Issue 58 | September 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.
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, 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 MTOY@Michigan.gov.
To learn more about MDE’s Michigan Teacher of the Year program, please visit the program's webpage. Questions regarding the program or nomination process may be directed to the Office of Educator Excellence (OEE) at MTOY@Michigan.gov.
New School Social Worker Credentials!
MDE is pleased to announce updates to the School Social Worker Certification Code, 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. These certificates are issued directly to educators, and school social workers are responsible for applying for certification through the Michigan Online Educator Certification System (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 through MOECS. Questions about School Social Worker Approvals may be sent to Sungti Hsu at HsuS@Michigan.gov, while questions about School Social Permits and Certificates can be directed to Beatrice Harrison, HarrisonB@Michigan.gov.
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 Mark.Deasy@ssg-healthcare.com.
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.
Please contact Nicole DeWitt-Blumhardt (ndewitt@mphi.org) with any questions you may have about this project or this survey.
Changes in Educator Evaluation Law Effective July 1
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, student growth, and student learning objectives information at www.michigan.gov/mde-edevals.
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 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 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 MDE-EdEvals@Michigan.gov.
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 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 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.
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. 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.
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 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 for information.
Grow Your Own (GYO) Updates
If you haven’t already, please visit the newly updated GYO School Staff webpage! 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 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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