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August 07, 2025
New statewide initiative recognizes teachers' leadership, strengthens Michigan's early childhood workforce and supports long-term career development
LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP), in partnership with the Michigan Association for the Education of Young Children (Michigan AEYC) and the Gogebic-Ontonagon Intermediate School District (GOISD), today announced a $1 million investment to develop, pilot and evaluate a statewide Mentor Teacher Credential for early childhood educators. This new initiative will formally recognize experienced educators as leaders and mentors in their field, supporting career growth, workforce retention, and educator development across Michigan’s child care, Head Start and GSRP programs.
“This initiative is a powerful investment in Michigan’s early childhood professionals—those who nurture, lead and shape our youngest learners every day,” said Dr. Beverly Walker-Griffea, director of MiLEAP. “It reaffirms our commitment to support every Michigander from birth through postsecondary and into a future filled with opportunity. By building a credential that recognizes teachers as leaders in their field, we’re not only saying experience, leadership, and work are valued – we’re strengthening the workforce and securing a brighter future for children and families across the state.”
Funded through a $1 million Mentor Teacher Credential Grant, the pilot is designed and led by Michigan AEYC in collaboration with MiLEAP and GOISD. It responds to a key opportunity identified in the 2024 Early Childhood Investment Corporation report, which highlighted the lack of a standardized credential for mentor teachers as a barrier to quality and sustainability in Michigan’s growing early childhood apprenticeship programs.
“This crucial funding allows Michigan AEYC to expand our efforts to meet the urgent needs of Michigan’s early childhood workforce,” said Erica Willard, executive director at Michigan AEYC. “The Mentor Teacher Credential Pilot perfectly aligns with our mission to promote high-quality early learning for all children from birth through age eight and complements the state’s broader work to strengthen and sustain its workforce through competency-based pathways, system-level reforms, and data-informed decision-making.”
"GOISD is honored to serve as fiscal agent for this transformative initiative,” said Alan Tulppo, GOISD superintendent. “This mentor teacher credential pilot represents exactly the kind of innovative workforce development that our region needs. By partnering with Michigan AEYC and MiLEAP, we're helping to build a stronger foundation for early childhood education across Michigan while creating meaningful career advancement opportunities for dedicated educators. This investment in our early childhood workforce will have lasting benefits for children, families, and communities throughout the state."
Over the course of the pilot, Michigan AEYC will:
Key deliverables include a finalized framework, a best practices report, an integrated training and credentialing system, and a comprehensive evaluation to inform future statewide implementation.
This work builds on a range of educator support programs led by Michigan AEYC in collaboration with the state, including TEACH Early Childhood® MICHIGAN, Early Foundations Cohorts, Director Network Cohorts, CDA Cohorts, Career and Technical Education (CTE) partnerships, and statewide training and professional development initiatives.
“This pilot is the result of strong collaboration between state, private and community partners who are deeply committed to strengthening Michigan’s early childhood workforce,” said Lisa Brewer-Walraven, director of Child Development and Care at MiLEAP. “It’s not only about recognition; it’s also about investing in retention, growth and long-term sustainability. It helps experienced educators stay in the field, advance in their careers and shape the next generation of early childhood professionals.”
MiLEAP remains committed to investing in the infrastructure needed to retain and grow early educator talent so that all Michigan children and families can thrive at every stage of their learning journeys.
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