employed by an educational entity in Wisconsin.

2. Held a tier II license issued in the 2017-18 school year and completed 6 semesters of experience in the license area of the tier II license. The 6 semesters of experience shall have occurred between July 1, 2015, and July 1, 2018, and shall have included experience providing direct services to students or providing administrative oversight in a prekindergarten through grade 12 setting in the license area of the tier II license while employed by an educational entity in Wisconsin.

(c) The applicant verifies to the state superintendent that the applicant has successfully completed the service under par. (b) on a form provided by the department. The form shall require verification from each applicable employer for whom the applicant has successfully completed service.

(4) LICENSE AREA. If the applicant holds multiple tier II licenses under subch. VI, VII, or VIII, experience in a license area in that subchapter will qualify as experience for other licenses held in the same applicable subchapter.

(5) DURATION. A license issued under this section remains valid unless one of the following occurs:

(a) The license holder has not been regularly employed in education for 5 or more consecutive years.

(b) The license holder does not meet the requirements under sub. (6). The state superintendent shall restore a license that becomes invalid under this paragraph if the license holder obtains a satisfactory background check under sub. (6) within 180 calendar days of the license being invalidated.

(6) BACKGROUND CHECK. An individual holding a license issued under this section shall submit a request to the department to have a new background check conducted once every five years. The request shall be made between January 1 and June 30 of the fifth year since the individual's last background check, and by the same dates every five years thereafter. The department may charge a reasonable fee to cover the cost of background checks.

Wis. Admin. Code Department of Public Instruction PI 34.041

Adopted by, CR 17-093: cr. Register July 2018 No. 751, eff. 8/1/2018

Amended by, CR 18-060: r. and recr. Register April 2019 No. 760, eff. 5-1-19; correction in (1) (a) 3. made under s. 35.17, Stats., Register April 2019 No. 760, eff. 5/1/2019

Amended by, CR 19-034: cr. (1) (a) 5m., am. (4) Register February 2020 No. 770, eff. 3/1/2020

Amended by, CR 24-015: cr. (1) (a) 6m. Register July 29 No. 823, eff. 8/1/2024