Lansing, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – As Michigan continues to address certified teacher retention in the state, Central Michigan University is taking strides to lead the effort.
After receiving a $15 million grant from the Michigan Department of Education, CMU intends to create a credentialing hub, the Michigan Consortium for Addressing Rural Education Expansion and Retention (MiCAREER) Resource Hub
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“The need to attract, develop, and retain educators in rural regions is crucial for the health and well-being of children, families, communities, and our state,” said Paula Lancaster, dean of the College of Education and Human Services at CMU in a statement. “We are proud to lead collaborative efforts and build a truly unique consortium of educator preparation programs and preschool-12 school districts that will address the persistent problem of educator shortages in rural communities across our state.”
Central Michigan’s Track Record of Teacher Training.
According to statistics from the university, the College of Education & Human Services, there are 300 teacher candidates who graduate from the institution annually, and have high levels of satisfaction from employers.
CMU highlighted that the potential will be far reaching as 65% of the state’s school districts and 31% of its students are in rural areas.
State Superintendent Michael F. Rice also weighed in on how rural schools need particular help.
“Our rural school districts have faced a shortage of certified teachers because they are not located close to universities and colleges with educator licensing programs,” State Superintendent Rice said in a statement. “Providing a no-cost credentialing hub will remove barriers to educator certificates for people who have talent and a passion for education but have not become certified due to geography and cost.”
Provost Nancy Matthews shared that CMU has had a long commitment to teacher preparation.
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“Central Michigan University has been committed to teacher preparation and to serving rural schools since its inception in 1892. With this extraordinary commitment from the Governor and the State, CMU will lead the MiCAREER Resource Hub,” said Provost Mathews in a statement. “In collaboration with partners around the state, we are collectively dedicated to eliminating the persistent problem of educator shortages in rural communities across our state.”
The MiCAREER Resource Hub will help CMU expand its impact on the educator workforce according to the university, by bringing together rural school districts and Michigan educator preparation institutions with experience supporting rural educator workforce needs.
“Among its partners are four additional state universities, at least nine northern Michigan intermediate school districts, and more than 50 local school districts,” according to CMU.
Consortium partners will begin development of the hub in April, and according to Lancaster programming is expected to commence no later than August.
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