OCS has the most in the county participating

By Shelby Stewart-Soldan
Staff Writer
OXFORD TWP. – For 2023, Oxford Community Schools is participating in Talent Together, a statewide initiative to offer customized pathways to obtain teacher certifications at no cost to participants.
“Talent together is an innovative partnership between the Michigan Department of education, nine approved educator prep programs, and 48 ISDs and local districts like Oxford,” said Ryan Reid, assistant superintendent of human resources. “This program was directly funded through the legislature this July, and talent together received 67 million in funding to run this program.”
Currently Oxford has 28 staff members participating in the program, the most in Oakland County.
Talent Together was created to help with the current teacher shortage nation-wide. It removes financial barriers, provides online course work and gives a flexible program to support success.
“It is also designed for school employees,” said Reid. “There’s no cost to participate in the program, and it is set up to be convenient for working adults.”
There are several pathways to certification for any experience or education level. There are also options for current staff to continue their education.
“It’s not only for people who want it be educators,” said Reid. “It’s for our educators who want to grow in another endorsement area as well.”