Wisconsin teachers prep for financial literacy graduation requirement

GREEN BAY, Wis. - Starting with the class of 2028, a person will not be able to graduate high school unless they have taken a personal finance course. It’s a lot to get ready for – and not just for students.

Learning about personal finance

What we know:

On a hot day in June, a different kind of team huddled inside Lambeau Field in Green Bay. The group wasn’t there for field goals but, rather, for finances.

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"It’s a whole vibe. Personal finance is everywhere. It’s all around us," said ReShunda Stephens. 

Stephens is an assistant principal at Congress School in Milwaukee. 

"It touches us every single day. Every day. You want a car? You need gas. You want a bus pass? You need money. There’s no way you are going to escape being a participant of personal finance," Stephens said. 

Educators workshop

Dig deeper:

Stephens is one of about 35 people from all over the state attending the Financial Literacy for Educators Workshop. This is where teachers build confidence in how they spend and save money. 

"To be quite honest," Stephens said, "I didn’t have a personal finance class in high school. My first personal finance class was being an adult. Having to teach this class was my first introduction to really sitting down and understanding."

By the numbers:

Economics Wisconsin sponsors the class. In 2019, the group surveyed 200 teachers about their financial goals. The study found nearly all of them worked part-time jobs in addition to teaching.

The National Education Association’s 2025 report finds, when adjusted to inflation, teachers are making 5% less than they did a decade ago. The average starting salary for teachers in Wisconsin is $42,259. That ranks the state 43rd in the nation for teacher pay.

What they're saying:

"That’s the cool thing about teaching financial literacy – not only do the kids benefit but you do too," said Scott Niederjohn, an economics professor at Concordia University.

Niederjohn is also trying to prepare these teachers for a big change coming soon to their classrooms. 

"All seniors who graduate in the class of 2028 must take a one-semester personal finance course," Niederjohn said.

New requirement for graduates

What's next:

When that requirement was signed into law a year and a half ago, it came with some strings. Niederjohn said no additional funding was given to school districts to implement the course, and it didn’t require any new training for teachers. 

For smaller, rural schools Niederjohn said that could mean someone like your high school gym teacher suddenly has to teach kids how to balance a checkbook. 

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"With an untrained teacher, you might actually make things worse," Niederjohn said. "You really need to make sure teachers know enough and are comfortable doing it. It’s hard to teach something that you don’t feel confident in yourself."

"That’s why we are there – to impact them and to make them see the need to be financially independent early in life," said Oritsesemaiya Dottie in the Lambeau Field atrium. 

Dottie is a business education teacher at Milwaukee’s North Division High School. MPS has had its own personal finance graduation requirements in place since 2021. 

What they're saying:

Born in Nigeria, Dottie brings her own unique perspective to students: she said being wealthy… should never be confused with having money. 

"If you are not living that life of being financially independent and being finically fit, it will be very difficult to impart knowledge into the kids because for some reason, these children see through you!" Dottie said. "They will be able to tell you are not living the life you are teaching."

"They will be the masters of their own fate.  And that, in turn, the state of Wisconsin will be stronger for it," added Stephens. 

For Stephens, education is the key to turning this green – cash - into gold. 

"Those who manage their money better – those are the ones that are winning. You have a happiness. Your lifestyle is happier. Not being in a lot of financial debt – I’m happy. Not having student loans, I’m happy, right?" Stephens said.