Wisconsin

Wisconsin public schools facing retention challenges

Published

1 year ago

March 4, 2025

Wisconsin public schools facing retention challenges

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) – Wisconsin’s education force is in dire need of support, according to Wisconsin State Superintendent Dr. Jill Underly. A report released this week highlights challenges facing the K-12 system.

“We are losing our best and brightest educators at an alarming rate in this state,” Underly said.

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction released a report on the state’s education workforce, which highlights a need to address retention. It states only 55% of new Wisconsin teachers will stay in the industry after seven years. Only around 18% stayed in the same district. In special education, only around 46% of teachers stay in the industry.

“Let me be blunt, nearly half of the new teachers in Wisconsin leave the state or the profession entirely after just seven years and in special education, the situation is even more dire,” Underly said.

“Special Education is one of those positions that really takes the right person,” Brandon Wick, the HR manager with the Eau Claire Area School District, said. “We have an amazing group across our district for special education but that’s certainly an area that our special education team and leadership is really focusing on with teacher retention.”

Wick said retention is a priority in ECASD.

“We’re always looking to retain and recruit our best teachers and that’s really the lifeblood of our organization,” Wick said.

While the DPI report said staff retention is an issue across the state, locally Wick said at ECASD there’s an 8-10% turnover each year, including retirements.

“One of the things that we’ve done with our compensation plan is typically at about every six years, there’s a retention bump that’s built into our certified scheduled,” Wick said. “So we actually have that of trying to be proactive and make sure we have nice steps for our staff.”

But, the challenges with staffing in Wisconsin’s public schools are far from over. Underly said the schools need more assistance.

“It’s a crisis for our students, our families, our schools and our communities and we must do something now,” Underly said. “Our schools are telling us they need help with fewer teachers. The ones who stay on are stretched thinner and thinner, trying to meet the growing needs of every student. That is a recipe for educator burnout.”

“We want to keep the staff that come here and make sure that they retire here too,” Wick said.

Dr. Underly is running for re-election for the state superintendent seat. She is running against Brittany Kinser, a former special education teacher and elementary school principal.

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Wisconsin

Wisconsin storms aftermath: Widespread damage, river flood warnings in effect

Published

13 minutes ago

April 18, 2026

Press Room

Wisconsin storms aftermath: Widespread damage, river flood warnings in effect

MILWAUKEE – Friday’s severe storms have passed. And with that, the threat of any severe weather has also passed for the immediate future as no storms or rain are expected for several days.

However, plenty of damage remains across southeastern Wisconsin as of Saturday morning, in addition to the ongoing flooding threat.

Several area rivers are at flood stage, and there are multiple river flood warnings in effect.

FOX6 Weekend WakeUp on Saturday begins at 6 a.m.

On the scene in the morning

What we know:

Farmstead damage in Franklin

FOX6’s Hayley Spitler is in Franklin on Saturday morning, April 18, getting a daylight look at the damage from last night’s storms.

Storm damage in Caledonia

Friday’s storms left quite the mark across southern and southeastern Wisconsin, including at L and L Farms and Greenhouse in Caledonia.

FOX6 Weather Extras

Local perspective:

Meanwhile, FOX6Now.com offers a variety of extremely useful weather tools to help you navigate the stormy season. They include the following:

FOX6 Storm Center app

FOX LOCAL Mobile app

FOX Weather app

Maps and radar

We have a host of maps and radars on the FOX6 Weather page that are updating regularly — to provide you the most accurate assessment of the weather. From a county-by-county view to the Midwest regional radar and a national view — it’s all there.

SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News

School and business closings

When the weather gets a little dicey, schools and businesses may shut down. Monitor the latest list of closings, cancellations, and delays reported in southeast Wisconsin.

FOX6 Weather Experts in social media

The Source: Information in this post was compiled by the FOX6 Weather Experts.

Severe WeatherNewsMilwaukee

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Wisconsin

Wisconsin transfer Aleksas Bieliauskas joins SEC team with ties to Badgers

Published

12 hours ago

April 17, 2026

Press Room

Wisconsin transfer Aleksas Bieliauskas joins SEC team with ties to Badgers

Former Wisconsin forward Aleksas Bieliauskas has committed to South Carolina.
Bieliauskas averaged 4.9 points and 4.4 rebounds as a freshman for the Badgers.
South Carolina’s head coach, Lamont Paris, is a former Wisconsin assistant coach.

MADISON – One of Wisconsin men’s basketball’s departing transfers is headed to an SEC program with some connections to the Badgers.

Ex-UW forward Aleksas Bieliauskas has committed to South Carolina, he announced on April 17.

Bieliauskas left the Badgers after appearing in all 35 games as a freshman and making 28 starts. He averaged 4.9 points and 4.4 points in 20.2 minutes, and highlights of his freshman year included his five 3-pointers in UW’s upset over eventual national champion Michigan.

He’ll join a program with plenty of Wisconsin ties. South Carolina head coach Lamont Paris was an assistant coach at Wisconsin from 2010-17 on Bo Ryan and Greg Gard’s staffs. South Carolina assistant coach Tanner Bronson and director of video services Roman DiPasquale also are UW alumni.

Bieliauskas is the second of UW’s four departing transfers to commit to a new school. Reserve forward Jack Robison committed to North Dakota State on April 15. Starting guard John Blackwell and reserve forward Riccardo Greppi have not announced their next schools yet.

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Wisconsin

Wisconsin Weekend: Art in Bloom, Milwaukee Film Festival, Wee Whiskey Fest and more

Published

1 day ago

April 17, 2026

Press Room

Wisconsin Weekend: Art in Bloom, Milwaukee Film Festival, Wee Whiskey Fest and more

There are several events happening across the area this weekend, including festivals, sports, and art exhibits.

Art in Bloom transforms the Milwaukee Art Museum with floral installations inspired by artwork in the museum. The annual event runs through Sunday, and timed tickets are needed.

It is the opening weekend of the 18th annual Milwaukee Film Festival. Screenings are taking place at the Downer and Oriental theaters. Several local films are being screened along with national and international films.

WATCH: Art in Bloom, Milwaukee Film Festival and more. What are you doing this weekend?

Wisconsin Weekend in a Minute

Wee Whiskey Fest returns to Lake Geneva with a full weekend of tastings, entertainment, and events. Saturday’s Grand Tasting features more than 150 premium bourbons and whiskies, with more festivities happening all weekend long.

At the Milwaukee Admirals game tonight, it is Fair Deal Friday. Fans who grab an Admirals ticket will get a free Fair ticket. It is also Fan Appreciation Night with plenty of giveaways, and the first 2,500 fans will get a one-of-a-kind Admirals and Brewers t-shirt.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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