A program developed at Alma College to help working paraeducators age 22 and above to become certified special education teachers is now helping shape a statewide solution to Michigan’s special education teacher shortage.
The Michigan Apprenticeship Pathways for Special Education (MAPS) initiative, supported by a five-year U.S. Department of Education award totaling more than $1 million, builds on Alma College’s Paraeducator to Special Education Teacher Program (Para to Pro) and its registered apprenticeship partnership with Alma Public Schools.
MAPS brings together the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO), Michigan Department of Education (MDE), Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP), Alma College and the AFL-CIO Workforce Development Institute to expand pathways into special education teaching and strengthen support for participating school districts.
From Research to Results
The foundation for Para to Pro began with research co-authored by Dr. Peggy Yates, chair of Alma College’s Education Department. The work examined the barriers paraeducators face in becoming licensed teachers and the supports that help them succeed.
That research evolved into a collaborative effort across Alma College to design a teacher preparation program that is affordable, flexible and built around the realities of working adults.
“Together, we worked through how Alma College could combine financial support with a program structure that removes barriers for working paraeducators,” said Yates. “Our shared goal was to make becoming a special education teacher achievable while helping address Michigan’s special education teacher shortage.”
The result is a program that allows students to complete coursework online while participating in weekend campus intensives that provide hands-on learning, collaboration and direct interaction with faculty.
“We knew this program needed more than online coursework and Zoom sessions,” Yates said. “It needed face-to-face contact, one-on-one meetings with faculty and opportunities to practice, collaborate and receive feedback in person.”
Removing Barriers for Future Teachers
A key feature of Para to Pro is affordability. Participants may combine Alma College’s Paraeducator to Special Education Teacher Scholarship with state and federal aid programs, helping make teacher certification attainable for working professionals.
The MAPS initiative expands that support by providing resources for both school districts and registered apprentices. Participating districts are eligible for funding to support mentor development and training, while apprentices can receive reimbursement for expenses such as Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) fees and other required program costs.
The initiative also builds on Alma College’s partnership with Mid Michigan College, where fully online coursework allows paraeducators from across the state to begin their educational journey before transferring to Alma to complete their bachelor’s degree and teacher certification.
Student Stories Reflect Program Impact
For many participants, Para to Pro has transformed a long-held goal into a realistic opportunity.
For Toccara Reed-Cosby of Troy School District, becoming a teacher had been a dream for years.
“For years, I wanted to become a teacher, but balancing being a mom, working full time and the cost of college tuition made that dream feel out of reach,” she said. “The Para-to-Pro program gave me a way to continue working in the classroom while pursuing my degree. What once felt impossible is now becoming a reality.”
Tarah Miller of the Tuscola Intermediate School District in Caro, Michigan, said the program allowed her to continue supporting students while advancing her own career.
“Alma College’s Para to Pro program gave me a realistic path toward certification while allowing me to keep working with the students and staff at Highland Pines,” Miller said. “I’ve been able to connect what I’m learning in my coursework to the work I do in the classroom every day.”
Danielle Penner, a paraeducator at Ferndale Upper Elementary School, a public school district in Metro Detroit, Michigan, said the program helped her see a future she had not previously imagined.
“My greatest obstacle was not believing I could do it, but I’ve had an incredible amount of support from all of our professors and my fellow students in the cohort,” said Penner.
For Quincy Swartout from the Harrison Community School District in Harrison, Michigan, the program offers a pathway to follow in the footsteps of her mother, a longtime special education teacher.
“The Para to Pro program has helped make earning my degree and pursuing teacher certification a more realistic and attainable goal,” Swartout said.
Expanding the Model Across Michigan
Alma Public Schools currently has six paraeducators registered as apprentices through the program, creating a local pipeline of future special education teachers. Through MAPS, Alma College hopes to extend similar opportunities to additional districts across Michigan.
Serving as a registered apprenticeship group sponsor, Alma College coordinates registration, compliance, competency tracking and reporting, reducing administrative responsibilities for participating districts.
“Alma College’s commitment has been to turn the barriers identified in our research into problems we can solve together,” said Yates. “We look forward to welcoming more district partners and helping more paraeducators become the special education teachers Michigan needs.”
By investing in the educators already serving students every day, Alma College is helping build a stronger, more sustainable future for special education classrooms across Michigan.
