Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development
Press Release

DWD Awards $1 Million in Teacher Training and Recruitment Grants

 

By - Jun 11th, 2026 10:01 am

MADISON – The Wisconsin Department of Workforce (DWD) today awarded $1 million in grants to four organizations to train 84 educators through the Wisconsin Fast Forward Teacher Training and Recruitment Grant Program. This funding supports efforts to train and recruit teachers where shortages are most prevalent in Wisconsin.

The Teacher Training and Recruitment grants cover two years of program costs to help recruit, train, and license teachers to meet the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s (DPI) guidelines for serving qualifying low-income and/or urban area school districts.

“Teachers are essential to the success of our kids and our state, and by training teachers to deliver the best education to Wisconsin students, we’re not only supporting our workforce today, but also investing in the workforce of the future,” said DWD Secretary Amy Pechacek. “We’re excited that this funding will support recruiting and training teachers to work in classrooms where they can make the biggest difference.”

Over 300 educators were trained through Wisconsin’s Teacher Training and Recruitment grants awarded

These new awards will support the following organizations:

Mount Mary University Inc. | $250,000

Mount Mary University will support working with urban school partners in the greater Milwaukee area including schools participating in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program and the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program to recruit, train, mentor, and place 10 licensed teachers. Participants will complete post-baccalaureate teacher licensure programs in areas such as special education, English as a second language, mathematics, science, social studies, and elementary education.

Carroll University Inc. | $250,000

Carroll University will offer 20 teacher candidates an affordable path to enroll in and obtain a license through a Master of Arts in Teaching program. The program will address critical teacher shortages in areas including elementary and middle school education, special education, and mathematics. Candidates will train to serve in schools that have a high percentage of students from low-income families through existing partnerships with the School District of Waukesha, West Allis School District, Greenfield School District, and the Wauwatosa School District.

Concordia University Inc. | $250,000

Concordia University will support 15 post-baccalaureate candidates to complete coursework toward cross-categorical special education licensure through its Master of Science in Education-Teaching and Learning-Special Education program. The project aims to serve large numbers of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds and students with disabilities. It will focus on high-need urban areas in Milwaukee County by collaborating on recruitment, mentorship, and student teaching placement with LUMIN Schools, Milwaukee College Prep, Hmong American Peace Academy, Lincoln Academy, and Journeys Lutheran School.

Innovators in Learning and Achievement Inc. | $250,000

Innovators in Learning and Achievement Inc. will partner with Cooperative Educational Service Agency 1 (CESA 1), to recruit, prepare, and license 39 teachers in southeastern Wisconsin’s highest-need school districts. The project will provide 50% tuition scholarships to support candidates pursuing teaching licenses who are working in Milwaukee Public Schools, Racine Unified School District, Kenosha Unified School District, and West Allis-West Milwaukee School District. While in their respective districts, candidates will receive structured coaching, classroom observation, and professional development.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.

Mentioned in This Press Release

People:

Leave a Reply

You must be an Urban Milwaukee member to leave a comment. Membership, which includes a host of perks, including an ad-free website, tickets to marquee events like Summerfest, the Wisconsin State Fair and the Florentine Opera, a better photo browser and access to members-only, behind-the-scenes tours, starts at $9/month. Learn more.

Join now and cancel anytime.

If you are an existing member, sign-in to leave a comment.

Have questions? Need to report an error? Contact Us