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Dept. of Education addresses teacher shortage in Michigan with resolution to recruit, retain educators

Both state and local school education organizations are recommending action items for Michigan lawmakers to retain and recruit educators.

LANSING, Mich. — Teachers have been in high demand for over a decade in Michigan and because of the coronavirus pandemic the demand has increased to a point in which the Michigan Department of Education determined immediate action needs to take place.

Michigan's State Board of Education adopted a resolution Tuesday that hopes to address the root causes of the teacher shortage in Michigan. 

The board sent the resolution to the state legislature, outlining support for the recruitment and retention of educators across the state. It hopes to achieve this goal through a variety of strategies recommended to the state legislature by the Board of Education.

Some of those recommendations include:

  • Scholarships for high school seniors who aspire to and commit to careers in teaching
  • Tuition reimbursement and a teacher internship stipend for current college students who make a commitment to pursue teaching
  • Loan repayment for recently certified college graduates who commit to careers in education and for current teachers who are working to pay off college loans
  • Support for improved mentoring of new teachers to help retain quality teachers in Michigan 

Educators believe this is an investment of anywhere from $300 million to $500 million over five years, and will greatly improve the recruitment and retention of high-quality educators from diverse backgrounds.

Here's a look at the resolution submitted by the Michigan State Board of Education:

Many statewide education organizations have agreed to co-sign the letter with MDE, including the largest teachers union in the state, the Michigan Education Association.

The resolution comes just weeks after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a bill that allows other school employees without a teaching certificate work as substitute teachers as long as they have a high school diploma or equivalency certificate.

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