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MDE to Work with Western Michigan University to Meet Goal of Certifying More Teachers in Areas of Shortage

Grant Awarded to Create Standards, Curricula, and
Professional Learning for Mentors

LANSING – The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) has awarded Western Michigan University (WMU) a competitive grant to support educator mentoring and induction programs as part of the state’s efforts to address certified teachers in areas of shortage.

WMU will assist MDE in creating standards, curricula, and professional learning for mentors of new teachers, administrators, and school counselors after being awarded the $425,741 grant.

“Strong mentoring and induction practices increase teacher retention and support Goal 7 of Michigan’s Top 10 Strategic Education Plan, to increase the number of certified teachers in areas of shortage,” said State Superintendent Dr. Michael F. Rice. “Western Michigan University was chosen for its extensive expertise in mentoring and induction programs for all three groups of educators supported by this grant. Local school districts in Michigan will benefit from this expertise as they search for high-quality educators.”

WMU has demonstrated a commitment to collaborating with other contributors to ensure diverse perspectives are considered, as well as having a proven track record of completing projects in a timely manner. Additionally, WMU has the capability to expand its programming to reach educators across the state.

Strong mentoring and induction practices increase teacher retention.

WMU is an awardee of the Section 27h(5) Mentoring Standards, Curricula, and Professional Learning Creation Grant. This grant is one prescribed by Section 27h of the School Aid budget for fiscal year 2023-2024 related to supporting mentoring and induction programs in Michigan.

New resources developed under this grant will be available to school districts during the 2024-25 academic year. The resources will support mentoring and induction programming and will directly align with two other upcoming associated grants, one for evaluating mentoring and induction programming in Michigan and one for supporting mentoring and induction programs at the district level. 

For more information on induction-related grants, visit the Mentoring and Induction Grants webpage.

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