Recently in Chalkbeat, Tracie Mauriello reviewed a new program in Michigan that allows student teachers to get paid for the time they spend in the classroom. Excerpts from the piece appear below:
The Michigan House passed a bill that would provide student teachers a stipend of $90 per day. Experienced teachers who serve as their mentors would receive $1,000 under the bill introduced by Pamela Hornberger, the Chesterfield Township Republican who heads the House Education Committee.
Student teaching is required for certification in Michigan, but in most districts it is unpaid. That makes it challenging for the state to attract new people to the teaching field, at a time when it’s trying to mitigate a growing teacher shortage.
The teacher shortage already has led to temporary school closures, larger class sizes, and the assignment of underqualified educators assigned to courses they feel unprepared to teach. The problem is expected to get worse because of a sharp decline in the number of students in Michigan’s teacher preparation programs.
So policymakers are under pressure to make it more affordable for college students to earn education degrees and to pay living expenses during student teaching, which can last from a semester to a full year.
Student teachers work 8.5 hours a day, five days a week, not including lesson planning, grading, after-school meetings, and tutoring sessions with students who need extra help, Zdeb said.
For more, see: https://detroit.chalkbeat.org/2022/6/15/23170089/michigan-pay-for-student-teachers-tuition-help-teacher-shortage-launch
