Teacher Training and Recruitment Grant program

Gov. Tony Evers, together with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD), have announced that $1 million in grants is available for the Teacher Training and Recruitment Grant program to train and recruit teachers where shortages are most prevalent in Wisconsin. The grants, which cover two years of program costs, are available through DWD’s Expanded Wisconsin Fast Forward (WFF) program. Wisconsin nonprofit organizations can apply for up to $500,000 to recruit, train, and license teachers to meet the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s guidelines for serving qualifying school districts. The WFF program has funded two rounds of awards in 2020 and 2022 that benefited 10 schools’ efforts to train, recruit, and mentor educators. Under the WFF program, the funds are only available to tax-exempt 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) nonprofit organizations. Applications are due by 3:00 Monday afternoon, December 16.

For additional information or to download an application, consult the Grant Program Announcement and related grant program materials available at wisconsinfastforward.com/wff_standard.htm According to a 2023 report by the Wisconsin Policy Forum, the average annual teacher turnover rate from 2009 to 2023 was 11.5 percent, reaching an alarming 15.8 percent in the 2022-23 school year. This includes both the highest levels of teachers moving between districts and leaving the profession altogether. The report found that both rural and city districts, districts with large populations of low-income students and students of color, and small school districts were the most impacted.