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Design and implement team-based models in Michigan

Learn about strategic school staffing and opportunities for Michigan schools to improve outcomes and experiences for educators and students.

The Michigan Educator Workforce Initiative (MEWI) is partnering with the Next Education Workforce initiative at Arizona State University in a grant to support Michigan districts in learning more about and launching team-based staffing models within schools. The grant will support at least five school systems and 12 schools over the next two years and connect these systems and schools across the state through professional learning, annual convenings and implementation support.

About

What is the Next Education Workforce?

Next Education Workforce team-based strategic staffing models represent a fundamental shift in how we design roles and deploy educators to meet the needs of students. When we stop placing teachers in one-teacher, one-classroom models and start building teams with distributed expertise, new opportunities emerge. Learn more about the models, our theory of action and outcomes for educators and students.

Learn more

Support for schools

Schools and systems participating in this program gain access to professional learning, coaching and other resources

Schools will receive support to pilot, design and implement innovative staffing models by launching at least one educator team. Grantees receive support from ASU and MEWI in three ways:

Professional learning: ASU will provide virtual learning experiences, access to tools and resources, and other professional learning opportunities for system-level leaders, school-level leaders and classroom educators to explore, plan and launch team-based staffing models.
Local, personalized coaching: A Michigan-based ASU coach will provide both virtual and on-site personalized support to each school based on their local context.
Funding: Schools have access to PD Stipends for participating teachers & leaders to compensate for additional time in required ASU professional development, as well as supplemental budgets for construction, materials, and related professional learning.

Year at a glance

Schools across the country are designing and implementing innovative staffing models to support equity, improve learning outcomes and increase teacher satisfaction. During the 2025–26 school years, a new wave of schools in Michigan will join them. Below is an outline of what that journey may look like for system and school leaders.

Fall 2025

Step 1: Explore Next Education Workforce models

Explore Experience: Learn about Next Education Workforce models and determine if they make sense in your local context
ASU/MEWI Convenings: All Michigan participants come together to build community, coalition and enable statewide learning and collaboration.
Site Visits: Attend a site visit to see Next Education Workforce models in action at multiple Arizona schools.

Winter 2026

Step 2: Plan your Next Education Workforce pilots

Leader Launchpad: With the support of the ASU team, identify pilot teams and develop plans to set the teams up for success.
Funding application: Ready to launch? Apply for funding for implementation support, including professional learning and coaching.

Summer and Fall 2026

Step 3: Implement your Next Education Workforce team-based models

Summer Institute: Attend our virtual cohort experience designed for teams of educators piloting team-based models.
On-site planning and implementation: Participate in two, full-day, on-site visits to support educators designing team-based models.
Virtual implementation coaching: Access monthly implementation support with your coach and school leaders.

Next Education Workforce coaching has been instrumental to our successful implementation. Our coach has been responsive and flexible while creating coaching structures to match our needs. The targeted support has enabled us to deepen our expertise, grow as leaders and facilitate the refinement of instructional practices. I would highly recommend anyone considering the Next Education Workforce Model to engage the coaching support; it has made a world of difference for us.
Rebecca Adams-Hutchinson, Superintendent, Concord Community Schools, Michigan