Michigan Characteristics of State Teacher Requirements
The following information summarizes the requirements currently necessary to begin work in the public school system as an:
Audiologist or Speech-Language Pathologist
This information has been collected by researching individual state department of education regulations and policy documents, state administrative code provisions and by contacting each state department of education. Please be advised that regulations and policy may change at any time, so always check with your state department of education for the most up-to-date information.
Audiologist
Audiologists working in any setting are required to hold an active Michigan license before delivering services. This includes schools.
Continuing Education Requirement
Every licensed audiologist must complete, during the 2-year period prior to the date of renewal of the license, at least 20 hours of continuing education in courses or programs approved by the Board.
Speech-Language Pathologist
Michigan has passed a law requiring all speech-language pathologists in the state be licensed. The rules are currently being developed.
School-based SLPs who are currently eligible to work in the school setting with a teaching certificate endorsed in speech will be able to obtain a license that will allow them to continue working in schools. This applies to all SLPs without CCCs who hold a teaching certificate endorsed in speech and are currently eligible to work in the schools. This group of SLPs will be licensed to work in the schools only.
Teacher of Speech and Language Impaired
- Master's degree in speech and language pathology.
- A minimum of 60 semester hours or equivalent which includes: 12 hours in the normal development of speech, language, and hearing; 30 hours in the evaluation and management of communication disorders. Of the 30 hours, 24 must be in speech pathology and 6 in audiology. No more than six hours may be counted for completion of a clinical practicum.
- A minimum of 300 clock hours of supervised practicum experience with persons who present a variety of communication disorders, to be acquired in conjunction with academic training, of which 150 hours must be at the graduate level.
A teacher of the speech and language impaired assigned to programs for students with severe language impairment must also be certified at the elementary level.
Note: A school may employ a person who does not hold a teaching certificate to provide speech and language services if the person meets the requirements for speech-language certification by ASHA. However, that person may not serve as a classroom teacher.
Continuing Education Requirement
Individuals must either meet the continuing education requirement for ASHA certification maintenance, or for classroom teachers, 6 semester hours of credit, 18 State Board Continuing Education Units (SB-CEUs), or a combination of the two are required every 5 years. Three SB-CEUs are equivalent to one semester hour.
Emergency Certification
If a school district/school has searched extensively and has been unable to find a qualified speech and language impaired teacher, the district/school may obtain a full-year or emergency permit to employ an individual who has a master's degree in speech and language impaired but has not completed the Clinical Fellowship Year. The district/school must submit an Application for Michigan Teacher Permit to the Michigan Department of Education and verify that a qualified individual is not available for the assignment. A full-year or emergency permit may only be renewed the following school year if the individual has completed six additional semester hours of credit toward appropriate certification and has been assigned a mentor teacher.
Resources
The information contained herein was collected and summarized annually. For detailed information on teacher certification requirements, contact the state department of education and visit this website:
Teacher Certification
Questions regarding this document? Call ASHA at 800-498-2071 and ask for the State Advocacy Team.