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FACT BRIEF

Did Act 10 contribute to a teacher shortage in Wisconsin?

By Jacob Alabab-Moser
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YES

Act 10 — former Gov. Scott Walker's 2011 law cutting benefits and curbing collective bargaining for most public employees in Wisconsin — has contributed to the ongoing shortage of teachers in the state, according to multiple analyses.

The combined effect of Act 10's passage with long-term market trends including declining compensation and the loss of teachers' autonomy raised the percentage of teachers leaving the profession to 10.5% after the 2010-11 school year, compared to 6.4% pre-Act 10. The bulk of teachers who immediately exited were older and left to claim their retirement benefits, which were set to be cut under Act 10.

However, the long-term effect of Act 10 on the teacher shortage remains unclear. In 2015-16, for example, the pace of teacher attrition dipped below pre-Act 10 levels in Wisconsin.

Teacher shortages are occurring nationwide. One study placed the number of teacher vacancies at over 36,000 nationally and 2,565 in Wisconsin.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Center for American Progress Attacks on public-sector unions harm states: How Act 10 has affected education in Wisconsin
Spectrum News Teacher shortage part of Act 10 fallout
WIsconsin Policy Forum Stay in school: An update on teacher workforce trends in metro Milwaukee
TeacherShortages.com Teacher shortages in the United States
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Wisconsin Watch
Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.