What is TeachMichigan
TeachMichigan is a statewide initiative powered by Teach For America Detroit that invests in the retention, development, and ideas of high-impact educators who teach and lead in under-resourced public schools across the state of Michigan. The TeachMichigan initiative was built on the understanding that a high-impact educator has an outsized, measurable impact on a student’s confidence, sense of safety, personal well-being, and academic growth – changing the life trajectory of students they support. TeachMichigan exists to advance systems change in our schools and communities so that our students receive the education they deserve.
Origin of TeachMichigan
PART 1 TEACH FOR AMERICA DETROIT’S STORY
In 2019, Teach For America Detroit began a bold evolution. We expanded beyond our roots as an entry-level teaching corps to design a dynamic new model focused on retaining and developing high-impact, mid-career educators, rising school leaders, and system-level changemakers. This shift reflected a clear understanding: experienced educators are the foundation of strong schools and lasting student success.
From 2019 to 2024, our fellowships delivered consistently strong results:
95%
Of educators were retained over the full three-year fellowship.
100%
Of principals reported satisfaction with TeachMichigan educators.
40%
Of fellows identified as people of color, a rate three times higher than the state’s overall educator workforce.
These outcomes led to the formal launch of TeachMichigan. The initiative is rooted in the belief that all students deserve excellent teaching, thriving school communities, and educators who reflect and understand their lived experiences.
PART 2 THE LAUNCH OF TEACHMICHIGAN
Building on the success of our fellowship model, the State of Michigan committed $35 million to expand our talent strategy. This investment allowed us to recruit, retain, and develop more than 600 high-impact educators in poverty-dense communities across the state. It also positioned us to capture key learnings that inform changes at the system level.
Since our statewide launch in Fall 2023, we have grown rapidly, deepened our partnerships, and refined our approach based on feedback from educators and communities. We are proud of what we have accomplished together. Here are a few highlights:
450
Educators
Our program currently supports more than 450 educators each
year across Michigan, reaching over 120,000 students.
19
School Districts
Of principals reported satisfaction with TeachMichigan educators.
96%
Fellows brought an average of 13 years of classroom experience.
Vision 2027
- Using competitive benefits, identify, recruit, and retain 700 high-impact educators into TeachMichigan fellowships.
- Energize educators with best-in-class development, innovation funds, and a connected community.
- Amplify educator impact with a statewide media campaign.
- Study initiative’s scaled impact on student outcomes and educator retention, in partnership with MSU’s EPIC.
Programs & Impact
TeachMichigan brings investment, collaboration, and support to our districts serving students and families in under-resourced schools across seven Michigan regions.
About Teach For America
Teach For America works in partnership with 350 urban and rural communities across the country to expand educational opportunities for children. Founded in 1990, Teach For America recruits and develops a diverse corps of outstanding leaders who make an initial two-year commitment to teach in high-need schools and become lifelong leaders in the effort to end educational inequity. Today, Teach For America is a force of over 64,000 alumni and corps members working in over 9,000 schools nationwide in pursuit of profound systemic change. From classrooms to districts to state houses across America, they are reimagining education to realize the day when every child has an equal opportunity to learn, lead, thrive and co-create a future filled with possibility. Teach For America is a proud member of the AmeriCorps national service network. For more information, visit www.teachforamerica.org and follow us on Facebook and X.