ANN ARBOR – Washtenaw Community College is partnering with Talent Together in a unique teacher preparation initiative to address the educator shortage in Michigan.

Talent Together, one of the nation’s largest “Grow Your Own” teacher preparation programs, is led by a consortium of all 56 intermediate school districts (ISDs) in Michigan. It was founded in partnership with the Michigan Educator Workforce Initiative.

WCC has been selected as the consortium’s premiere community college partner, educating teacher candidates with little to no previous college credit through online and virtual courses.

The partnership offers a supportive and affordable pathway ultimately to a bachelor’s degree and teaching certification. Accepted applicants receive free college tuition, fees and materials along with other unique benefits. Talent Together boasts a 94% teacher candidate retention rate among its first-year 2023-2024 cohort.

As part of the community college pilot program this Fall semester, 16 students are enrolled in WCC courses. Approximately 50 accepted teacher candidates are expected to register for the Winter semester.

While prospective teachers are enrolled in college courses, they also simultaneously work as full-time school employees, usually as a paraprofessional educator or substitute teacher, to gain practical experience and help fill needs in school districts.

After earning an associate degree from WCC, teacher candidates can seamlessly transfer into a four-year partner program that will offer teacher credentialing.

In the candidate’s final year of the program, after transferring to complete their bachelor’s degree, participants begin a year-long teaching registered apprenticeship, where they gain valuable experience working with students and a mentor teacher in their certification area. Apprentice teachers receive 80% of a starting teacher’s salary in their district, plus benefits.

“This innovative partnership is at the forefront of helping to overcome the barrier of accessibility in raising up a future generation of educators. We are proud to collaborate with Talent Together to provide a direct pipeline for those interested in a teaching career,” said WCC President Dr. Rose B. Bellanca.

This Fall, WCC launched a new Associate in Applied Science-Elementary Education Transfer degree. The college also offers an Associate in Arts-Early Childhood Education degree.

“Talent Together is leveraging the WCC team’s knowledge of transferable courses and WCC’s pre-existing transfer agreements to create pathways for teacher candidates that are efficient and cost-effective,” said Talent Together Interim Executive Director Becca Tisdale.

At $99 per credit hour for in-district students, WCC’s tuition is among the lowest in the state. The Michigan Reconnect scholarship provides for the majority of tuition costs, and Talent Together covers any remaining per-credit-hour costs.

According to the 2024 Michigan Teacher Shortage Study by the Education Policy Innovation Collaborative at Michigan State University, at least 1,768 teaching positions were vacant during the 2022-2023 school year.

In addition to the state’s ISDs, Talent Together partners with a number of four-year colleges and universities offering teacher education programs. WCC is the only community college participating. More than 4,000 people have applied for the Talent Together program statewide, with a cohort of 900 accepted in 2023 and 500 for the 2024 cohort.

“Talent Together has reignited my desire to give back to my community by serving our most important members: our children. Educating our youth was something that I felt was inaccessible to me, due to financial or situational barriers. Through this program, those barriers have been demolished and I am free to pursue one of the highest callings in America. Being able to inspire, improve, and enrich a student’s life is an honor that I look forward to experiencing, and I couldn’t be more excited for what the future holds,” said Sierra Pauley, a teacher candidate enrolled at WCC while working as a special education paraprofessional at Childs Elementary in Ypsilanti, Michigan.

TALENT TOGETHER

  • What: Talent Together works with WCC and school districts to help Michiganders become certified teachers while earning an income as a school district employee.
  • Who: Any Michigan resident with at least a high school diploma and a strong interest in becoming an educator, including paraprofessionals who need to finish their degrees, substitute teachers, parents/community members or professionals who want to change careers
  • Cost: Tuition is covered through Talent Together and other programs such as Michigan Reconnect, Pell grants and more.
  • Website: https://mitalenttogether.org/