MDE Awards Grow Your Own Grants for Teacher Certification Pathways Around Michigan

Program Supports Statewide Efforts to Address Teacher Shortage by
Providing $70M for 74 School Districts, Charter Schools

LANSING – The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) has selected 74 school districts and charter schools to receive a combined $70 million under new educator development grants to grow their own staff.

In partnership with state-approved educator preparation providers, districts will use these Grow Your Own funds to expand or develop pathways for school staff to earn initial teaching certificates, add endorsements, or participate in other educator development programming.

Funded by a state legislative appropriation approved by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, these grants will expand or establish Grow Your Own Educator Development programs statewide, advancing Goal 7 of Michigan’s Top 10 Strategic Education Plan, to increase the number of certified teachers in areas of shortage. Funding ensures that students will learn from certified, high-quality teachers in their classrooms.

“If we want to put Students First in Michigan, we need to make sure they are taught by highly qualified teachers,” said State Superintendent Dr. Glenn Maleyko. “Michigan’s Grow Your Own Educator Development grants represent a powerful commitment to strengthening our educator pipeline. By investing directly in the dedicated people already serving in our schools, we are expanding access to the profession and ensuring students benefit from teachers who know their communities well.”

Demand for Grow Your Own programs remains significant. Earlier this year, MDE received 89 applications for the Grow Your Own Educator Development grants, including many from returning grantees interested in sustaining their established local programs. Applicants reflected a broad range of program sizes, from single districts to multi-district partnerships.

“In the Ann Arbor Public Schools, we are excited to receive an additional round of state grant funding for the Grow Your Own program,” said Superintendent Jazz Parks. “We have focused on two main areas for endorsement—teachers for English learners and special education teachers. This has been a valuable resource, both in building a pipeline of highly qualified teachers in critical shortage areas and in creating the next wave of certified educators. Along with our valued partner, Western Michigan University, we celebrate almost 70 staff who have already earned an additional endorsement to their current teaching certificate. This new round of funding creates both access and opportunity for our cohorts that have not yet finished their program and for new candidates to join the program and earn their endorsement.”

Suttons Bay Public Schools in Northern Lower Michigan also was awarded a grant.

"The most important thing we can do in public education is to create safe, consistent, and sustainable schools for our students to learn,” said Superintendent Casey Petz. “The Grow Your Own grants help us accomplish our mission in Suttons Bay Public Schools by funding our initiatives to identify, train and support existing staff and members of our school community. Our district is filled with caring people that have a proven track record of success with students. This grant funding helps them take the next step in their career in public education. There's no better way to build a great school for all students than to inspire, engage and uplift the people that are already here, so we are very grateful for the Grow Your Own funding from the MDE."  

Other grant recipients include Detroit Achievement Academy.

“Detroit Achievement Academy is so very thrilled to receive grant funding so that eight existing staff members at our school can earn their initial certification and add additional endorsements,” said Kyle Smitley, founder of the charter school. “Absent this funding, supporting teammates in this way would be financially untenable for us as a small school. Growing our own staff members is critically important as we continue working to hire dynamic, passionate educators to help us shake up education. Our team is committed to giving students a foundation for academic excellence and we want our staff to continue to grow so they can better support our students.”

Grant recipients, classified by the tiers described in the legislation, are:

Tier 1:

• Kentwood Public Schools, $40 million.

Note: The Kentwood grant provides support to at least 15 districts in urban and rural areas throughout the state through TeachMichigan, an initiative to develop and retain educators.

Tier 2:

• American Montessori Academy in Wayne County, $236,058.
• Arts and Technology Academy of Pontiac, $1,906,197.
• Berrien Regional Education Service Agency (RESA), $4,496,540.
• Center Line Preparatory Academy, $146,623.
• Countryside Academy in Benton Harbor, $132,771.
• Dearborn Public Schools, $2,144,880.
• Detroit Achievement Academy, $28,000.
• Genessee Intermediate School District (ISD), $409,845.
• Gull Lake Community Schools in Richland, $568,614.
• Hope Academy of West Michigan in Grand Rapids, $30,284.
• Lansing School District, $331,757.
• Lighthouse Academy in Grand Rapids, $38,544.
• Marquette-Alger RESA, $2,593,955.
• Mount Pleasant Public Schools, $932,372.
• Pontiac City School District, $771,351.
• Summit Academy North in Romulus, $164,858.
• Suttons Bay Public Schools, $31,630.
• Ypsilanti Community Schools, $5,202,072.

Tier 3:

• Adrian Public Schools, $142,371.
• Alcona Community Schools, $833,966.
• Alma Public Schools, $386,863.
• Ann Arbor Public Schools, $1,560,308.
• Battle Creek Public Schools, $141,788.
• Bellevue Community Schools, $67,837.
• Benton Harbor Charter School Academy, $58,975.
• Bridge Academy in Hamtramck, $31,197.
• Cadillac Area Public Schools, $104,659.
• Caniff Liberty Academy in Hamtramck, $43,871.
• Capac Community Schools, $70,677.
• Carrollton Public Schools, $223,639.
• Central Academy in Ann Arbor, $31,197.
• Clio Area School District, $15,555.
• Concord Community Schools, $253,384.
• Covenant High School Grand Rapids, $57,532.
• Covenant Schools Detroit, $110,130.
• Da Vinci Schools in Jackson County, $62,343.
• Detroit Academy of Arts and Sciences, $81,098.
• Discovery Creative Pathways in Wayne County, $90,052.
• Dryden Community Schools, $112,885.
• Eagle’s Nest Academy in Flint, $93,341.
• Escuela Avancemos in Detroit, $96,680.
• Frontier International Academy in Detroit, $31,497.
• Global Tech Academy in Ypsilanti, $31,197.
• Grand Blanc Academy, $87,008.
• Great Lakes Academy, $7,025.
• Greater Heights Academy in Pontiac, $60,773.
• Hazel Park Schools, $203,025.
• Hemlock Public School District, $121,108.
• Heritage Southwest ISD, $94,263.
• Holland Public Schools, $104,120.
• Huron ISD, $171,242.
• Kent ISD, $186,989.
• LakeVille Community Schools, $180,119.
• Macomb ISD, $1,422,291.
• Macomb Montessori Academy, $50,494.
• Michigan Educational Choice Center in Detroit, $77,904.
• Mildred C. Wells Preparatory Academy in Benton Harbor, $201,879.
• Mount Clemens Community Schools, $132,671.
• Muskegon Heights Public School Academy System, $424,274.
• New Dawn Academy of Warren, $39,736.
• Novi Community School District, $69,562.
• Oakland International Academy in Wayne County, $43,871.
• Pine River Area Schools, $46,813.
• Plainwell Community Schools, $80,935.
• Plymouth-Canton Community Schools, $64,074.
• Riverside Academy in Dearborn, $31,197.
• Sanilac ISD, $53,525.
• Southfield Public School District, $93,900.
• State Street Academy in Bay City, $111,482.
• Vanderbilt Area Schools, $20,700.
• Waterford School District, $684,691.
• West Branch-Rose City Area Schools, $135,171.
• West Village Academy in Dearborn, $99,760.

More information about the Future Proud Michigan Educator Grow Your Own School Staff grants can be found on the Future Proud Michigan Educator Staff Grant webpage.

###