Attract, form, train and retain excellent, faithful teachers and administrators at parish elementary and diocesan high schools.

The teachers and administrators in our Catholic schools are incredibly valuable. Yes, they educate our children in the academic fundamentals. Yet we are further blessed with talented teachers and staff dedicated to modeling gospel values while bringing out the best in each student. Our planning study feedback confirmed that attracting and keeping our teachers is the highest priority for this campaign.

Keeping quality educators is challenging in any school setting – public or private, secular or religious.

• 44% of all teachers, public and private, leave within the first five years in the profession.
• In general, newer teachers are 2½ times more likely to quit than those who are tenured.
• The Diocese of Lansing replaces an average of 50 teachers per year, about 9% of all teachers.

The diocese has developed two strategies to attract, form, train and retain excellent and faithful teachers and administrators at our Catholic schools.

Excellent Educators Fund and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Endowment

$20 million endowment to secure the future, allowing for $4.5 million to address immediate needs.
“Sign, Train and Retain” program offers new hires:

• A signing bonus of up to $6,000 over three years.
• A three-year training program.

The “Invest in the Best” retention program offers all teachers and administrators:

• Retention bonuses of up to $3,000 every three years.
• Yearly formation grants.