About this episode

The episode discusses Michigan's teacher shortage and the importance of building a diverse teacher workforce for student success.

In this episode of Speaking for Kids , we take a deep dive into Michigan’s teacher shortage through the lens of equity and opportunity. Joined by Dr. Curtis Lewis, President and Founder of Boldly Moving Education Ahead, and Charlotte Pierce, Senior Policy Analyst at EdTrust Midwest, the conversation explores new research on why Michigan continues to struggle to recruit, prepare, and retain teachers of color, and why this matters for student success across the state. With nearly 40 percent of Michigan students being students of color but only about 11 percent of teachers sharing that background, the gap has real implications for learning, belonging, and long-term outcomes. Our guests break down the key findings, the barriers in the educator pipeline, and the evidence-based strategies that can help build a stronger, more diverse, and better-supported teacher workforce, especially in Southeast Michigan and Detroit.

People in this episode

Guests: Dr. Curtis Lewis, Charlotte Pierce

Topics covered

• teacher shortage
• equity
• diversity
• education policy
• student success

Keywords

• teacher diversity
• Michigan education
• equity in education
• teacher recruitment
• students of color

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Boldly Moving Education Ahead, EdTrust Midwest

Places: Michigan, Southeast Michigan, Detroit

More episodes of Speaking for Kids, the podcast from Michigan’s Children

• Learning After The Final Bell: Michigan's After-School Programs Innovate to Keep Kids Engaged · June 3, 2026 · 27 min
• The Value of Investing in Child Abuse Prevention: Better futures for our kids & lower costs for Michigan · April 24, 2026 · 24 min
• Early Childhood Literacy: Michigan's Path to Reading · April 13, 2026 · 35 min
• Protecting Michigan Kids From Traumatizing Immigration Enforcement Practices: MI’s Proposed Safe Spaces Bill · March 25, 2026 · 35 min
• The Rowan Act: Strengthening Michigan’s Amber Alert system (House bills 4517 & 4518) · March 25, 2026 · 18 min
• Voices for Birth: Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health · March 25, 2026 · 27 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Speaking for Kids, the podcast from Michigan’s Children podcast page.