Michigan Pipeline Turns Classroom Paraprofessionals Into Teachers.
Michigan Pipeline Turns Classroom Paraprofessionals Into Teachers The 74 Million: By Martin Slagter With tuition assistance and a paid apprenticeship, the state initiative allows classroom aides to join the teaching ranks in their own communities. Seven years ago, Donille Cabanaw could not shake the feeling she needed to pivot from the 12 hour days she was working for the U.S. Postal Service when it began to interfere with her daughter starting school. Becoming a paraprofessional at Dexter Community Schools helped her achieve a more flexible schedule and better work-like balance; then she began working toward a bachelor’s degree in education. That’s when an intriguing opportunity to level up and become a classroom teacher presented itself through Michigan’s Talent Together initiative. Created to address Michigan’s educator shortage by removing barriers toward teacher certification, Talent Together helped Cabanaw earn her bachelor’s degree in less than two years. The state-funded initiative covered Cabanaw’s tuition to take virtual classes at Lake Superior State University while paying 80% of a starting teacher’s salary during her year-long apprenticeship alongside an experienced teacher she shared a classroom with at Wylie Elementary. Now with a fourth grade classroom of her own students, Cabanaw said Talent Together was the break she needed: removing the financial barrier to a teacher certification while helping her gain a year’s worth of classroom experience. “Having that job and being a parent and being a wife was not sustainable,” Cabanaw recalled. “Really, the shift happened because I wanted to do what was best for my kids. “Having the ability to do student teaching for a whole year and still get a salary definitely took the burden off of my husband, and we were still able to be a two-income household while working toward my certification.” Funded with approximately $79 million from the Michigan Legislature, Talent Together connects teacher candidates with 18 colleges and universities across the state. The initiative is targeted at those who already are working in local school districts and others who have always wanted to pursue a teaching degree but experienced time or financial barriers in entering the profession. Since its establishment in 2023, Talent Together has helped 300 individuals pursue teaching degrees and participate in year-long apprenticeships, providing a debt-free path toward becoming a certified teacher. The initiative also provides a stipend to mentor teachers who share a classroom with their apprentices. By 2029, Talent Together expects to produce 1,200 certified teachers across 400 of the state’s school districts, with a current program retention rate of 82%. Both mentors and apprentices benefit from Talent Together’s staff of educator development specialists, who provide support and feedback to participants, while apprentice teachers have access to a “success navigator” who ensures they are guided smoothly through the process of earning their degrees and certifications. “I think all of those things together are what allow us to see someone successful come out of the program and be able to enter into their first year of teaching like [they’ve] been teaching for a while,” Talent Together Executive Director Sarena Shivers said. The road to growing their own A decade ago, Superintendent Naomi Norman saw potential for paraprofessionals in the Washtenaw Intermediate School District to fill the void of a diminishing pool of special education teachers in the district. The problem was these individuals, who already were dedicated to supporting teachers in local classrooms, needed help with tuition, time off of work and the ability to earn a salary while they earned a teacher certification. “There were too many barriers in the way for them to become teachers,” she said. “That was the beginning of a seed of, ‘Why don’t we find a way, somehow, to help them get their teaching degree while they’re working for us?’” Norman approached the Michigan Department of Education about establishing a paraprofession-to-teacher certification program, eventually establishing a groundbreaking pipeline that allowed classroom aides to earn teaching degrees by taking evening and online classes at nearby Eastern Michigan University. The program, which is still running and funded through the district, has helped 43 paraprofessionals earn teaching jobs in Washtenaw County. The pipeline Washtenaw County established provided a framework for all of the state’s 56 intermediate school districts to create their own “grow your own” programs by establishing a consortium via Talent Together, with Norman building initial partnerships with other superintendents who were experiencing similar teacher shortages. In 2022, the Tennessee Department of Education announced it had been approved by the U.S. Department of Labor to establish a permanent grow your own model, becoming the first registered apprenticeship