Issue 55 | May 2024
Be sure your email address is up-to-date in the?Michigan Online Educator Certification System?to receive important notifications regarding YOUR certificate.
Please see the?archived newsletters for other important information that affects licensure.
Teacher Appreciation Video Project
In honor of National Teacher Appreciation Week, which took place from May 6-10, 2024, the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) recognizes the diligent and committed educators throughout the state. As a key component of MDE's strategic initiative, we are proud to celebrate Michigan teachers throughout the entire month of May.
MDE invited parents to submit videos of their students thanking a specific teacher for their impact. Parents and students delivered! The submitted videos are terrific and will be posted on the Teacher Appreciation Month webpage and MDE?s YouTube channel. The Office of Educator Excellence (OEE) Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) social media pages throughout the month of May will be promoting the videos. Check us out at @MIeducator.?
Follow OEE on social media using the links above and promote the hashtag #MITeachAppreesh. ?
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2025-26 Michigan Teacher of the Year Nomination Window Open
MDE is opening the 2025-26 Michigan Teacher of the Year nomination window early this year! This annual program recognizes outstanding teachers in our state. Each year, 10 Regional Teachers of the Year are selected through a competitive application process, with one of the Regional Teachers of the Year named Michigan Teacher of the Year.
Parents, students, colleagues, and community members are invited to nominate a teacher. To be eligible, a nominee must have a valid Michigan teaching certificate, at least five years of teaching experience in Michigan, and be in good standing with their school or district.
Please make nominations using the online form, which is available until Wednesday, September 25, 2024, at 11:59 p.m.
We recognize that some districts and intermediate school districts (ISDs) have an established process for awarding local teachers of the year. District representatives are welcome to nominate their district level teachers of the year by directly emailing [email protected].
To learn more about the Michigan Teacher of the Year program and MDE's other educator recognition programs, visit the program webpage. Please contact [email protected] with questions regarding the program or nomination process.
Michigan Law Brings Changes to Educator Evaluation Requirements
Public Acts 224 and 225 of 2023 modified the existing teacher and administrator evaluation requirements and removed the requirement for educator effectiveness ratings to be tied to teaching certificate progression. Learn more and stay informed by reviewing the updated MDE guidance about changes in law, including resources to support collective bargaining and evaluation system design. Additional resources include frequently asked questions (FAQs), student growth and student learning objectives (SLO) resources, and the lists of state-approved evaluation tools for teachers and administrators at www.michigan.gov/mde-edevals.?
For questions regarding educator evaluation, please contact [email protected].
Professional Learning Reminders
Teaching Certificate Renewal
Teachers are required by rule to accumulate a total of 150 education-related professional learning hours to renew or progress their teaching certificate. These hours may include college credits, State Continuing Education Clock Hours (SCECHs), and District Provided Professional Development (DPPD). DPPD hours obtained prior to July 1, 2020 must be entered by the educator and then submitted to the district for verification using this process. Although DPPD hours accrued after July 1, 2020 must be entered as SCECHs by the district or another SCECH provider, educators should check their Michigan Online Educator Certification System (MOECS) account to verify their professional learning hours. If an educator finds a discrepancy in SCECH hours, they should contact their district.
Professional Learning Laws
Districts are required by law (MCL 380.1527) to provide at least 5 days (30 hours) of professional development to all teachers annually. Teachers within their first three years of classroom teaching must be assigned a mentor and receive an additional 15 days (90 hours) of professional development over those three years per MCL 380.1526. Districts need to maintain documentation related to both professional learning laws and enter new teacher professional learning hours into Field 24 of the Registry of Educational Personnel (REP).
School Safety
As part of MCL 380.1526 and effective August 1, 2023, districts need to provide an MDE approved First Aid/CPR course to teachers in their first year of employment in classroom teaching. With this change to law, school safety trainings will be accepted as district provided professional development and count toward recertification.
Helpful resources:?
Student Loan Repayment Program Updates
OEE's 27k Team is very busy with its comprehensive administrative review of the applications that were submitted by districts in April for the Student Loan Repayment Program. The team anticipates that Grant Award Notifications (GANs) will be sent out by mid-June.
A significant number of districts submitted applications with data errors in participant identities or other areas of their applications. Shortly, these districts will be contacted by OEE with information on how to re-submit their applications, with a timeline for submission. As a result, these districts may have GANs sent to them at a later time than the original group. Please do not e-mail the 27k Team to inquire?wait for our communication first.
However, we have good news! Plans are already underway for a second cohort of applications, expected to be open sometime in the fall of 2024. The Student Loan Repayment Program website now has important information about the second cohort. In addition, an official memo is now available with additional information about how to get ready for this second cohort.
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Talent Pool
The Michigan Talent Pool is a group of elementary and secondary educators nominated by their supervisors that MDE draws upon throughout the year when opportunities for engagement and recognition become available. For 2023, MDE is focusing on early and mid-career educational leaders primarily working with students in grades 6 to 12.
We welcome recommendations of outstanding classroom teachers and/or principals who exhibit strong potential for professional leadership, and demonstrate the following:
- Exceptional educational talent as evidenced by effective instructional practices and student learning results in the classroom and school;
- Exemplary educational accomplishments beyond the classroom;
- Contributions to education that are largely unheralded, yet are worthy of the spotlight; and
- An engaging and inspiring presence that motivates and impacts students, colleagues and the community.
Recommendations to the Talent Pool should be submitted by the nominee's supervisor and can be made via the online recommendation form.
The nomination form includes a one-page letter of recommendation explaining how the nominee meets the above criteria. Please note that these recommendations are confidential and should not be discussed with the recommended educator or others in your school or community.
Please direct any questions to Jennifer Robel at [email protected].
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Free Series: The Power of Professional Conversations: Model Code of Ethics for Educators.
MDE approved the Michigan Code of Educational Ethics (Code) to support principles for best practice, mindfulness, self-reflection, and decision-making.? Adopted from the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC)?s Model Code of Ethics for Educators, this Code is essential to ensuring that all individuals working with and for students understand how professional decision-making can impact the safety and well-being of children, licensure and the culture and mission of the school.
NASDTEC currently offers a free video series with discussion guides that may support districts when engaging in ethics discussions with staff. This series is for both pre-service and in-service educators and provides opportunities for engaging in collegial conversations based upon the profession?s collective norms.
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