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Please ensure your email address is up-to-date in the Michigan Online Educator Certification System (MOECS) to receive important certificate notifications.

See archived newsletters for other important information that affects licensure.

2026-27 Michigan Teacher of the Year Erik Meerschaert is a special education teacher at Lake Orion High School.

2027-28 Michigan Teacher of the Year Nomination Window Open

The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) has opened the 2027-28 Michigan Teacher of the Year (MTOY) nomination window. This annual program recognizes outstanding teachers in our state. Each year, ten 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/guardians, community members, and colleagues are invited to nominate a teacher. To be eligible, a nominee must have a valid Michigan teaching certificate, completed at least five years of effective teaching experience in Michigan at the time of application, and be in good standing with their school or district. 

Please make nominations using the online form, which is available until Wednesday, September 23, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET).

We recognize that some districts and intermediate school districts have an established process for awarding local teachers of the year. District representatives are welcome to nominate their district-level teachers of the year by directly emailing MTOY@Michigan.gov and filling out the online form.

To learn more about the Michigan Teacher of the Year program and MDE's other educator recognition programs, visit the MTOY program webpage. Please contact MTOY@Michigan.gov with questions regarding the program or nomination process. 

New Grow Your Own (GYO) Resources Available

A new set of helpful resources has been posted on the GYO School Staff website for fiscal year 2023 (FY23) grantees who are looking for technical assistance and help in closing out their GYO grant before September 30, 2026. If you haven’t visited the GYO School Staff website recently, log on today and look for the following new items:

• A new FY23 GYO Grant Closeout video that will cover five important areas of best practices and reminders for closing out your FY23 GYO grant by 9/30/26;
• Instructions for completing the Final Expenditure Report (FER) in NexSys by 11/29/26;
• An updated version of the Section 27b FY23 GYO Monitoring and Guidance Document, incorporating all new policy and procedure updates; and
• New Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) relating to the change in expenditure deadline and allowed “seat purchase” agreements, both of which were recently communicated in emails.

Please be sure to access the website soon to keep up to date with the newest guidance resources for the FY23 GYO School Staff Grant. Grantees who have questions about grant closeout are encouraged to first review these resources before they email the GYO Team.

However, for urgent questions, include the phrase “GYO CLOSEOUT” in the Subject line when sending an email to the GYO Team at MDE-EdWorkforceGrants@Michigan.gov. This will help the team prioritize a response.

Coming in August! National Board First Time Candidate Grant

The fourth round of National Board First Time Candidate Grant, funded by Section 27m(7) of the State School Aid Act, will be coming in August. Teachers in schoolwide Title I schools pursuing National Board Certification for the first time may be eligible. National Board Certification is a high-quality professional development program that elevates educator standards to improve learning outcomes for students.

Please regularly visit MDE's National Board Certification Grant Opportunities webpage for updates.

Youth Substance Use Prevention for K–12 Schools

SchoolSafety.gov has released new resources to help educators address rising youth substance use and its impact on student health and school safety. Their substance use topics page outlines evidence-based strategies to educate students about risks, train staff to recognize early signs, strengthen protective factors, and respond to substance use emergencies. It also includes guides, toolkits, and lesson plans to support comprehensive prevention efforts in schools and districts.