program for teaching in the country. The federal approval paved the way for Michigan and other states to follow Tennessee’s lead by tapping in to their own staff to fill its vacancies, Norman said. “The impact isn’t just that we’re filling a teacher role,” Norman said. “The impact is they’re filling a teacher role, and they already know our students, they already know our community, they already know Washtenaw County, they already know our curriculum. They’re not like a first-year teacher, they’re more like a second- or third-year teacher by the time they get started, because we have that whole year of apprenticing where they were developing all those skills and working in the classroom.” Learning from each other When Bilyana Zambova migrated to the U.S. from Bulgaria more than two decades ago, she had hoped to put her degree in chemical engineering to use. When that didn’t work out, Zambova got a job as a direct care worker and discovered she had a passion for working with special needs individuals. Once she got married and had children, though, Zambova pivoted to pursuing a degree in computer science because it provided more flexibility for her to work from home; but the new career path proved unfulfilling. Ultimately, Zambova returned to working with special needs individuals as a special education paraprofessional with East Lansing Public Schools, where she enjoyed working with children. The job led to her becoming a special education teacher after earning a bachelor’s degree in
Program addresses Michigan’s teacher shortage by recruiting from the community
Program addresses Michigan’s teacher shortage by recruiting from the community By Dee Morrison, WGVU News A statewide non-profit organization is tapping coaches, bus drivers, or lunchroom attendants for a unique training program Talent Together operates what leaders call a “grow your own” program to address the state’s teacher shortage. Executive Director Dr. Sarena Shivers explains. “We are looking for potential teachers right in the communities that they currently serve. They may already be a bus driver, maybe they are a parent, maybe they’re a teacher’s assistant. In some capacity, they are already serving in that community, and what we do is help them find their way to the teacher classroom certification by matching them with a postsecondary institution.” Classes are virtual, allowing candidates to receive post-secondary education while living and working in their own community. The program also includes a year-long apprenticeship with a master teacher. “One more thing that makes our program unique is that we are partnered and recognized as an apprentice program through the US Department of Labor, and our Teacher Candidates receive 80% of a teacher’s salary in full benefits during that apprenticeship year.” Talent Together is led by all 56 intermediate school districts and regional education service agencies in Michigan so is available statewide. Since its launch in 2022, it has placed 218 teachers and another 137 will join the teacher workforce at the end of this school year. Talent Together received 1,703 applications for its 4th cohort. Listen to the full conversation here
Mid-Michigan Matters: Placing more teachers in classrooms
Mid-Michigan Matters: Placing more teachers in classrooms By Taylor Gattoni, WILX 10 LANSING, Mich. (WILX) – A local organization is aiming to address Michigan’s educator shortage by placing over 200 teachers in classrooms. Dr. Sarena Shivers with Talent Together joins Mid-Michigan Matters to discuss the shortage and how Talent Together is helping schools connect with teachers. https://youtu.be/tgi4eRwpnmM?si=peY2cyKb-agWt-rk
Craft Case Study
Craft Case Study; The Gold Standard of Teacher Training By Scott Smith, Craft Talent Together’s A state-wide apprenticeship program is breaking barriers and building a stronger Teacher pipeline, with support from Craft. Introduction Across Michigan, disconnected workforce education systems were keeping talented people out of teaching. Talent Together, a consortium of all 56 Intermediate School Districts, created registered teacher apprenticeships that remove financial barriers keeping promising educators out of the profession. This case study explores how Talent Together connects systems to close the gap with Craft Connect as the data backbone, enabling scale and success. Reimagining the Pathway to Teaching “It’s not enough just to bring new teachers into the classroom if they are underprepared, unsupported, and don’t stay in the profession,” said Gina Zuberbier, Program Manager at Talent Together. The program places aspiring teachers in full-time, paid classroom roles for an entire school year, supported by mentor teachers and backed by formal USDOL standards. This connects state funding, district partnerships, and university training into one seamless system. Breaking Down Financial Barriers Traditional teacher preparation requires unpaid student teaching while paying tuition—impossible for most working adults. “You’d typically