In order to gain employment as a certified teacher in Michigan you must hold a Bachelor's degree with a major concentration of courses in a subject taught in Michigan schools. Then you must take a teacher training program at a university or college that is accredited and approved by the state. Following successful completion of this teacher preparation program, you must pass the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC). The university or college you attend for your teacher training will then recommend that you receive an initial teaching certificate. Each of the approved institutions in the state has a certification officer that can guide you through the process.
If you hold a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree from a university in another state, you will have to apply directly to the Office of Professional Preparation Services for your certificate. Those teachers form out of state who are already certified teachers can get a certificate in Michigan by applying to this office as well. Michigan has a reciprocal agreement with other states, Puerto Rico and some Canadian provinces and will match the teaching certificate to that of Michigan as closely as possible along with the endorsements needed to teach specific areas in the schools of the state.
When you come from out of state with teaching credentials and experience, even if you have written the Praxis exams for out-of-state certification, you still have to take the MTTC because Michigan does not accept any other exam results. However, you don’t have to write this exam before you apply for your certificate. Michigan issues the T2EA certificate and then you have one year in which to complete the exam. This will enable you to be a certified teacher in the state, but this temporary authorization is valid for one year only and cannot be renewed.
There are additional requirements to become a certified teacher in Michigan along with the provisional certificate. You must have First Aid Training including a CPR course for both children and adults. Once you meet these requirements of obtain a teaching position, you are required to engage in ongoing education to be able to renew your certificate or advance to the next level, which is the Professional Education certificate. To qualify for this certificate, you must have three years of teaching experience and complete an eighteen – hour planned program at a university. This last requirement may be waived if you hold a Master’s degree or higher at the time you receive your provisional certificate. You do need to take courses in the teaching or reading, though – 2 courses for elementary teachers and one course for high school teachers.
You can have two renewals of your provisional certificate as a certified teacher in Michigan. During the time period, you are expected to meet the requirements of the Professional certificate. It is possible to renew your initial certificate for a third time, but only if you have not met the three year teaching requirements. For renewal of the Professional certificate, you must take at least two courses from a college or university during the period for which the certificate is valid.