Retired Michigan Teachers Are Being Asked To Come Back Amidst Shortage
Since the beginning of the new school year, Michigan schools have struggled to staff their classrooms with teachers and now they are taking drastic actions.
To address the shortage of teachers, the state is now reaching out to retired teachers and asking them to come back. They are sending letters to the retired teachers and practically pleading with them to come back to profession and make a difference in students lives.
There isn't any official plan to offer an increase in pay to the retired teachers, but the state says that will be a decision that the local districts can make themselves. Currently the starting salary for teachers in Michigan is just under $38,000 per year.
In an article from WXYZ Detroit, "there are currently over 185,600 people with valid teaching certificates, but only 86,300 are employed and teaching." So, there is a large amount of certified teachers in Michigan that could help to end the shortage. But, the profession has become less desirable as of late due to the pandemic and stagnant teacher wages.
There are also less and less new teachers being trained at universities and colleges around the state according to the largest teachers union in Michigan. The Michigan Education Association reports that there has been a 50% decrease in enrollment in colleges of education in the last 15 years.
Michigan schools have been struggling to recruit and retain educators for a while now, and the pandemic has definitely exacerbated the situation over the last year in a half.