If you are looking for teaching jobs in Michigan, the first thing you need is a teaching certificate. Of course, this is only if you are looking for K-12 public school teaching jobs. If you are looking for a teaching job in a private school or at a college or university, the requirements are different and you don’t necessarily need a Michigan certificate or other official authorization to teach, although some institutions may require it.
Types of Michigan Teaching Certificates
Under law, the State of Michigan requires that you have one of the following certifications in order to teach in a K-12 public school.
- Provisional-This is the entrance-level certificate for new teachers or teachers residing outside of Michigan.
- 2-Year Extended Provisional-A longer term provisional certificate for those who are unable to obtain a Provisional Certificate.
- Professional Education-Typically awarded to those who have achieved National Board recognition.
- Interim Occupational-Entrance level specialized certificate for certain instructional areas like industrial arts.
- Occupational Education-Specialized area.
- Preliminary School Psychologist
- School Psychologist-Temporary
- Interim
- Guidance Counselor License
- Temp Counselor Authorization
- Preliminary Counselor Authorization
- Administrator
There are two different basic certification levels you need to have if you are looking for teaching jobs in Michigan. The first level is the Elementary. The Elementary teaching certificate allows you to teach grades K-8. If you plan on teaching middle school, or grades 6-8, you will need subject matter endorsements in addition to your basic certificate.
A Secondary level certificate allows you to apply for teaching jobs in Michigan to teach grades 6-12, and will also require that you have subject matter endorsements.
Where to Find Michigan Teaching Jobs
There are several web portals where you can find public school teaching jobs in Michigan. The best place to look is the MIREAP website. This site has customizable searches for both educators and school districts. It even has an interactive map so that you can search jobs by geographic location. I would suggest you visit MIREAP (http://www.mireap.net/) to find the latest teaching jobs in Michigan.
FAQs about Certification for Teaching Jobs in Michigan
1. What if I live outside of the State of Michigan, can I still apply for a teaching job?
Answer: Yes, you can still apply for a teaching job if you are a non-resident under the following circumstances: If you already have a teaching certificate issued by another state, you will need to apply for a Provisional Certificate from the Michigan Department of Education (https://mdoe.state.mi.us/proprep/). If you are a new graduate and do not have a teaching certificate in your home state, you should check with your home state’s department of education office to find out how to obtain a certificate in Michigan.
2. What if I have a degree in another field besides education? Can I still get certified to teach?
Answer: Yes, but you will need to obtain an Interim Teaching Certificate AND be enrolled in a state approved alternative route teaching program AND have at least a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with at least a 3.0 grade point average. Plus, you will need to take and pass the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification.
3. What if I want to be a guidance counselor? Are the requirements for certification different?
Answer: Yes. And, the licensing requirements are different depending upon whether or not you earned your counseling degree in Michigan, or another state. In either case, you are required to have at least 30 graduate level credit hours in an accredited counseling program and have a good amount of clinical experience. In state requirements are less stringent that if you are applying from out of state.
4. Do School Administrators need special certification?
Yes. If you are applying for teaching jobs in Michigan as an administrator, you need to have at least a Master’s degree and obtain an Administrator Certificate. You also must have or be in the process of obtaining a basic certification for either secondary or elementary teaching.
5. What if I want to become a school psychologist?
In order to be certified as a school psychologist in Michigan, the candidate must have either a Preliminary School Psychologist Certificate or a permanent School Psychologist Certificate. Additionally, a school psychologist must have completed an approved graduate level school psychologist program.
6. Where do I go to find out more about obtaining a Michigan Educator Certificate?
In order to begin the certificate application process, click on https://mdoe.state.mi.us/MOECS/Login.aspx and register as a new user. Follow the on screen prompts to begin the application process.
7. What is the certification process for substitute teachers in Michigan?
In order to become a substitute teacher, the applicant must have completed at least 90 credit hours at the same accredited college or university. Receiving permission to teach as a substitute is granted by the employing school district, so you should contact the local school district office to find out more.
8. What do I need if I want to apply for teaching jobs in Michigan as a special education teacher?
You must either have an additional endorsement for special ed, or you can obtain temporary approval until you meet the endorsement requirements.
For more information about the certification process for teaching jobs in Michigan, please visit the Michigan Department of Education at http://www.michigan.gov/mde. The department of education does not post available teaching positions, so make sure you check at the link I provided above.
