The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) is affiliated with over 400 schools across the globe. WELS schools are experiencing a teacher shortage and concerning teacher attrition levels like other school systems. Research indicates that job satisfaction is a predictor for organizational commitment, and principals' leadership style has a…

Considering the enrollment decline in university teacher preparation programs, this phenomenological study explored the experiences of seven southeastern Wisconsin public high school juniors and seniors, who were interested in a pursuing a teaching degree, but have changed their minds and dismissed their original career path. The purpose of the…

This study created a typology of alternative teacher-compensation plans in use in Wisconsin as of the fall of 2015. Eight plan types were identified with defining, common, and unique components. Of 125 districts that reported alternative plans, the most prevalent reported type was a hybrid type that combined components. Hybrid plans were found to…

Reform of public schooling has been at the forefront of the national debate over education for more than 25 years. One prominent reform initiative, school chartering, was selected for the study that examined whether a selected school district allocated comparable resources for charter and non-charter schools. The study used the Odden et al.…

Individual variation in labor supply can arise from more than just a choice among discrete occupation groups, especially given the joint process of wage determination and time allocation. Other factors can include differential preferences for earnings, the time length of work and other related occupational attributes. Using data from the Wisconsin…

Purpose. This dissertation addresses the problem of principal turnover. Using state and city level administrative data, a study of principals and their schools in greater Kansas City, Missouri, St. Louis, Missouri, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was conducted with the goal of discovering themes that emerge regarding the factors associated with turnover…