CMU receives grant to prepare future teachers
MT. PLEASANT, Mich. (WNEM) - Central Michigan University is one of five schools in Michigan that is a part of the 2026 Education Preparation Providers Collaborative.
The two year venture aims to improve teacher preparation recruitment, retention, and quality.
“We lose about as many teachers going out, as many new teachers coming in, each and every year in Michigan. So our goal is to stabilize the workforce in Michigan,” said Chad Waldron, the chairperson of the department of teacher and special education at CMU.
Along with four other schools in Michigan, Waldron said CMU has just received a two-year $100,000 state grant to work on helping solve the problems of teacher preparation in Michigan.
“What they need are a variety of strategies,” Waldron said. “They need to feel supported in their profession. They want to feel valued by both their colleagues, and community members, and stakeholders. And they want to be knowledgeable about kids in a variety of communities in a variety of places.”
Waldron tells TV5, as part of this collaborative, CMU will focus on district partners, local teachers, and faculty, to explore how to better prepare future teachers.
Waldron said one of the areas this grant does not address is teacher salaries. He points out the state per pupil funding continues to rise, adding there are considerations at the state level to offer more competitive salaries to help teachers stay in the field.
Given that, Waldron is optimistic this new collaborative can make a difference.
“As a researcher, as an educator, and as a parent, that makes me really happy that we’re having those conversations of how to make better teachers each and every day for kids throughout Michigan,” Waldron said.
The other 4 Universities participating in the program are Michigan State University, Northern Michigan University, Western Michigan University, and Eastern Michigan University.
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