Talent Together: Michigan will invest $66.4 million in a new teacher training program

Mitchell Boatman, The Holland Sentinel
·2 min read

LANSING — A statewide partnership looking to address the teacher shortage in Michigan will get a funding boost from the budget recently approved by the state legislature.

Talent Together, a collaboration of intermediate school districts throughout the state, was allocated $66.4 million in funding to help its efforts to “create a robust ecosystem that attracts and supports aspiring educators.”

More: Superintendents from across Michigan are launching a program to address teacher shortages

The initiative was launched in December 2022. There are 48 ISDs involved in Talent Together, representing more than 60 counties and over a million students. Partners include the Ottawa Area ISD, Allegan Area ESA, Livingston ESA, Ionia County ISD, Wayne RESA, Kalamazoo RESA and more.

“The approved funding for the Talent Together initiative signifies a shared recognition among Michigan legislators of the critical need to address the shortage of qualified teachers across the state,” said Daveda Colbert, superintendent of Wayne RESA. “This commitment to investing in education and supporting aspiring educators echoes Michigan's dedication to providing the best possible learning experiences for its students.”

Talent Together aims to attract and support aspiring educators by providing them with necessary resources, mentorship and professional development opportunities.

The Talent Together initiative received $66.4 million in the most recent state budget to assist its efforts in addressing the teacher shortage.
The Talent Together initiative received $66.4 million in the most recent state budget to assist its efforts in addressing the teacher shortage.

Its goals are to set high standards for teacher preparation, eliminate financial barriers, provide cost-effective degree and certification opportunities, improve educator diversity across the state and serve rural, urban and suburban schools.

Applicants accepted into the program will enroll in a Talent Together degree or certification program through a partner college or university, with tuition, fees and materials covered.

Participants will work in Talent Together schools during their training, including co-teaching with an experienced mentor teacher during their final year.

Those who successfully complete coursework and program requirements will be guaranteed a teaching job. Talent Together participants are required to commit to teaching at their host school or district for five years.

More than 1,500 people have already applied to participate in the program, which plans to welcome its first cohort of teacher candidates this fall.

“This groundswell of support, combined with the funding from the Michigan State Legislature, signifies a united effort to address the teacher shortage and invest in Michigan's future," said Greg Nyen, superintendent of Marquette-Alger RESA in the Upper Peninsula.

Talent Together currently has nine higher education partners — Adrian College, Alma College, Aquinas College, Central Michigan University, Davenport University, Lake Superior State University, Northern Michigan University, University of Michigan Flint and Western Michigan University.

For more information, visit mitalenttogether.org.

— Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman at mboatman@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter @SentinelMitch.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Michigan will invest $66.4 million in a new teacher training program