View as a webpage  /  Share

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.

____________________________________________________________

The Annual Educator Effectiveness Data Appeals Window Opened September 1

Each year, from the first business day in September through the first business day in December, school districts, intermediate school districts, or public school academies may submit data appeals for inaccurate educator effectiveness ratings for any of the past five years into the Registry of Educational Personnel (REP). This appeals window is only for the purpose of updating inaccurate effectiveness rating data within the REP. It is not a process for contesting the outcome of an evaluation. Any data corrected during the appeals window for teachers in instructional roles will appear in MOECS immediately after the district enters it.

As a reminder, beginning with the 2024-25 academic year, changes in educator evaluation law now require that local evaluation systems must not assign a teacher an evaluation rating and must designate the teacher as “unevaluated” for a school year if any of the following apply:

• the teacher worked less than 60 days in that school year;
• the teacher's evaluation results were vacated through the grievance procedure described in law; or,
• there were extenuating circumstances and the teacher and the school district, intermediate school district, or public school academy agree to designate the teacher as unevaluated because of the extenuating circumstances.

Beginning in October, CEPI users will be able to revise ratings from the 2024-25 and 2025-26 to accurately reflect the “unevaluated” designation.

The Deadline to Nominate the 2027-28 Michigan Teacher of the Year is September 23 The September deadline for nominations for the 2027‑28 Michigan Teacher of the Year is approaching quickly. The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) invites parents and/or guardians, colleagues, and community members to recognize exceptional educators from across our state. Ten Regional Teachers of the Year will be selected, with one ultimately named Michigan Teacher of the Year. Eligible nominees must hold a valid Michigan teaching certificate, have at least five years of teaching experience in Michigan at the time of application, and be in good standing with their school or district. Nominations must be submitted using the online form by Wednesday, September 23, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Districts and intermediate school districts with their own processes for awarding local teachers of the year are welcome to nominate their winners directly by emailing MTOY@Michigan.gov. For more details on the Michigan Teacher of the Year program and other educator recognition opportunities, visit the program webpage or contact MTOY@Michigan.gov with any questions.

Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) Grow Your Own (GYO) Final Expenditure Reports Reminder 

The official end of the FY23 GYO Staff Grant (funded through section 27b of the School Aid Act) is September 30, 2026.

As a reminder, grantees must submit their Final Expenditure Report (FER) no later than Friday, November 27, 2026. FER screens will be open on NexSys beginning Thursday, October 1, 2026. Instructions for completion are available on the GYO School Staff website.

A financial closeout checklist will be shared via email to grant contacts outlining documentation expectations to help ensure grantees remain audit-ready and compliant with federal grant requirements.

For urgent questions, please email the GYO Team at MDE-EdWorkforceGrants@Michigan.gov and include the phrase “GYO CLOSEOUT” in the subject line.

Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) GYO Educator Development Grant Updates

In June 2026, 74 Michigan school districts were awarded FY26 GYO Educator Development (27b) awards. For these new grantees, the GYO Team has the following important reminders:

• Please download the newest version of the FY26 GYO Educator Development Monitoring and Guidance Document (updated August 2026) from the GYO School Staff website. Please discard all previous versions, as the newest version has important updates that supersede the older version.
• New Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) have been posted to the associated FAQ site, from questions brought forward from grantees during recent Office Hours sessions. Grantees are encouraged to review the FAQ site if they have not done so recently.
• If they have not yet done so, grantees must submit their signed agreements with educator preparation programs (EPPs) or educator development programs (EDPs) using the instructions found in Appendix A of the FY26 GYO Educator Development Monitoring and Guidance Document. Please note the following:
  • Grantees must have approved EPP/EDP agreements on file with the GYO team before participants begin their development pathways.
  • Please allow up to 10 business days for approval or a response regarding edits needed from the GYO Team for each submitted EPP/EDP agreement.
  • For EDPs, a letter of intent will be sufficient in order for participants to start their development pathways. It must still be signed by both parties.

In addition, the GYO Team is offering a set of live grantee support "office hours" for open questions, issues, or feedback you may have. To register, use the links below, making sure to use a correct email address, since our Zoom virtual meeting system will send the session link to the email you designate. Please invite your business office staff, as well as any administrative staff, who will have a role in the administration of your FY26 GYO Educator Development grant.

As always, please direct all questions to the GYO Team at MDE-EdWorkforceGrants@Michigan.gov 

Applications Opening Soon for Fiscal Year (FY27) EXPLORE Section 504 Grants

Intermediate school districts (ISDs), local education agencies (LEAs), both traditional public school districts and public school academies, and non-public schools will soon have the opportunity to submit applications to build and sustain existing EXPLORE programs, to provide tuition grants to eligible EXPLORE graduates, or both. Applications are estimated to open in late September. More information can be found on the EXPLORE grant: Section 504 website.

The website features a downloadable Word template of the application. This template will help applicants gather necessary data, budget details, and supporting information before starting the application process. For questions and inquiries, please contact us at MDE-EdWorkforceGrants@michigan.gov.

2026 Michigan School Safety Academy

The Michigan State Police Office of School Safety, in partnership with the School Safety and Mental Health Commission, has launched the 2026 Michigan K‑12 School Safety Academy — a free, two-day professional development series designed for K–12 administrators, safety liaisons, mental health professionals, school nurses, and school resource officers.

The series began this summer with in-person sessions in Escanaba (August) and Kalamazoo (September). There are upcoming opportunities to attend October 20–21 at the University of Michigan-Dearborn and November 17–18 at the University of Michigan-Flint.

Participants will engage with important topics, including suicide prevention, threat assessment, mental health and well-being, emergency operations planning, substance-use trends, and school safety law—earning State Continuing Education Clock Hours (SCECH) and Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES) credits under the expert guidance of leading subject matter experts.

MDE Office Closures Through 2026

• November 3: Election Day
• November 11: Veterans Day
• November 26 and 27: Thanksgiving
• December 24 and 25: Christmas
• December 31: New Year's Eve