UWM/MPS Special Education Internship Program
This internship provided me with the skills, knowledge and confidence I needed to be a successful urban special educator. I was well equipped to meet the many needs of the students I would serve. - Former UWM/MPS intern teacher
The UWM/MPS Internship Program, started in 1988, provides opportunities for post-baccalaureate special education certification students who have a commitment to teaching in Milwaukee Pubic Schools (MPS) to begin teaching while earning certification. Interns are teachers-of-record in MPS schools with full pay and benefits while earning certification at UWM. They receive the support of MPS mentor teachers and are supervised by UWM instructors.The internship is open to students enrolled in the Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE), Middle Childhood to Early Adolescence Special Education (MCEA), or the Early Adolescence to Adolescence Special Education (EAA) programs.
Internship Eligibility
Students interested in the internship must:
- Be accepted into one of UWM's special education certification programs
- Apply to the internship
- Be recommended for an intern placement by the program
- Meet all of MPS' hiring requirements
Additional Requirements
- Regular education certification at the appropriate level (ECSE, MCEA, or EAA) or successful completion of Year One in the certification program, including meeting program benchmarks
- Commitment to apply to MPS once certified and, if hired, teach in the district for at least three years
Pre-Internship
Students who do not enter the program with certification (those in the two-year program) who are interested in the UWM/MPS Internship can apply to be a pre-intern.Pre-interns work as paid paraprofessionals in carefully selected sites, co-teaching with a special education teacher. Upon successful completion of the year-long pre-internship, candidates are recommended for internships in Year Two of the certification program.
For more information about the UWM/MPS internship or pre-internship, contact Brian Williams (briancw2@uwm.edu or 414-229-4750) or Dr. Judy Winn (jwinn@uwm.edu or 414-229-4109)
Availability of internships and pre-internships is determined by MPS each year.