have to quit your job, go to zero income, and pay a university to student teach,” said Bradley Kingston, Director of Data & Analytics. “No one making $30,000 a year can do that. Through our program, teacher candidates get their tuition covered and continue receiving a salary.” One apprentice on remote Beaver Island completed university coursework virtually while apprenticing locally. Her apprenticeship salary exceeded her previous paraprofessional wage. Why Apprenticeships Are the Gold Standard of Teacher Training Traditional student teaching offers 9 to 18 weeks of experience. Talent Together’s model stretches a full academic year. “You live through the full cycle—the challenges, the celebrations, the parent interactions,” said Zuberbier. “The only way to get that experience is to live it.” Why Apprenticeships Are the Gold Standard of Teacher Training Traditional student teaching offers 9 to 18 weeks of experience. Talent Together’s model stretches a full academic year. “You live through the full cycle—the challenges, the celebrations, the parent interactions,” said Zuberbier. “The only way to get that experience is to live it.” What It Takes To Run a Program This Scale With over 140 apprentices in two years, Talent Together manages complex logistics, compliance, and documentation. Each apprentice represents approximately 10 hours of administrative work. “When you multiply that by 90 to 100 people, you’re talking 900 to 1,000 hours a year just in documentation,” said Kingston. Craft Connect eliminates this burden through automated registration and real-time compliance tracking. Craft Connect: Infrastructure That Scales With You Craft Connect makes tracking progress simple during the school year. It’s where all standards are documented, mentor approvals live, and DOL-compliant registration happens. “Craft is the only place we document standards progress. Their platform gives us the credibility we need with the DOL and the districts,” said Zuberbier. “A spreadsheet can’t do that.” Craft Connect: Infrastructure That Scales With You Craft Connect makes tracking progress simple during the school year. It’s where all standards are documented, mentor approvals live, and DOL-compliant registration happens. “Craft is the only place we document standards progress. Their platform gives us the credibility we need with the DOL and the districts,” said Zuberbier. “A spreadsheet can’t do that.” The Funding Challenge in Teaching Apprenticeships Funding is the most significant hurdle new programs face. Michigan allocated $78M to support Talent Together through the Michigan Educator Workforce Initiative (MEWI). Craft configured its platform to meet RAP standards, including Work Process Schedules and Related Instruction Outlines. The result? A passed USDOL audit and a pathway to impact thousands of students. Looking Ahead: Scale with Integrity Early indicators are strong: 54 of 55 apprentices completed their standards, with 65% becoming teachers, significantly improving upon the USDOL average of 35%. They aim to reach 225 new certified teachers by the end of the 2025-2026 school year. “Everyone knows a kid who goes to public school,” said Zuberbier. “A stronger, more diverse teacher workforce benefits everyone.” Conclusion Talent Together proves it’s possible to make teacher preparation more rigorous, effective, and accessible. Their apprenticeship model is a blueprint for connecting workforce education systems nationwide. Talent Together & Craft Education show what’s possible when mission meets method at scale. Read the Original Craft Case Study Here
Morning Mix Class Act Winner: Dana Omness
Morning Mix Class Act Winner: Dana Omness By Nicole Stoner, FOX 17 West Michigan The Fox 17 Morning Mix’s Class Act promotion is a yearlong partnership with Biggby Coffee with the aim of putting the focus on our amazing local teachers. June’s winner is Dana Omness, a Science teacher at Wayland Union Middle School. Dana enjoys teaching because of the new opportunities each day brings. She credits her almost 30-year career at Wayland Union to her own students: she learns from them just as much as they learn from her. Dana also enjoys teaching science because of the subject’s material and how it can invoke curiosity and creativity in students. Dana was nominated by her sister, Tracy Daniel. Tracy says, “Dana has positively impacted her Wayland community in countless ways: as a conference presenter, science board representative, grant writer and recipient, volleyball coach, tennis coach, student award recipient, talent together college prep mentor teacher and a science enthusiast inspiring 1000s of Wayland middle schoolers with her passion and love of science!” In addition, Dana has been awarded a $500 check to use in her classroom from the Morning Mix and Biggby Coffee! Watch this month’s video and nominate a teacher you know! Congratulations, Dana! Thank you for being a Class Act! Read Original Article Here
Opinion: Talent Together is a statewide solution to Michigan’s classroom crisis.
