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Educationally Speaking

Issue 58 | September 2024
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*Be sure your email address is up-to-date in the **Michigan Online Educator Certification System* [ [link removed] ]* to receive important notifications regarding YOUR certificate.*

**Please see the *archived newsletters [ [link removed] ]* for other important information that affects licensure.**

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Noteworthy News
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*2025-26 Michigan Teacher of the Year Nomination Window Open*

The 2025-26 Michigan Teacher of the Year nomination window is open! 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, administrators, and members of the educational community 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 [ [link removed] ], which is available until Wednesday, September 25, 2024, at 11:59 p.m.

The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) recognizes that some intermediate school districts (ISDs) and local education agencies (LEAs), both traditional public school districts and public school academies (PSAs), have an established process for awarding local teachers of the year. If so, district representatives are encouraged to recommend their local teachers of the year via direct email to [email protected].

To learn more about MDE’s Michigan Teacher of the Year program, please visit the program's webpag [ [link removed] ]e [ [link removed] ]. Questions regarding the program or nomination process may be directed to the Office of Educator Excellence (OEE) at [email protected].

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*New School Social Worker Credentials!* 

MDE is pleased to announce updates to the School Social Worker Certification Code [ [link removed] ], effective June 27, 2024. MDE is transitioning from the School Social Worker Approval system to a new system of multi-level, renewable School Social Worker Certificates [ [link removed] ]. These certificates are issued directly to educators, and school social workers are responsible for applying for certification through the Michigan Online Educator Certification System [ [link removed] ] (MOECS). During the 2024-25 academic year, MDE is *waiving the application fee* for individuals to transition to the new certificates. While districts may continue to apply for School Social Work Approvals during this transition year, no approvals will be issued after the 2024-25 academic year. School Social Worker Waivers to allow districts to employ individuals who are completing school social worker preparation program are "no longer available". Districts may instead apply for a School Social Worker Permit [ [link removed] ] through MOECS. Questions about School Social Worker Approvals may be sent to Sungti Hsu at [email protected], while questions about School Social Permits and Certificates can be directed to Beatrice Harrison, [email protected]. 

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*School Social Worker Tuition Reimbursement Opportunity* 

The Stepping Stones Group (SSG), a leading provider of school-based staffing and clinical supports to school districts, is committed to addressing the critical shortage of certified school social workers in Michigan through a new workforce development initiative. SSG is proud to offer tuition reimbursement for social workers pursuing their School Social Work Certificate, a requirement for working with children in special education. This program not only covers tuition costs but also places clinicians in schools while providing the necessary clinical supervision to complete certification requirements. In exchange for tuition reimbursement, clinicians will be asked to commit to a two-year agreement to work with SSG at one of their school district partners. By investing in the education and professional growth of social workers, SSG aims to build a stronger pipeline of qualified professionals ready to serve the needs of our schools and communities. For more information about The Stepping Stones Group or this program please contact Mark Deasy, Growth Officer, at [email protected]. 

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*Help Improve Michigan’s Mandated Reporter Curriculum/Training* 

The Michigan Public Health Institute (MPHI) received funding from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Children’s Services Administration (CSA) to develop new, or enhance existing, curriculum and training for professionals mandated by law to report known or suspected child abuse and neglect.  

In order for curriculum changes to be relevant and meaningful, MPHI needs input from professionals that are mandated to report suspected child abuse or neglect. The information provided will help us better understand your experiences and perceptions of mandated reporting. Your participation is voluntary and individual responses will be kept confidential. The survey will take approximately *5 minutes to complete and will be open until 9/30*. At the end of the survey you will be asked about your interest in participating in a listening session to further explore this topic.   

*To complete the survey please follow this link:* [link removed]  [ [link removed] ]

Please contact Nicole DeWitt-Blumhardt ([email protected]) with any questions you may have about this project or this survey. 

