MDE Celebrates Teacher Appreciation Month 

May 6-10, 2024 is National Teacher Appreciation Week. However, the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) is celebrating Michigan teachers throughout the entire month of May! This is a way to express our deepest gratitude to Michigan’s teachers for their outstanding contributions to their students, schools, communities, and the teaching profession.     

“At a time when we know Michigan’s educators need supportive environments to stay in the profession, we are thrilled to be able to convey so many messages of thanks from their students,” said State Superintendent Dr. Michael Rice.  

“We might help teachers with the ‘how,’ but these messages of appreciation remind educators of the ‘why’ of the important work they do.”  

Recognizing Michigan educators is an important piece of recruiting and retaining quality educators in support of goal 7 of Michigan’s Top 10 Strategic Education Plan, to increase the numbers of certified teachers in areas of shortage.     

To show gratitude for their commitment to their profession, MDE invited families, parents, guardians, and community members to help highlight our state’s remarkable teachers by submitting videos of their PK-12 students expressing appreciation for their teachers.   

These videos will be featured on MDE's YouTube channel. To learn more about the ways MDE is celebrating Michigan teachers, educators, parents, families, guardians, and administrators are encouraged to visit our Teacher Appreciation Month website. 

The Office of Educator Excellence’s Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) social media pages will be featuring daily videos of student- and parent-made appreciation videos. Help MDE promote these videos using the hashtags #MITeachAppreesh, #PME (for Proud Michigan Educator), and @MIEducator!