Read the full stored bill text
SB-989, As Passed Senate, June 17, 2026
CRM S06892'26 *_SB989_APS_1 8s5ire
SENATE BILL NO. 989
A bill to amend 1976 PA 451, entitled
"The revised school code,"
by amending section 1531i (MCL 380.1531i), as amended by 2024 PA
49.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
Sec. 1531i. (1) The superintendent of public instruction shall 1
establish a process for an individual to earn an interim teaching 2
certificate under this section that qualifies the individual to 3
teach in public schools and to earn a Michigan teaching certificate 4
May 20, 2026, Introduced by Senators POLEHANKI, KLINEFELT, CHANG, BAYER, SHINK
and GEISS and referred to Committee on Education.
2
CRM S06892'26 *_SB989_APS_1 8s5ire
using the process under this section. The process must meet all 1
applicable requirements for an alternative teaching certification 2
process under the no child left behind act of 2001, Public Law 107-3
110, or the every student succeeds act, Public Law 114-95, as 4
applicable. Beginning July 21, 2027, the process described in this 5
subsection must not allow for the granting of an interim teaching 6
certificate under this section for teaching special education. The 7
immediately preceding sentence does not prohibit an individual who 8
is granted an interim teaching certificate under this section for 9
teaching special education before July 21, 2027 from, subject to 10
other provisions of law and rules that would otherwise apply to 11
that individual, continuing to teach special education under that 12
interim teaching certificate after July 21, 2027. 13
(2) Except as otherwise provided under subsection (1), the 14
process established under subsection (1) must provide that the 15
superintendent of public instruction will grant an interim teaching 16
certificate to an individual who meets all of the following, as 17
applicable: 18
(a) Is a participant in an alternative teaching program that 19
is approved by the superintendent of public instruction. To be 20
approved, a program provider must demonstrate to the satisfaction 21
of the superintendent of public instruction that it meets all of 22
the following: 23
(i) Subject to subdivision (e), provides for its participants 24
an intensive training program in teaching that is determined by the 25
superintendent of public instruction to constitute the equivalent 26
of at least 12 college credit hours and that includes training in 27
at least all of the following subject areas: 28
(A) Child development or child psychology. 29
3
CRM S06892'26 *_SB989_APS_1 8s5ire
(B) Family and community relationships. 1
(C) Diverse learners. 2
(D) Instructional strategies. 3
(E) A form of field-based experience in a classroom setting. 4
(ii) Has a proven record of producing successful teachers or is 5
modeled after a program that has a proven record of producing 6
successful teachers. 7
(iii) Its participants have a cohort grade point average of at 8
least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale or the equivalent on another scale, as 9
determined by the superintendent of public instruction, upon 10
earning the degree required under subdivision (b). If a cohort 11
member has earned more than 1 degree required under subdivision 12
(b), the highest grade point average earned by the cohort member 13
must be used in calculating the cohort grade point average under 14
this subparagraph. 15
(iv) Accepts for participation only individuals who meet the 16
requirements of subdivision (b). 17
(b) Holds a bachelor's, master's, doctorate, or professional 18
degree from a regionally an institutionally accredited college or 19
university. 20
(c) Passes the appropriate available subject area examination 21
for each subject area in which the individual applies to be 22
certified. 23
(d) Subject to subdivision (e) and notwithstanding any other 24
provision of law or rule to the contrary, if the individual does 25
not hold a Michigan teaching certificate, for an interim teaching 26
certificate under this section for teaching special education, the 27
individual has completed a training program for teaching special 28
education students that is determined by the superintendent of 29
4
CRM S06892'26 *_SB989_APS_1 8s5ire
public instruction to constitute the equivalent of at least 32 1
college credit hours, or equivalent clock hours, equal to 7 hours 2
of instruction per credit hour, and that includes training in at 3
least both of the following: 4
(i) The requisite knowledge, understanding, skills, and 5
dispositions for effective practice concerning all of the 6
following: 7
(A) Utilizing research-based models, theories, and 8
philosophies for teaching students with an array of disabilities 9
within different placements. 10
(B) Assessing students with disabilities for identification 11
and teaching. 12
(C) Implementing accommodations and modifications for 13
classroom assessments, school district, intermediate school 14
district, or public school academy assessments, and statewide 15
assessments. 16
(D) Using assistive technology devices to increase, maintain, 17
or improve the capabilities of students with impairments. 18
(E) Communicating, consulting, and collaborating with parents 19
and legal guardians, paraprofessionals, general educators, 20
administrators, and human services personnel. 21
(F) Developing, implementing, and evaluating individualized 22
education programs. 23
(G) Planning, organizing, scheduling, and conducting 24
individualized education program team meetings, including parental 25
and student participation in those meetings. 26
(H) Preparing students with disabilities for transitions, 27
including the transition from preschool to elementary school and 28
the transition into postsecondary environments and employment. 29
5
CRM S06892'26 *_SB989_APS_1 8s5ire
(I) Maintaining, releasing, and transferring student records 1
according to school district, intermediate school district, or 2
public school academy rules and policies and state and federal 3
laws, rules, and policies. 4
(J) Articulating the historical and legal bases regarding 5
