Rural School Teacher Talent Program
The legislature created the Rural School Teacher Talent Pilot Program in the 2017-2019 state budget to increase the exposure that teacher candidates and student teachers have working in a rural school, hoping that more new teachers will consider working in a rural school (see Wis. Stat. 115.423).
The grants allow regional Cooperative Educational Service Agencies (CESAs) to coordinate practicum, student teacher, and internship placements in rural districts. These student teaching candidates may receive a stipend for working in a rural school. Student teachers are eligible to receive a stipend to support living expenses in the rural school district area during the student teaching experience or travel reimbursement if commuting from their current college campus.
The program's goal is to pay stipends in late January/early February for the fall semester and mid-late June for the spring semester, provided the required documentation from the schools, colleges, and universities is submitted in a timely manner.
State Grant
For Practicum Students:
Stipend is to be determined, ranges from $300 to $900 per semester, and is based on the volume of students in the practicum experience each semester
Stipend is mailed to the address the student provides in February for fall placements and June/July for spring placements
STUDENTS MUST DO A BETTER JOB OF PROVIDING AN ADDRESS THEY WILL BE AT DURING THESE MONTHS
New in 2024-25, there will be a $100 charge for returned and reissued checks
The district may provide daily lunch.
For Student Teachers:
Stipend is to be determined, ranges from $1,250 to $3,200 per semester, and is based on the volume of students in the student teaching experience each semester
Stipend is mailed to the address the student provides in February for fall placements and June/July for spring placements
STUDENTS MUST DO A BETTER JOB OF PROVIDING AN ADDRESS THEY WILL BE AT DURING THESE MONTHS
New in 2024-25, there will be a $100 charge for returned and reissued checks
The district may provide daily lunch.
Grant Details
To protect the integrity of the grant and its objectives
Alternative licensure programs are NOT included due to limited grant funds.
This grant is only applicable to undergraduate students per the objective approved by Wisconsin State Legislators.
The rural district list is defined in the grant application and determined by the Small Rural School Achievement (SRSA) locale codes 41, 42, and 43. Rural can have different definitions depending on the source, application, and purpose. For the purpose of this grant, we will consider only the districts on the rural lists as determined by the grant application annually.
More information on the SRSA can be found here.
For more information, contact:
