Along with supporting teachers, TeachMichigan’s goal is to study and evaluate what the group is learning about the state’s teacher workforce. The group aims to inform policymakers on how they can help make teaching more competitive as a profession over time, Hratchian said.
He underscored the importance of learning from school districts in different regions of Michigan, with different student demographics and challenges. TFA Detroit will work with Michigan State University’s Education Policy Innovation Collaborative on data collection to assess the program.
The state committed $30 million last year for TFA to administer the TeachMichigan program, TFA Detroit said. TFA Detroit is fundraising another $30 million.
The TFA-related initiative is one of several state-funded programs aimed to increase the number of teachers in the state, from grow-your-own programs where school districts pay paraprofessionals and others to get training to become teachers, to scholarships for college students who are learning to become teachers, and providing stipends for student teachers who previously were unpaid as they worked alongside professional teachers in the classrooms.
Hratchian said those efforts are important but the state is still at the “tip of the iceberg” on what it will take to make teaching more competitive over time.
He said he is “obsessed” with two groups of teachers. Teachers who are in their early to mid thirties who are starting to think about retirement savings and are considering leaving the education field. He is also focused on incoming college students and their reasons for or against deciding to pursue a career in teaching.
“We need the highest-quality people choosing this profession. The ROI (return on investment) for our economy matters immensely. And it’s not competitive for those folks anymore.”