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Did You Know
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Changes in Educator Evaluation Law Effective July 1

Public Acts 224 [ [link removed] ] and 225 [ [link removed] ] of 2023 modified the existing teacher and administrator evaluation requirements [ [link removed] ] 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 [ [link removed] ], including resources to support collective bargaining and evaluation system design. Additional resources include frequently asked questions [ [link removed] ], student growth [ [link removed] ], and student learning objectives [ [link removed] ] information at www.michigan.gov/mde-edevals [ [link removed] ].

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*The Annual Educator Effectiveness Data Appeals Window** Opened September 1 *

Each year, starting on the first business day in September and ending on the first business day in December, districts and PSAs may submit data appeals for inaccurate educator effectiveness ratings [ [link removed] ] for any of the past five years into the Registry of Educational Personnel (REP). This data correction window is only for the purpose of updating inaccurate effectiveness ratings data within REP. It is not a process for contesting the outcome of an evaluation. Any data corrected [ [link removed] ] during the window for teachers in instructional roles will appear in MOECS immediately after being entered by the district.

For questions regarding educator evaluation, please contact [email protected].

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*You Can Learn More About Educator Evaluation With Michigan Virtual Modules* 

Since 2018, OEE has partnered with Michigan Virtual to provide free online learning modules [ [link removed] ] to Michigan educators with content focused on the requirements and opportunities in educator evaluation law. The self-paced courses are designed to support meaningful implementation of educator evaluation that contributes to the professional learning and development of the educators involved. The modules have been well attended by Michigan educators, with over 8000 modules completed and State Continuing Education Clock Hours (SCECH) awarded to attendees.   

Requirements in educator evaluation law changed [ [link removed] ] effective July 1, 2024, for the 2024-25 academic year and beyond. The Michigan Virtual Instructional modules have been revised to reflect the new requirements and are available as a professional learning resource for Michigan educators. 

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Grants Information Section Header
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*EXPLORE **Section* *504** Grant Applications Opening Soon* 

We are happy to announce that ISDs and LEAs, both traditional school districts and PSAs, will have the opportunity to submit their application on September 26, 2024, to build and sustain existing EXPLORE programs, to provide tuition grants to eligible EXPLORE graduates, or both. 

This grant opportunity was developed to build on the success of EXPLORE programs and to boost graduates who participated in EXPLORE programs and were inspired to pursue the teaching profession. A strong teacher pipeline is crucial to the success of education in Michigan! 

For additional information regarding the EXPLORE grant, please visit the Section 504 website [ [link removed] ]. The site also provides a downloadable Word template of the application, which is designed to assist applicants in collecting the required data, budget details, and supporting documentation prior to commencing the application process. 

For questions and inquiries, please contact [email protected]. 

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National Board First Time Candidate Grant - Round 2

The grant application is open for the second round of the 27m(7) National Board First Time Candidate grant, pursuant to Section 27m [ [link removed] ] of the School Aid budget for fiscal year 2024-25. This grant will be awarded to ISDs and LEAs, both traditional public school districts and PSAs, to support *teachers in schoolwide Title I schools pursuing National Board Certification for the first time.* 

The application period is open from August 19 to September 30, 2024. Please visit the National Board Certification Grant Opportunities webpage [ [link removed] ] for information.

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*Grow Your Own (GYO) Updates* 

If you haven’t already, please visit the newly updated GYO School Staff webpage [ [link removed] ]! It has been updated with new resources for grantees, new timeline information, and new FAQs. We are excited to announce that the webpage has been enhanced to serve as a valuable resource for program administration and reporting technical assistance. Current Section 27b grantees can access the Monitoring and Guidance document and all NexSys reporting instructions on the site. 

In addition to this update, we are pleased to announce that we have prepared a new 27b Award Listings webpage [ [link removed] ] to spotlight all of the districts who were awarded funds under this grant source. This is a handy resource for anyone who wants to know how and where Michigan’s classroom educators are being supported across the state. 

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Teacher Discounts [ [link removed] ]
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"Copyright © 2024 Office of Educator Excellence, All rights reserved."

Michigan Department of Education - Office of Educator Excellence
608 W. Allegan Street, Lansing, MI 48933
(517) 241-5000 | [email protected]






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