Opinion: Talent Together is a statewide solution to Michigan’s classroom crisis By Daveda Colbert, Eric Hoppstock, and Jason Mellema A recent Detroit News investigation shed light on Michigan’s growing class sizes, but behind that issue lies an even greater concern: the state’s ongoing teacher shortage. According to MSU’s EPIC research, in 2022-23, district leaders reported having twice as many teacher vacancies and only half as many applicants per position compared to 2019-20. Without more high-quality teachers, class sizes will continue to rise — affecting student learning across the state. Michigan’s answer to this crisis is Talent Together, a homegrown, innovative teacher preparation program led by all 56 intermediate school districts (ISDs) and regional education service agencies (RESAs). Partnering with 18 colleges and universities, the program eliminates the top barriers to entering the profession: cost, time, and access. The program is effective because it’s designed by Michigan educators for Michigan schools. Participants are often already working in schools as paraprofessionals or aides, embedded in their communities, and committed to staying. Supported throughout the process, they receive credentials and practical skills needed to lead classrooms. With an 88% retention rate, the model works. As Calhoun ISD’s Taia Cisco puts it, “I’m learning to adapt instruction, support students more effectively, and advocate for students’ needs.” Talent Together’s results speak volumes: 96% of its participants report feeling confident and classroom-ready after their training. The best teachers often start with hands-on experience, and this program builds on that foundation by placing candidates in real classrooms, learning alongside experienced mentors. One such teacher is Lisbeth McGregor from Mackinac Island Public Schools. “Through many years of supportive roles, I’ve learned so much about teaching and the whole child,” she says. “Talent Together helped me transition from support staff to lead teacher—something I had dreamed of for years.” Recognized as a Registered Apprenticeship Program by the U.S. Department of Labor, Talent Together allows teacher candidates to earn a wage while they learn. For people like Alex Getty of Lake City Area Schools, that support is critical. “Talent Together has been life-changing,” he says. “I could support my family while pursuing my dream.” The program also emphasizes observation of model teachers, creating a cycle of practice, feedback, and reflection that ensures readiness from day one. Leah Porter, the 2022 Michigan Teacher of the Year, praises the program’s community: “It’s inspiring to be surrounded by professionals so committed to making a difference.”Talent Together currently supports over 1,200 teacher candidates in 400+ districts, with 229 newly certified teachers already in classrooms and another 210 on the way. It’s the largest “Grow Your Own” teacher initiative in the nation, with reach into both urban and rural communities. The desire to teach is still strong. What’s been missing is a way to get there. Talent Together removes the barriers—bringing passionate, qualified educators into classrooms where they’re needed most. To ensure this work continues, Michigan residents can contact their legislators and advocate for full funding in the state school aid budget. Sustained investment in programs like Talent Together will reduce class sizes, fill vacancies, and strengthen education statewide. Daveda Colbert is superintendent at Wayne RESA, Eric Hoppstock is superintendent at Berrien RESA and Jason Mellema is superintendent at Ingham ISD. Read Original Article Here
Wildlife biologist-turned-middle school teacher highlighted for National Apprenticeship Day
Wildlife biologist-turned-middle school teacher highlighted for National Apprenticeship Day By Griffin Weinberg, TV6 ISHPEMING TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WLUC) – From teaching pythons a lesson to teaching lessons to middle schoolers. Mary Peterson is a teaching apprentice at Aspen Ridge Middle School. She teaches 7th-grade science. Before that, Peterson was a stay-at-home mom and a wildlife biologist. After her kids went back to school, Peterson needed something to keep her busy. So, she applied for an apprenticeship through Talent Together. It’s a Michigan-based program that pays for your education while paying you to work a full-time job. “You want to put teachers in classrooms that you want your children in,” Chelsea Norton, a Talent Together Educator Development Specialist, said. “Mary is somebody that I know I would want my girls (to have) as a teacher.” Peterson’s job as a wildlife biologist took her from Alaska to Japan, and then to capturing pythons in Florida. “We would have traplines out there to try to make sure they weren’t getting into the