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Educationally Speaking Newsletter from the Michigan Department of Education's Office of Educator Excellence
Issue 74 | January 2026
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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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NASDTEC: Call for Nominations for the 2026 Jayne Meyer Distinguished Leadership Award

The National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC)—a long-standing Michigan Department of Education (MDE) partner—has issued its annual call for nominations for the *Jayne Meyer Distinguished Leadership Award*. This award recognizes an individual or organization whose work has made a meaningful impact on PreK–12 public education.

The award recipient will be announced at the *2026 NASDTEC Annual Conference* in Indianapolis, Indiana, during the Leadership Award Luncheon.

*Nominations are due by January 23*. Submissions must be made by a current NASDTEC member; however, nominees are not required to be members of NASDTEC.

To nominate an individual or organization, please email [email protected] with the subject line “Nomination.” Additional background information and award criteria are available on the NASDTEC website [ [link removed] ].

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Did You Know
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Annual Certification Reminder and Requirements

Schools and districts should begin the annual review of staff credentials for 2026. Remind educators with a credential expiring June 30, 2026, to log into the Michigan Online Educator Certification System (MOECS) [ [link removed] ] to update account information.

Educators should work with their employers to ensure they are ready for the 2026-27 academic year. Log in to MOECS [ [link removed] ] to check the status of a credential and professional learning [ [link removed] ] prior to certificate renewal [ [link removed] ].

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Grants Information Section Header
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Coming Soon! FY26 Grow Your Own (GYO) Educator Development Grants

This year, grow your own and educator development programs (MCL 388.1627b [ [link removed] ]) were updated in the State School Act to provide $70 million for three tiers of GYO funds for 2025-2026 (FY26). To distinguish it from previous rounds of GYO funding that had been available from different sources, the FY26 GYO Grant is called the “GYO Educator Development Grant.”

The application timeline and instructions for how to apply will be posted soon to the GYO School Staff webpage [ [link removed] ]. In the meantime, information about tier eligibility and instructional documents for application are available on the site. This information can help districts discuss how to expand and sustain their GYO programs and prepare for the application process when the window opens.

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Grant Open! Michigan Teachers Can Earn Grant Awards for National Board Certification

The National Board Recognized Achievement Grant (27m) is available for eligible teachers who hold National Board Certification. Teachers who currently hold National Board Certification at the time of application may be eligible to participate regardless of whether they have received awards in previous rounds. National Board Certification is a high-quality professional development program that elevates educator standards to improve learning outcomes for students. 

*The application window is open from January 14 to February 25, 2026, at 5:00 p.m.*  Teachers are encouraged to communicate with their districts. Local education agencies (both traditional public school districts and public school academies) and intermediate school districts must apply on behalf of eligible teachers.  

Full details regarding the third round of the National Board Recognized Achievement Grant (27m) and eligibility requirements can be found on the Michigan Department of Education National Board Certification Grant Opportunities webpage [ [link removed] ].  

Please direct questions regarding the grant to [email protected].

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Student Loan Repayment Program Updates

*"Fiscal Year 2026 Transition to Educator Compensation"*

On December 18, 2025, an official MDE memo was  [ [link removed] ]posted  [ [link removed] ]explaining legislative changes that repurpose funding from the Student Loan Repayment Program in the State School Aid Act.

As stated in the memo, MDE would like to remind educators that the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program remains available [ [link removed] ], and encourages eligible educators to continue making qualifying payments to maintain their eligibility for federal loan forgiveness.

As always, for general questions about the Student Loan Repayment Program, please visit the Student Loan Repayment Program webpage [ [link removed] ] or its associated Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) webpage [ [link removed] ].

*"Fiscal Year 2025 Update"*

Some districts have received, or will receive, notifications that one or more of their employees will receive payments under the FY25 Student Loan Repayment Program after a successful appeal of the original decision to deny their application for one or more reasons.

Educators whose applications were approved following a successful appeal *must report to MDE*:


* changes in one or more monthly loan payment(s) since the time of application;
* changes in eligibility status since the time of application; or
* no changes to the monthly loan payment(s) reported on the original application.

A link is posted on the Student Loan Repayment Program webpage [ [link removed] ] for the purpose of completing this report. The Program Administration webpage [ [link removed] ] is still available to assist districts with best practices for administering payments. MDE will then share this information with employers to adjust FY25 payments, where necessary. *IMPORTANT*: Completing this step is *required by law* to receive FY25 payments.

Please direct questions regarding FY25 appeals and this required reporting step to [email protected].

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Resource Spotlight
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MDE Grants Repository

The Michigan Department of Education Grants Repository is a comprehensive, easy-to-navigate website that contains up-to-date information on all State of Michigan education grants available through MDE.

*MDE Grants Repository* [ [link removed] ]


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Upcoming Opportunities
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2026 National Educator Shortage Summit

The American Association of School Personnel Administrators (AASPA) hosts the* 2026 National Educator Shortage Summit: Building a Sustainable Educator Workforce* April 9-10 in Alexandria, VA.

The summit is a highly interactive convening of P-20 stakeholders, bringing together PK-12 administrators, higher education leaders, state and local education agencies, and workforce partners to co-design solutions that strengthen the educator pipeline. This event moves beyond identifying the challenges of educator shortages to focus on actionable, data-informed strategies that sustain and support the education workforce.

*Who Should Attend?*


* PK-12 Administrators
* Higher Education Representatives
* Agency/Department of Education Representatives
* Teachers/Other Educators

*Learn More and Register* [ [link removed]- ]


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Teacher Discounts [ [link removed] ]
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"Copyright © 2026 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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