The State of Michigan is facing a severe shortage of teachers, leaving many schools and districts struggling to fill open positions.
Teacher applications are coming in at about half of what they were prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
To try and stop the shortage, the Michigan Department of Education, through grants, started the Michigan Talent Together program. It gives aspiring teachers a tuition-free degree and lets them work in schools while completing their coursework.
Tyra Gains is a fifth-grade teacher at University Prep Art and Design Elementary School in Detroit. She’s also attending Northern Michigan University for her elementary certification.
She heard about the talent program through a friend and applied.
“It’s taken off ever since. I have been going to classes and enjoying my time in the program,” Gains said.
Every intermediate school district in the state is now part of the program. It’s the newest solution to a critical shortage of teachers in the state at all levels of education. Many teachers have retired or found new careers.