GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A country-wide teacher shortage has left thousands of full-time teaching vacancies unfilled, having a lasting impact on students’ success.
To address the need for educators, the Golden Apple Foundation recently inducted an inaugural cohort of 35 scholars for the teacher preparation program in Michigan.
Dhani James, an incoming freshman at Western Michigan University, is one of 35 new scholars joining Michigan's first-ever Golden Apple Scholars Program.
The Chicago-based nonprofit has inspired, developed and supported teachers in the U.S. for nearly 30 years, helping to put more educators in classrooms that are plagued by a continued teacher shortage.
"My mom is an educator and I have two sisters, so she's always been like, 'Guys, you should become teachers, it's the best profession.' So she has always been pushing for us to do that,” James said.
James won't have to wait until she graduates from college to start experiencing the benefits of being a Golden Apple Scholar.
Golden Apple provides extensive classroom teaching experience, financial assistance up to $15,000, academic and social-emotional support, mentoring from recognized Michigan teachers and when students are ready, job placement assistance.
"I feel very prepared for my first year the years after college and then going into the classroom I know that my students are going to get what they need because I know I'm getting what I’ll need to teach from the program,” James said.
According to a recent report from Education Policy Innovation Collaborative, during the 2022-2023 school year, Michigan had nearly 18,000 full-time teaching vacancies.
College students in Michigan enrolling in academic programs has dropped by 67% since 2008, contributing to the ongoing need for teachers.
"The teacher shortage has a huge impact on students,” Caycee Sledge, chief program officer said. "One rough year for a student can impact their entire trajectory. So not having a teacher that is qualified in the subject area and doesn't have that passion for the subject or the grade level impacts our kids here in Michigan. So we’re hoping that we can be a material solution for the teacher shortage here in Michigan."
The 35 scholars come from various parts of Michigan, including Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Flint, Lansing and Dearborn.
The scholars have already completed a week of immersive professional learning and community-building, taking their first steps toward a career in the classroom.
“It's amazing the power that a teacher can have and these scholars are going to be those incredible teachers that students never forget,” Sledge said.
Applications for the 2025 cohort open this upcoming fall.