On June 26, the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) voted to discontinue Minnesota licensure eligibility for MLC’s teacher education programs.

MLC president Dr. Rich Gurgel said the PELSB decision was not a matter of accreditation. MLC remains an accredited college, and only students training in teacher education programs are impacted, and this is further limited to freshman and new transfer students to MLC. The sophomore, junior, and senior students who started the teaching program will not be impacted by the change.

“If you started in the program when it was license eligibility, you have nothing to worry about,” Gurgel said. “At graduation, you will be fully license-eligible teachers.”

As for the students who begin studying at MLC this year, Gurgel said the goal is to make sure the school restores its licensure before they graduate in the next four years.

PELSB rules typically require a three-year waiting period for institutes to reapply for licensure; MLC can request a variance to apply earlier.

Gurgel said the plan is to make sure the school has everything in order to make sure their application to reinstate licensure is approved.

Gurgel said the reason the school’s licensure was discontinued was due to documentation.

“[PELSB] is looking for us to provide better documentation on how the students are doing,” he said. “They want more consistent assessments of the system and how we make data-informed decisions.”

Gurgel admitted the school was struggling to meet all the reporting requirements due to staffing, and as a smaller school, MLC is at a disadvantage.

“[PELSB] admitted it has gotten more difficult in recent years for smaller schools to meet all the evidence-based reporting,” Gurgel said.

MLC has already begun working with a consulting group that specializes in assessment reporting.

“The consultants will ensure we answer all of PELSB’s concerns and provide the exact evidence-based assessments going forward.

The reports to PELSB must show improvements in how students are performing in the program. Gurgel said that once MLC can provide the evidence PELSB needs, the school will reapply.

“We don’t have to wait three years to reapply, but we do want to make sure everything is in order, and there is no question about our licensure being reinstated,” he said.

In the event MLC is unsuccessful in restoring licensure before the new teaching students graduate, the school is committed to providing support to cover the costs of obtaining a license after graduation.

Gurgel said that though the staff and faculty are disappointed by the loss of licensure, they are committed to moving forward and regaining teacher lic

“We continue to focus on becoming a better college,” Gurgel said. “In going through this, we will hopefully strengthen what we have.”

He assured students and faculty that MLC’s mission has not changed.

“We remain committed to preparing faith-filled, servant-hearted, and highly qualified Lutheran teachers for Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) schools,” he said. “As we strengthen our assessment and documentation processes, MLC will continue its mission of preparing graduates with a highly regarded education who are fully prepared to serve in WELS schools.”