Keys,” said Peterson. “We would have to check our traplines and then, when we’d find them in the traps, we’d have to take them out and bring them to get handled.” Peterson was born and raised in Ishpeming. She’s coached in the school district for almost a decade, and her father was a teacher. Peterson saw teaching as a natural fit. “When I really sat down and thought about it, it was a pretty natural progression for me to get into this so I could stay in the science field and I found out that I really love working with kids,” said Peterson. Norton appreciates Peterson’s ability to self-reflect. “She is somebody who is constantly wanting to do better and that’s something you can’t teach,” said Norton. “That’s something that we love to see in teachers because our students, their needs are changing.” There are only 27 days left of class in the NICE Community School District. A TV6 reporter asked Peterson if she could go back to the first day of school, on September 3rd, what advice she would give herself. “I would tell her to relax and not be so nervous and to know that everything is gonna come together,” Peterson said. “You’re gonna learn so much that eventually you’re gonna feel so comfortable and you’re not gonna be panicking and you’re gonna have a lot of fun.” Capturing pythons and teaching 7th grade are two different kinds of fun. Peterson is happy to trade in the wildlife classroom for this one. Watch the full Video Here
The Surprising Way Michigan is Recruiting More Teachers Than Ever
The Suprising Way Michigan Is Recruiting More Teachers Than Ever By Amanda Rahn One thing that Michigan school leaders and lawmakers agree on is the need for more teachers. As teacher wages have failed to rise to meet the cost of living, getting new teachers to take on the demanding job–and keep them in the field–has become harder. Michigan has made major investments into getting more teachers into the classroom over the last four state budget cycles. “In fiscal year 2020 and earlier, Michigan’s state school aid act included no funding to address the teacher shortage,” says the Michigan Department of Education in a press release. “Since then, funding to address the educator shortage increased to $575 million in fiscal year 2023, $448 million in fiscal year 2024, and $140 million in fiscal year 2025.” Part of that funding was funneled into Talent Together, a partnership between all 56 intermediate school districts in the state. Talent Together works to make it easier for professionals in other fields to make the jump into teaching and to allow current teachers to gain more training. What does Talent Together do? Talent Together offers scholarships, stipends for student teachers, accelerated certifications, current teacher training and more. Participants can earn a free degree and certification from an accredited and approved Michigan Educator Preparation Program. In addition, participants can earn income and benefits while working in a Talent Together district and taking coursework. Who can apply to Talent Together? The program prioritizes candidates who currently work in schools, but any Michigan resident with a high school diploma is eligible to apply. Candidates with no college credits who are interested in seeking both a degree and teacher certification. Candidates who have some credits toward a degree or an earned associate degree and are interested in completing their bachelor’s degree and seeking initial teacher certification. Candidates who have a bachelor’s degree and are interested in seeking initial teacher certification. How can those interested in becoming teachers apply? While the application for Cohort 3 is closed, interested applicants can fill out an interest form for the next round. Read Original Article Here
Smothers: The power of teacher apprenticeships
Smothers: The power of teacher apprenticeships By Calvin Smothers First-year teachers understandably feel nervous and overwhelmed walking into their classroom for the first time, realizing the weight of responsibility that comes along with their role. After all, student academic and socio-emotional growth and success lie in the hands of the educator leading the room. That’s why participating in an apprenticeship program can be so important. Currently, prospective teachers have a few different pathways to enter the profession. There is the traditional route, which usually means majoring in education at an undergraduate university. For candidates like me who didn’t decide until later to become a teacher, this option is no longer available. There’s also what’s typically referred to as the “emergency” route, where candidates with a bachelor’s degree become provisionally certified while leading a classroom of their own and taking coursework to become certified while they teach. This is difficult to do, even in the best of