State leaders and education experts discussed making it easier for out-of-state teachers to work in Michigan at a virtual town hall last week. It was one of the ideas to help address the state’s teacher shortage.
The town hall also addressed ways Michigan can better retain and recruit teachers, and it touched on the root causes for teachers fleeing the profession.
Experts cited large class sizes, the pandemic, wages, political turmoil and lack of state funding for the current shortage.
But they also brought up a potential short-term solution. Michael Rice is the State Superintendent.
Rice said last year over 1,000 teachers in Michigan were certified outside of Michigan and couldn’t teach in-state. He says there are bills in the Michigan senate that could get those teachers in classes sooner.
"That would reduce the regulatory barrier, which would make it even easier to come into the state from out of state," said Rice. "This is not the solution mid-term, long-term but this is part of the solution in the short run."
Rice says many of the issues facing teachers pre-date the pandemic by many decades and the lack of state funding is one of the biggest issues plaguing schools.
"We know that it's not all about money. But that it’s not all about money doesn’t mean that it isn’t at all about money. It most assuredly is in part about money," said Rice.
The town hall was put together by the University of Michigan's Ed Hub.
