MiCAREER connects new, experienced teachers with vacancies in underserved communities

A new effort to connect educators with rural school districts across Michigan is working to fill classroom vacancies in high-need communities by offering no-cost credentialing to aspiring and experienced educators alike.

Led by Central Michigan University, the new MiCAREER Resource Hub streamlines and coordinates credentialing across five major universities to address the needs of rural school districts where educator shortages are most severe and teacher preparation programs are less accessible.

Partnering teacher-prep institutions are Saginaw Valley State University, Michigan State University, Northern Michigan University, and Eastern Michigan University.

MiCAREER offers no-cost credentialing, individual supports and credits for prior experience to educators who want to teach or change roles to fill openings in rural school districts. MiCAREER – the acronym for Michigan Consortium for Addressing Rural Education Expansion and Retention – is spearheaded by Dr. Kathryn Dirkin, MiCAREER director of partnerships and programming. Dirkin is a CMU faculty member and Michigan Education Association member.

“This is a unique collaboration to bring together all of the players involved and think very differently about how to solve this persistent problem of educator shortages in rural communities across our state,” Dirkin said. “Supporting districts means supporting educators and children. This is mission-driven work that really matters to the future of our state.

“Now we just need to get the word out that this opportunity is available statewide for prospective educators in our rural regions.”

The MiCAREER hub is a no-cost credentialing body geared to help three groups of people in Michigan’s rural areas who don’t have easy access to a teacher preparation institution:

• Prospective educators who almost completed a teacher prep program;
• Staff on temporary teaching certifications already working in schools; and
• Veteran teachers who want to add credentials to fill a needed new role.

MiCAREER shortens the credentialing process while still meeting standards for preparation, Dirkin said. Participants complete a pre-assessment that evaluates school and work experience for credit before an individualized completion plan is developed.

Classes are free for participants and offered online around a schedule that allows project participants to balance existing work and personal obligations. Participants are assigned a mentor and get personalized help with issues or questions.

On the K-12 side, additional project partners serve in an advisory capacity. K-12 partners include four northern Michigan intermediate school districts and more than 50 local school districts.

Funded with a four-year, $15 million state grant, MiCAREER is expected to support hundreds of educators and thousands of students in its first few years with expectation for continued growth. The project served its first cohort shortly after receiving the grant in 2024.

Many districts in rural areas are susceptible to severe teacher shortages due to their smaller size and a limited supply of new teachers and credentialing institutions in their local area, according to Michigan State University’s Education Policy Innovation Collaborative.

The study found rural districts were more likely to experience high turnover and vacancy rates and often relied heavily on under-credentialed teachers.  Rural school districts comprise 65% of the state’s school districts and serve 31% of Michigan students.