A new effort to connect educators with rural school districts across Michigan is working to fill classroom vacancies in high-need communities by offering no-cost credentialing to aspiring and experienced educators alike.

Led by Central Michigan University, the new Michigan Consortium for Addressing Rural Education Expansion and Retention (MiCAREER) Resource Hub streamlines and coordinates credentialing across five major universities to address the needs of rural school districts where educator shortages are most severe and teacher preparation programs are less accessible.

Partnering teacher-prep institutions are Saginaw Valley State University, Michigan State University, Northern Michigan University, and Eastern Michigan University.

MiCAREER offers no-cost credentialing, individual supports, and credits for prior experience to educators who want to teach or change roles to fill openings in rural school districts. MiCAREER is spearheaded by Kathryn Dirkin, MiCAREER director of partnerships and programming. Dirkin is a CMU faculty member and Michigan Education Association member.

“This is a unique collaboration to bring together all of the players involved and think very differently about how to solve this persistent problem of educator shortages in rural communities across our state,” Dirkin said. “Supporting districts means supporting educators and children. This is mission-driven work that really matters to the future of our state. Now we just need to get the word out that this opportunity is available statewide for prospective educators in our rural regions.”

The MiCAREER hub is a no-cost credentialing body geared to help three groups of people in Michigan’s rural areas who don’t have easy access to a teacher preparation institution. These groups include prospective educators who almost completed a teacher prep program; staff on temporary teaching certifications already working in schools; and veteran teachers who want to add credentials to fill a needed new role.

MiCAREER shortens the credentialing process while still meeting standards for preparation, Dirkin said. Participants complete a pre-assessment that evaluates school and work experience for credit before an individualized completion plan is developed.

Classes are free for participants and offered online around a schedule that allows project participants to balance existing work and personal obligations. Participants are assigned a mentor and get personalized help with issues or questions.