Legislator requests $40 million more to train new teachers

A teacher-preparation program that received $38 million from Michigan taxpayers in years past may receive another $40 million in the upcoming budget.

Rep. John Roth, R-Traverse City, requested a $40 million earmark in the 2026 budget to support Teach For America’s TeachMichigan initiative.

The statewide program aims to retain and develop teachers in districts marked by a low-income population. Teach For America launched TeachMichigan statewide in 2023 after running a pilot program from 2019 to 2021.

Funds from the grant would cover ongoing operating costs for teacher retention, and development, according to the request from Roth’s office.

The money would be spent in various regions of the state, including Detroit, Flint, Kalkaska and Sault Ste. Marie.

Teach for America has retained personnel in the toughest schools in his district, Roth told Michigan Capitol Confidential in an email.

“Blair Township Elementary School has struggled to retain staff because its students are generally from poorer backgrounds,” Roth wrote. “Staff can easily find a position in Kingsley or (Traverse City-area) schools that seemingly have a better experience. Kalkaska and Benzie schools have experienced similar success. The program does provide pay incentives but, also provides training for staff who commit to staying at the school for a period of time. The program is $40 million over a four-year period. I have met several staff members who have done this program and heard their experiences that kept them at the school in question.”

Teach for America will address teacher and school leader shortages, reads Roth’s earmark request, particularly in high-poverty areas. It says the initiative has already worked in 19 districts in the state, training nearly 600 educators and leaders who reach more than 110,000 students.

In 2021, a bipartisan coalition asked Teach for America to scale a new model to develop and retain excellent educators where they’re needed most, Armen Hratchian, executive director of Detroit/Michigan of Teach For America, told CapCon in an email.

“Three years in, with investments across major rural and urban regions and growing demand from additional districts, independent evaluations and audits confirm the TeachMichigan model is strengthening teacher and leader retention and efficacy, and that funding has been responsibly and effectively stewarded,” Hratchian wrote.

The National Education Association, the nation’s largest teachers union, takes a critical view of programs such as Teach for America.

“Teachers with alternate route certification have significantly higher turnover rates than those from traditional route or residency programs,” the organization said on its website.

Teach for America received $16 million during the first five years of its Michigan program from various private donors, Crain’s Detroit Business reported in May. Donors included the Skillman Foundation, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the Ballmer Group. The state of Michigan has already given the organization roughly $38 million, most of it coming in the 2022 fiscal year, the publication said.