Michigan governor signs bill allowing secretaries, bus drivers to work as substitute teachers
LANSING, Mich. – A new bill signed by Michigan’s governor is aimed at allowing more people to step in as substitute teachers in public school classrooms.
In a letter to the Michigan House of Representatives, Governor Gretchen Whitmer described the bill as a temporary but necessary move, saying, “Everything we have learned from the last year and half demonstrates that our kids need to be in school, in person, every school day. As a temporary stopgap, HB 4294 will help meet that goal during this incredibly challenging time.”
Michigan Governor's Letter to Lawmakers by National Content Desk on Scribd
Under the bill, school employees and paraprofessionals without a teaching certificate will be allowed to work as substitute teachers, as long as they have a high school diploma or equivalency certificate. According to the text of the bill, the requirements for any substitute would be largely based on the subject matter they are teaching.
2021-HNB-4294 by National Content Desk on Scribd
Previously, Michigan required substitutes without a teaching certificate to have either an associate’s degree or at least 60 semester hours of college credit, WDIV reported.
The Michigan Education Association opposed the bill, with a spokesperson telling WDIV, “If elected officials are serious about solving this shortage, they need to work to raise educators’ pay and treat them like the professionals they are. Anything else is at best a stopgap solution to a massive problem.”
