Teaching in Michigan is a relatively easy goal to obtain. If you have received a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and attended a state-approved teacher preparation program, you will receive a recommendation for certification that will be sent to the Michigan Department of Education. If you attended school outside the state of Michigan, you will need to contact the MDE for application materials.

Receiving a recommendation for certification is the first step to certification. You will also need to pass the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification. Upon completion of these two tasks, you will receive a Provisional Certificate. It is valid for three years with one renewal allowed.

After you receive your certification, you will need to find a teaching position in Michigan. Detroit Public Schools offers an average teacher to student ratio of 1:17 in lower grades within a district that offers such innovative programs as free college tuition for qualified students and top-rate vocational programs like computer technology and culinary arts. Grand Rapids Public Schools supports a community-driven approach in a diverse city with eight colleges and universities nearby. Warren Consolidated Schools proudly touts the fact that 15 of their 25 schools have been awarded the Michigan Blue Ribbon Exemplary School Award, while Flint Community Schools recently reformed their schools to include restructuring their magnet schools, incorporating single-gender schools, and changing their approach to special education.

After you have been teaching three years under the Provisional Certificate, you can qualify for a Professional Education Certification. In order to qualify for this certification, you must have completed three years of successful teaching, completed either 18 semester hours of a planned course of study or completed a Master’s degree, and completed either teaching of reading or reading methods (six semester hours for elementary level and three semester hours for secondary). The Professional Education Certification is valid for five years and requires six semester hours at an approved four-year or community college, or 18 State Board Continuing Education Units, or a combination of the two.