New Teacher Pathway - Talent Together

Talent Together is a consortium of 48 Intermediate School Districts (ISDs), including Oakland Schools ISD, that have formed an innovative partnership to address the teacher shortage crisis in Michigan.  Dubbed "Talent Together", the partnership includes districts spanning 63 counties—from the Upper Peninsula to Southeast Michigan—that collectively serve over 1.1 million Michigan students. To date, this is the largest education collaboration of its kind in state history.

The partnership will include pathways for aspiring teachers of all education levels, including those who do not yet have a bachelor’s degree. Focused on teacher quality, this innovative model will also make use of apprenticeships, a way to develop educators that is newly recognized by the United States Department of Labor.  Program fellows who are seeking certification will be required to meet federal apprenticeship guidelines, which means at least one year of “practice” in classrooms and fully paid at a competitive wage. Talent Together will identify pathways for each of these certifications. On Dec. 1, the consortium launched a request for proposal (RFP) asking Michigan colleges and universities to offer proposals that would meet the partnership’s needs.

Talent Together applied for MDE’s grow-your-own program grant to offer pathways to a degree or teacher certification in areas of high-need, including early childhood education, elementary, special education, ESL, and secondary science and math. You can find more information about the specific endorsements by viewing our FAQ web page. 

Funding for Talent Together is currently pending MDE approval. Upon approval, the consortium will offer the opportunity for candidates to earn their initial teaching certification or add an endorsement to an existing Michigan teaching certificate. Funding decisions are expected in early May 2023.

As the consortium awaits funding, candidates are highly encouraged to complete the pre application process. Please note, applications will require a recommendation from a district administrator. 

Once admitted, participants will complete their programming while employed full-time in school-based roles (usually as a para-educator or classroom aide). These opportunities will be at no cost to participants or districts. Training for the first cohort will begin in August 2023.

Talent Together believes this program will produce hundreds more teachers in the next five years. The program is being built for sustainability, so that even when initial Grow Your Own grant dollars are exhausted, Talent Together can continue to provide opportunities for interested candidates to become teachers.