Michigan Department of Education highlights improvements in teacher shortage

LANSING – During a State Board of Education meeting, Michigan Department of Education (MDE) officials shared that teacher shortages in hard-to-fill subjects and specialties have improved in recent years.

MDE said that from the 2017-18 school year to 2023-24, certified early childhood teachers jumped 171%, certified math teachers – 60%, English as a second language/bilingual education teachers – 53%, science – 31%, and literacy-related teaching endorsements – 28%.

In addition to attracting more teachers in general, MDE said prospective teachers from historically underrepresented populations have increased through scholarship and fellowship programs. The number of Black teachers has increased over 1,000 positions. The number Hispanic or Latino teachers has increased by over 200.

”Research shows that all students – particularly students of color – benefit socially, emotionally, and academically when their schools have a diverse teacher workforce,” said Dr. Michele Harmala, deputy superintendent, Educator Excellence, Career and Technical Education, Special Education, and Administrative Law for the MDE. “I’m pleased by the progress we’ve made in this area, but we still have a lot of work to do in having a teacher workforce that’s as diverse as the students in our classrooms.”

Since 2020, Michigan state budget funding targeted at solving the teacher shortage has increased by millions of dollars. Scholarships and student loan repayments for teachers have increased as well.