A teacher must hold an unexpired Provisional Certificate, valid in Michigan. This is the initial teaching certificate given to new teachers in Michigan. A Provisional Teaching Certificate is valid for up to six years. A teacher must make sufficient progress toward gaining the next level of teacher certification for a Provisional Certificate to be renewed.
A teacher must complete at least nine semester hours in an approved course of study toward a Professional Education certificate for a Provisional Teaching Certificate to be renewed.
For a Provisional Teaching Certificate to be renewed a second time, a teacher must complete at least eighteen semester hours in an approved course of study toward a Professional Education certificate.
A third renewal of a Provisional Teaching Certificate is rare. It requires sponsorship from a Michigan school district and must be authorized by the Michigan Department of Education.
A two-year Provisional Extension is available but difficult to obtain and should be considered only if absolutely necessary. This extension will only be granted if a teacher is in the process of completing a Professional Education certificate through an approved teacher preparation institution. The application process must be initiated by the teacher's employing school district and at the end of the extension period, the teacher's Provisional Certificate and Provisional Extension will be revoked. If the teacher has not gained her Professional Certificate, she will be ineligible to teach in Michigan.