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The number of vacancies is likely an undercount, because this number does not include substitutes or unqualified teachers who may have been hired to fill gaps.
and suggest that at least some Michigan districts are still struggling to fill open positions for the fall of 2025.
The , but it is especially acute in Michigan, where the number of teachers leaving teaching and the . This shortage is particularly severe in urban and rural communities, , and in .
For more than two decades, has centered on designing and leading effective teacher preparation programs. My research focuses on ways to attract people to teaching and keep them in the profession by helping them grow into effective classroom leaders.
Low pay and lack of support
Teacher shortages are the result of , especially low salaries, heavy workloads and a lack of ongoing professional support.
A report released last year, for example, found that Michigan teachers and teachers nationwide make about .
From my experience working with teachers and district leadership across the state, I know that beginning teachers 鈥� especially those in districts which have severe shortages 鈥� are often given the most challenging teaching loads. And in some districts, teachers have been forced to work without the benefit of any kind of planning time in their daily schedule.
The , . Yet another culprit is the many teachers who, in Michigan as well as nationally, were hired during the 1960s and early 鈥�70s, when school enrollments saw a massive increase, .
Creating pathways to certification
One recent strategy to address the teacher shortage in Michigan has been to create nontraditional routes to teacher certification.
The idea . A variety of agencies 鈥� from the Michigan Department of Education, state-level grants programs such as , as well as private foundations and businesses 鈥� have helped these programs along financially.
Even some school districts, including the Detroit Public Schools Community District, have adopted this strategy in order to certify teachers and fill vacant positions.
Other similar programs are the product of partnerships between Michigan鈥檚 , community colleges and four-year colleges and universities. One example is , which targets interested students of college age. Another is MSU鈥檚 , designed to attract students into teaching while they are still in high school.
Perhaps even more visible are national programs such as and . Candidates in such programs often work as full-time teachers while completing teacher training coursework with minimal oversight or support.
鈥楽tuffing the pipeline鈥� is not the solution
But simply 鈥渟tuffing the pipeline鈥� with new recruits is not enough to solve the teacher-shortage problem in Michigan.
The loss of teachers is and . This starts while they are preparing to be certified and .
The primary reasons for the higher attrition rates include a lack of awareness of the complexity of schools and schooling, the lack of effective mentoring during the certification period, and the absence of instructional and .
How to repair the leaky faucet
So how can teachers be encouraged to stay in the profession?
Here are a few of the things scholars have learned to and :
Temper expectations. Teaching is a critically important career, but leading individuals to believe that they can repair the damage done by a complex set of socioeconomic issues 鈥� including multigenerational poverty and lack of access to healthy and affordable food, housing, drinking water and health care 鈥� puts beginning teachers on .
Give student teachers strong mentors. Working in schools helps student teachers deepen their knowledge not only of teaching but also of how schools, families and communities work together. But these experiences are useful only if they are and supported by .
Recognize the limits of online learning. Online teacher preparation programs are convenient and have their place but don鈥檛 provide student teachers with real-world experience and opportunities for guided discussion about what they see, hear and feel when working with students.
Respect the process of 鈥渂ecoming.鈥� Professional support should not end when a new teacher is officially certified. Teachers, like other professionals such as nurses, doctors and lawyers, need time to develop skills throughout their careers.
Providing this support sends a powerful message: that teachers are valued members of the community. Knowing that .
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