Michigan Talent Together

🎉 It takes a village to grow a great teacher, and we love this village! Talent Together's W/SW Michigan team had the pleasure of visiting Portage Public Schools to celebrate the incredible people making our Grow Your Own work possible. 💙🍎 #TalentTogether #GrowYourOwn

Alumni Highlight on Renee Wilkowski at Cass City Public Schools. Pictured here with her school's emotional support dog when she was just a puppy.

By the end of this school year, Talent Together will have empowered 379 new teachers and endorsements to join the front lines of education. We're closing the gap, strengthening our schools, and proving that together, we can transform the workforce! #mieducators #teaching

Executive Director Sarena Shivers and Success Navigator Sana Haq met with Redford Union Early Middle College and Careers to connect about opportunities and continued collaboration. #talenttogether #michiganeducators #CareerInTeaching

Meet Jessica Allen! She is now a Teacher of Record at Crossroads Charter Academy. It has been an honor to watch her grow in the classroom and develop into such a strong, dedicated teacher for her students. #mieducators #miteachers #teachercandidate

Meet Teacher Candidate Meredith Bierling, who is pursuing her passion for teaching through Talent Together. We’re proud to partner with Sault Ste. Marie Area Public Schools and Eastern Upper Peninsula Intermediate School District to support dedicated future educators.

Translating preparation program coursework into real, responsive teaching takes more than theory; it requires guidance, reflection, and support within the classroom. That’s where mentorship makes the difference. Dive into our full blog to learn more! 👉mitalenttogether.org/blog/

Apprentice Teacher Melissa Meyer in action at Black River Public School Melissa began her career in education as a Montessori kindergarten paraprofessional and is completing her apprenticeship year while earning her Lower Elementary certification at Lake Superior State University

From Cohort 1 to our newest applicants, we have consistently exceeded Michigan's 11% BIPOC teacher representation. This growth highlights our commitment to recruiting diverse talent that meets the needs of every student. #MichiganTeachers

Last week, our Special Education Apprentice Teachers spent the day learning alongside Model Teacher Brian Gates at Washtenaw Intermediate School District. #modelteachers #teachingapprentices

✨ Meet a Teacher Candidate: Yolanda Johnson ✨ Yolanda at Southfield Public Schools is on a powerful journey to becoming an educator through Talent Together. Her commitment to empowering young minds is exactly what Michigan classrooms need.

Spotlight on Mentor Teacher Roxann Smith & Apprentice Teacher Lucy Rangel De Jackson, at Traverse City Area Public Schools! 💫

Talent Together staff in New Orleans for the 3rd National Convening on Registered Apprenticeships in Teaching—learning from peers across the country on the future of teacher apprenticeships. 🌱🍎 #growyourown #teachingapprenticeship

We hosted our Model Teacher Lab Day at @Holt Public Schools yesterday, led by Model Teacher Leah Porter, who modeled strong teacher presence for our Apprentice Teachers. The engagement and reflection spoke for themselves, with feedback like: “Can we do this every week?”

Spotlight on Mentor Teacher Sean LaForge and Apprentice Teacher Michelle Harrington at Roseville Community Schools. Michelle shares, "Watching how Mr. LaForge interacts with students is a great example of how I would like to be with my future classes."

Executive Director Dr. Sarena Shivers presented at the Michigan Association of Superintendents & Administrators (MASA) Winter Conference on how Talent Together is changing the lives of Teacher Candidates and strengthening students and classrooms across Michigan.

There’s nothing like being together in person. Our team met in Detroit last week for our All Staff Retreat, where we connected, reflected on our progress, and mapped out next steps for Cohort 4. Feeling energized, aligned, and ready for what’s ahead. #talenttogether #mieducators

“By making my internal thoughts around teaching external and visible to Stacy, I’ve found it’s truly transformed my own teaching practices." shares Ms. Kentala. Together at Dollar Bay - Tamarack City Area Schools this partnership highlights the power of mentorship.

Spotlight on Mentor Teacher Diana Mickles and Apprentice Teacher Jasmine Jarmon at Ferndale Public Schools Thank you, Mentor Teacher Diana Mickles, for the impact you make each day and for helping shape the next generation of educators. 💙🍎

We are amazed by these numbers! Cohort 4 brought in 1,700 applications from across Michigan, with strong interest in every region of the state. Since 2022, nearly 7,000 aspiring educators have applied through Talent Together.