At the Capitol on Thursday, the State Assembly education committee approved a bill that would allow school districts to hire superintendents who lack an education license.
Committee Chair Joel Kitchens of Sturgeon Bay said he heard complaints from administrators that the move would cheapen the work they do. “You know, I had someone say, Well, you know, barbers and cosmetologists, they have to have licenses. But you’re saying that superintendents don’t? I don’t think that’s a fair comparison.”
Marshfield Republican Donna Rozar opposed it and said she didn’t see any support from school boards.
“A lot of the people that I spoke to said that they thought this was a good short term option, where maybe if you put a timeframe on it with an unlicensed individual, but they all believed very strongly that that school district superintendent needed to be licensed.”
Other opponents said the bill would weaken districts and make it harder for the Department of Public Instruction to handle problem staff and administrators.
The bill now goes to the full Assembly.