Launch Michigan Unveils Bold Blueprint to Address Educator Shortage in New Report: "Strengthening the Pipeline"
LANSING, MI – Launch Michigan today released a landmark report titled "Strengthening the Pipeline: Recommendations for Investing in Michigan’s Educator Workforce," offering a data-driven, forward-looking strategy to tackle Michigan’s ongoing teacher shortage and build a stronger, more sustainable education workforce.
With more than $1.1 billion invested over the past three years across recruitment, certification, and early-career support, the report outlines how Michigan’s recent commitments are beginning to yield results: more teachers are entering than leaving the profession, and for the first time since the pandemic, teacher attrition is declining.
But as Launch Michigan’s report highlights, the work is far from done.
“We’re at a turning point,” said Launch Michigan President and CEO, Venessa Keesler. “Now is the time to double down on what’s working, fill the gaps we’ve identified, and ensure that Michigan remains a national leader in innovative educator workforce solutions.”
The report offers seven key recommendations, including:
Continuing FY 2026 investments to avoid losing momentum.
Expanding data collection and evaluation to assess program effectiveness.
Increasing focus on teacher retention, especially for new educators.
Targeting high-need areas like special education and STEM fields.
Streamlining funding and policy alignment for better local implementation.
Facilitating statewide coordination through a formal cross-sector task force.
Building state capacity for data-informed decision-making.
Educator Roundtable participants, representing school districts, education policy groups, higher education, and nonprofit organizations, played a critical advisory role in shaping the report’s insights and recommendations.
The report also underscores persistent shortages in specific content areas and regions—especially special education, rural schools, and urban districts—despite promising progress.
“Michigan has taken bold steps, and we’re beginning to see the impact,” said Senator Darrin Camilleri, Chair of the PreK-12 School Aid Budget. “But if we’re serious about providing every student with a qualified, supported teacher, we must stay the course and refine our efforts based on real data.”
To read the full report, visit https://www.launchmichigan.org/research.
