The National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition has found that Wisconsin had over 47,000 school age children designated as ELLs in the 2007-2008 academic year. This number represents a 136 percent increase from the prior decade. Students’ primary home languages include Spanish, Hmong, German, French, and Chinese.
Career Outlook for Wisconsin TESOL
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has gathered some pertinent information regarding Wisconsin’s TESOL market. As of May 2012, Wisconsin ranked highly in the country in employment of literacy educators and third in the nation for its annual mean wage (at $63,560). Despite a far smaller population and less comparative demand, Wisconsin stays competitive in its ESL programming with the states of New Jersey, California, and New York. Add to this information the fact that DPI has reported English as a Second Language and Bilingual Education as critical teacher shortage areas for 2010 through 2013.
The Immigration Policy Center notes that Madison and Milwaukee contains many immigrant neighborhoods and small businesses, creating an ongoing need for qualified ESL teachers in these urban school districts. These factors contribute to Wisconsin continuing to offer diverse opportunities for people pursuing TESOL careers.
Finding A TESOL Job in Wisconsin
- Certified teaching, substitute teacher, administrator, coach, and pupil services openings are posted on the Wisconsin Education Career Access Network (WECAN).
- Wisconsin Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (WITESOL) places select employment listings on its Employment webpage.
- Teachtown MKE is an educator recruitment and retention organization that endeavors to place qualified educators in Milwaukee public schools.
TESOL Teacher Resources in Wisconsin
- Wisconsin Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (WITESOL) consists of pre-professionals and professionals in the fields of bilingual and ESL education. WITESOL is a member of the international TESOL organization.
- The Wisconsin Association for Bilingual Education (WIABE) reports on research, policy, and advocacy issues pertaining to bilingual and bicultural programming in Wisconsin and throughout the nation.