circumstances, and I knew it would be best if I entered the profession with more support. Enter teacher apprenticeships. Aspiring educators who have completed a year-long teaching apprenticeship prior to becoming a certified teacher transition into their first year of teaching with confidence and ease, and are well-prepared with classroom routines, structure and experience. Michigan has faced a teacher shortage for several years, yet the traditional path to becoming an educator remains challenging. With rising tuition costs, most aspiring educators must take out substantial loans, often balancing their studies with full- or part-time jobs just to make ends meet. In October 2024 however, the Michigan Department of Education reported a 71% increase in enrollment for teacher preparation programs since 2016. The Michigan Department of Labor attributes this growth to a range of efforts across the state including “Grow Your Own” initiatives. Thanks to Talent Together, one of the nation’s largest “Grow Your Own” programs focused on removing barriers for current and future educators, many are now teaching or on the path to teaching. An impactful and vital part of the Talent Together program is the year-long apprenticeship it requires in a classroom alongside a mentor teacher. This “old-is-new-again” approach has continued to have a profound impact on teacher candidates. Traditionally, apprenticeship opportunities have been associated with skilled trades, such as carpentry, plumbing or manufacturing. The Michigan Center for Data and Analytics reported in 2021 that of the 18,600 active registered apprentices, 81.9% were in construction and manufacturing. Educational apprenticeships have been less common, until programs like Talent Together began pioneering this model, that provides invaluable classroom experience in a supportive and real-world environment. As an apprentice teacher, candidates learn all the intricacies to running a classroom and working within a school. Apprentices are paired with a mentor teacher, not just to observe, but to work as co-teachers. This approach allows apprentices to receive immediate feedback and develop crucial teaching skills over the course of an entire school year. It’s not just aspiring teachers that benefit from this model, as it’s incredibly effective for schools and, most importantly, students too. Schools participating in teaching apprenticeships can fill critical positions with passionate and well-prepared candidates already invested in their communities. Mentor teachers often feel more fulfilled with newly sharpened skills, leading to higher retention rates. For students, this stability and access to consistent, high-quality teaching directly supports their success. Initiatives like Talent Together help build a more diverse workforce by removing barriers and providing support for eager individuals to enter the field. During a time when Michigan still faces a significant shortage of teachers, innovative solutions like alternative teacher preparation programs and registered apprenticeships are growing the educator pipeline and providing opportunities for future educators to be well-prepared. This model strengthens not only the teaching profession but also students, their schools and their communities. Calvin Smothers is a first-year teacher at Donley Elementary School in East Lansing Public Schools. Read Original Article Here
Talent Together: Addressing teacher shortage across Michigan
Talent Together: Addressing teacher shortages across Michigan By Paula McCambridge Talent Together aims to reduce Michigan’s teacher shortage by lending a hand to qualified candidates whose financial limitations might otherwise keep them from school districts in severe need. The non-profit is a consortium of Michigan’s 56 Intermediate School Districts with about 1,100 Michiganders now enrolled in programs that will ultimately lead to their earning their teacher certifications. Those certifications can’t come soon enough for rural districts, which are hardest hit when there aren’t enough teachers to go around, according to The Education Policy Innovation Collaborative at Michigan State University, which recently released its 2025 Michigan Teacher Shortage Study. The study found that rural districts face more severe teacher shortages because of their smaller size and a limited number of teachers seeking to work in those locations. Fewer teachers can lead to larger classes and under-credentialed teachers in specialties, such as special education. That’s where Talent Together steps in by putting qualified candidates into certification programs in Michigan universities — at no cost to students. “That was one of the design elements when Talent Together was being created, to remove the barriers of cost and accessibility,” said Sarah Campbell, Talent Together’s senior