New Reading Requirement for Teachers Effective July 1, 2009

Beginning July 1, 2009, in order to advance from the Provisional teaching certificate to the Professional Education teaching certificate, a teacher must provide evidence of the completion of an additional 3 semester credit course in reading focused on the diagnosis and remediation of reading difficulties which includes a field experience. This reading course is in addition to any reading courses required for initial certification. The course may be taken at the undergraduate or graduate level but must be completed before or during the first 6 years of classroom teaching to be eligible to advance in certification.
The Michigan Department of Education has posted a list of reading courses at various state colleges and universities that may be taken to satisfy the requirement. The list is available at the following web site:

www.michigan.gov/teachercert under the heading Specialty Programs.

Questions about the requirement may be addressed to Dr. Bonnie Rockafellow at rockafellowb@michigan.gov.

Teachers who meet the requirements to advance to the Professional Education teaching certificate before July 1, 2009 are advised to give serious consideration to doing so prior to the expiration date on the certificate to avoid this requirement. To advance the teacher must provide evidence that an additional 18 semester credits have been earned in a planned program since the issuance of the Provisional teaching certificate, a master’s degree or higher earned at any time satisfies this requirement, and have at least 3 years of successful teaching in the validity of the teaching certificate. Teachers having completed a planned program through a Michigan university or college should contact the Certification Office of the institution and request to be recommended for the Professional Education certificate to the MDE.

Individuals who completed a planned program through an institution outside of Michigan must apply directly to the MDE for a Professional Education certificate.

Contact Frank Ciloski, MEA Consultant at 517-332-6551 extension 6213 for further information.