Мичиган теряет учителей быстрее, чем может их заменить: зарплаты и меры поддержки не справляются

Michigan is losing teachers faster than it can replace them. Here’s what educators say needs to change Michigan ranks 45th in the nation for teacher starting salaries, according to the National Education Association JACKSON COUNTY, Mich. (News 10) - Michigan is losing teachers faster than it can replace them, and a $150 million state investment in one-time educator bonuses may not be enough to reverse the trend, educators and researchers said. Michigan teacher starting pay hovers around $40,000 per year — a figure that researchers say has fallen behind other professions for nearly a decade. According to the National Education Association, Michigan ranks 45th in the nation for teacher starting salaries. ‘The numbers are not lining up’ Geoff Bontrager, superintendent of Northwest Community Schools, said the gap between teachers leaving the profession and those entering it is widening. “The folks that are retiring or getting out of education in the state of Michigan versus the folks that are eligible or coming in — those numbers are not lining up with the people that are leaving,” Bontrager said. This school year, the state is spending $150 million on one-time educator bonuses. How much each teacher receives depends on several factors, but an MEA analysis found Lansing schools would receive about $500 per staff member. Superintendents push for per-pupil funding Bontrager said per-pupil funding — state dollars that follow each student to their district — would be a more effective solution than one-time bonuses. “That would give us the consistency to not only raise our starting pay for our teachers, but also to consistently offer cost-of-living raises to keep the occupation consistent,” Bontrager said. Stephanie Kristovic, director of instruction at Northwest Community Schools, said compensation resources need to match the demands of the job. “Teachers change lives. They do incredible, sophisticated, complex work — and we need the pay resources to back that up,” Kristovic said. Researchers point to widening pay gap Dr. Jason Burns, an education researcher with Michigan State University’s EPIC, said multiple factors have driven high teacher turnover rates. “It’s higher stress than it used to be. It’s lower pay than it used to be — if you change the compensation of a profession, you would expect fewer people to take an interest in that profession,” Burns said. Burns said the typical Michigan teacher previously earned around 18% less than other college-educated workers. That figure has grown to nearly 29%. Only about 22% of current teachers would recommend the profession to their own children or to a child of a family friend or relative, Burns said. Dr. Salem Rogers, also with Michigan State University, said more permanent funding, lower administrative burden, and stronger early-career support are among the steps needed to address the shortage. Northwest Community Schools Superintendent Bontrager said his district is working to grow its teacher pipeline by encouraging people with bachelor’s degrees to pursue non-traditional routes into teaching. Stream News 10 Lansing on your favorite devices! Here’s how to download the News 10+ app on Roku, Fire TV or Apple TV. Be the first to see the Mid-Michigan headlines you care about – download the News 10+ app and subscribe to our News 10 newsletter and YouTube page to receive the latest local news and weather. Copyright 2026 WILX. All rights reserved.