Opinion | Michigan is losing teachers. Here’s how to stop it

When my son’s favorite teacher resigned to become a nanny, it felt like a personal loss. In other years, both of my kids had teachers leave classrooms midyear to focus on family. These experiences are not just unfortunate — they reflect a growing crisis in our education system. 

Interest in teaching, and teachers’ job satisfaction, have reached their lowest levels in 50 years, with just 12% reporting high satisfaction in 2022 compared to 52% in 2001. Unsurprisingly, these perceptions about teaching have led to chronic teacher shortages and record rates of teacher turnover. 

What have we done about this problem? As a researcher who studies school leadership, teacher retention, and recent teacher shortages in Michigan, I’ve seen the same pattern play out again and again: We ring the alarm about teacher shortages and address them by making it easier to become a teacher — waiving certain requirements and opening alternate routes to teaching. The problem is that these teachers often receive less training and support, leave at higher rates than traditionally certified teachers, and are replaced by novice teachers. That creates lasting, negative effects on schools and students. This is often called the “leaky bucket” problem: you pour in new people to keep it full, but end up creating new holes in the process.

Michigan is poised to repeat these trends. According to a recent Michigan State University report, in 2012, less than 2% of the state's total teacher-preparation program enrollment came from alternate routes. By 2022, that number had grown to 30%, spanning nine different alternate routes. Shockingly, 87% of this increase came from just two for-profit online providers, including a Texas company called Teachers for Tomorrow, which has been criticized for inadequate preparation and high turnover.

So, how do we avoid repeating the same mistakes? One way is to invest in higher-quality alternate routes and teacher training, which Michigan is just starting to do. But we must also pay teachers more. Raising teacher pay has become a bipartisan policy issue, with red states such as North Carolina, Arkansas and Mississippi leading the way. 

Research shows that higher teacher pay expands and improves the pool of quality candidates, reduces teacher turnover, and improves student outcomes—especially in hard-to-staff districts.

Meanwhile, MSU researchers found that, when adjusted for inflation, Michigan teacher salaries have declined significantly over the past two decades and were among the deepest drops nationally. Starting salaries for new teachers in Michigan also rank among the lowest in the nation. This makes it even more likely that promising candidates opt for fast-track certification routes or avoid teaching entirely.

Some critics argue that working conditions matter more than pay. But that’s only part of the story. You can’t improve working conditions without stabilizing staffing. Shortages and chronic turnover create the very working conditions that push teachers out — disrupting staff relationships and instructional continuity and ultimately harming students. Recent research finds that increasing pay not only helps recruit and retain quality educators, it also fosters stronger conditions, such as improved teacher collaboration.

If we want to attract and retain the next generation of effective educators, we need to start by paying them a competitive salary. This is why we should support the Senate’s budget education plan, which would earmark a portion of per-pupil funding for increased teacher pay. 

Recent “State of the State” surveys show that 76% of Michiganders believe teachers’ starting salaries should increase by nearly $10,000. Doing so would create a more competitive labor market, giving districts greater discretion and flexibility when hiring.

My kids’ teachers loved their students, but they had to make tough decisions. Teachers don’t choose this profession for the paycheck. But if we keep treating them like they don’t need one, we’ll keep losing them. Policymakers have an opportunity to change that. Their decision will shape the future of Michigan’s schools for years to come.