special education, such as the concept of free appropriate public 6
education, general least restrictive environment requirements, and 7
family education and privacy rights. 8
(ii) Any additional criteria that the department determines is 9
appropriate in the teaching of special education students. 10
(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of law or rule to the 11
contrary, if the individual holds a Michigan teaching certificate, 12
for an interim teaching certificate under this section for teaching 13
special education, the individual has completed an the accelerated 14
training program for teaching special education students as 15
described in subdivision (d) that meets criteria established by the 16
department and that is approved by the superintendent of public 17
instruction. An individual described in this subdivision is not 18
required to meet the requirements under subdivision (d) and is not 19
required to complete an intensive training program in teaching as 20
described under subdivision (a)(i). 21
(3) An individual earning a Michigan teaching certificate 22
using the process under this section will be subject to provisions 23
of administrative rules governing teachers, as established by the 24
superintendent of public instruction. 25
(4) An individual who possesses an interim teaching 26
certificate under this section may be employed to teach in a public 27
school in the same manner as an individual holding a Michigan 28
teaching certificate issued under section 1531 if both of the 29
6
CRM S06892'26 *_SB989_APS_1 8s5ire
following requirements are met: 1
(a) While the individual is teaching under an interim teaching 2
certificate, the school district or public school academy in which 3
the individual is teaching provides intensive observation and 4
coaching in a manner and to the extent prescribed by the 5
superintendent of public instruction. 6
(b) The individual is making satisfactory progress toward 7
meeting the requirements for being awarded a Michigan teaching 8
certificate under section 1531, as established by the 9
superintendent of public instruction under subsection (5). 10
(5) The superintendent of public instruction shall develop 11
standards for granting an individual a Michigan teaching 12
certificate issued under section 1531 after the individual has 13
demonstrated satisfactory teaching performance for 3 years under an 14
interim teaching certificate and has met the requirements 15
established by the superintendent of public instruction for a 16
Michigan teaching certificate. 17
(6) The superintendent of public instruction shall promulgate 18
rules that the superintendent of public instruction considers 19
necessary to implement this section. 20
(7) CEPI, in consultation with the department, shall partner 21
with 1 or more research university or universities in this state to 22
conduct a research study and analysis on educator shortages in this 23
state. The department shall make any needed data available to CEPI 24
and the selected research university or universities described in 25
this subsection to facilitate the study and analysis described in 26
this subsection. Using the study and analysis described in this 27
subsection, by January 1, 2022, CEPI, with its partners under this 28
subsection, shall submit an initial report to the governor and the 29
7
CRM S06892'26 *_SB989_APS_1 8s5ire
chairs of the senate and house standing committees responsible for 1
education legislation that summarizes available state data, 2
provides a baseline from which future comprehensive data analysis 3
can begin, and includes recommendations to policymakers concerning 4
data-gathering activities that are necessary to complete the 5
comprehensive report described in this subsection, and by January 6
1, 2023 and January 1 of each year, thereafter, CEPI, with its 7
partners under this subsection, shall submit a comprehensive report 8
concerning educator shortages in this state to the governor and the 9
chairs of the senate and house standing committees responsible for 10
education legislation. The comprehensive report submitted by CEPI 11
under this subsection must include, but is not limited to, all of 12
the following: 13
(a) The number of educator vacancies in this state, 14
disaggregated by geographic region and by any broad subject areas 15
and educational settings required for those vacancies. 16
(b) The educator retention rates in this state, disaggregated 17
by geographic region, broad subject areas and educational settings, 18
number of years in the profession, and educator demographics. 19
(c) The number of graduates from approved, in-state teacher 20
preparation programs, disaggregated by the broad subject areas and 21
educational settings of those graduates, if any. 22
(d) An analysis of the regions in this state that present the 23
highest need for educators based on educator shortages in those 24
regions, disaggregated by the broad subject areas and educational 25
settings of the positions in which there are shortages in those 26
regions. 27
(8) By January 1 of each year, the department shall submit a 28
report to the governor and the chairs of the senate and house 29
8
Final Page
CRM S06892'26 *_SB989_APS_1 8s5ire
standing committees responsible for education legislation regarding 1
the number of interim teaching certificates issued under this 2
section for teaching special education and the retention rate for 3
teachers who began serving as teachers in this state through usage 4
of an interim teaching certificate issued under this section. 5
(9) As used in this section: 6
(a) "CEPI" means the center for educational performance and 7
information created under section 94a of the state school aid act 8
of 1979, MCL 388.1694a. 9
(b) "Cohort" means all of the individuals enrolled in an 10
alternative teaching program approved by the superintendent of 11
public instruction for the 3 years immediately preceding the 12
granting of an interim teaching certificate under this section to 13
an individual enrolled in the alternative teaching program. 14
(c) "Subject area examination" means that term as defined in 15
section 1531. 16