director of finance and operations. “One thing that I think is important to remember is that education is really infrastructure. We need to think about having strong teachers. If something were to happen, it would be like something happening to power or water — people depend on education in that way.” Financing came when Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an education budget in July 2023 that allocated $66.4 million for the new teacher recruitment initiative, Talent Together, that would focus its efforts on teacher training and retention. “We’ve now received a second allocation for $12.5 million,” Campbell said. “We’re seeing a really high return on investment. We’re getting a lot of money, and that money is going back to teachers in the program in all counties across the state. During apprenticeship, students are paid 80 percent of a first-year teacher’s salary with full benefits” Removing the worry of tuition and accessibility — all programs are online — resulted in many applications, about 5,000 since the program was launched. Amy Peterson, Talent Together’s regional program director for the U.P. and Northern Michigan, said when the consortium first came together in 2023, it was expected that a few candidates would apply, but to their astonishment, there was immediately much more interest. “We really thought that first year might bring a few candidates then we had such a response,” Peterson said. “Initially, there were 12 candidates on the first list, then 50, then that turned into several hundred.” The students say that going to school without worrying about tuition makes all the difference. Alyssa Hoholik has been working for Jack Reque Alternative High School in Manistique for the past seven years beginning as a teacher’s aide before pursuing her teaching degree. She applied to Talent Together on the recommendation of her superintendent and said she was thrilled when she was admitted. “This opportunity means my final year of school will be fully funded by Talent Together, and I will step into an apprentice teaching role the following school year,” Hoholik said. “After nearly three years of hard work, my dream is finally starting to come true.” When asked how teaching would impact districts and students, she elaborated. “This program will provide greater access to education and help school districts cultivate teachers from within their own staff, as well as those who aspire to teach but aren’t sure what the next step is,” she said. “I believe it’s an excellent opportunity for aspiring educators and will have a positive impact on the future of teaching.” Peterson said there were 179 applicants in the U.P. in the latest recruitment that closed in January “We’re going through those applications and will accept about 8 percent in the U.P.,” she said. She added that retention has been positive with graduates staying in their apprenticeship districts where they’re needed most. Science, math, and special ed are currently the areas of highest need. “Right now, in the U.P., for example, last year, we had three candidates in our registered apprenticeship program — all three of those candidates have been hired in those districts. This year we have 11 apprentice teachers in the U.P. in places like Gwinn, Gladstone — spread out across the U.P.” The program’s being online helps students who are often working other jobs and raising families. Many are enrolled through Northern Michigan University in Marquette. At NMU, about 30 students are expected to be admitted for the 2025 group. Each group is called a cohort and forms tight bonds through Zoom. “Their tenacity and problem-solving, coming back to school, online — they’re putting themselves out there every day — I give a lot of credit to the learner,” said Dr. Joseph Lubig, associate dean of NMU’s School of Education, Leadership, and Public Service. Peterson, who is the former superintendent on Mackinac Island, travels the U.P. meeting students and said she was touched by students in one cohort who showed up in person to a graduation ceremony. “I went to a student’s graduation, and her cohort, her people who she’d taken online courses with for one year without meeting, they showed up,” Peterson said. “They called themselves the Davenport Rockstars. They created a community and were meeting face to face for the first time.” Student Heather Bedo is working for the Wyandotte Public School District near Detroit and said her cohort is part of her success. “We help each other when we are struggling with classwork and life,” Bedo said. “This has been very helpful to get us through the hard times … We try to get together for lunch when we have breaks from school. We are also trying to get our families together when we graduate with our master’s so that they can all see us walk for the ceremony.” Leaders say the program’s