Questions Related to Teachers

Does a PSA have to use certified teachers?

Certification requirements for PSA teachers are identical to those of local school district teachers. Special exceptions are made for a PSA that is operated by a state university or community college that may wish to use collegiate staff to teach PSA students (refer to Section 380.505).

Are employees of an outside company who are providing instructional services to students of a public school academy members of the Michigan Public School Employees’ Retirement System (MPSERS)?

Attorney General Opinion No. 6915 (1996), addressed two issues: whether PSA’s are subject to section 380.1231 of the Revised School Code, requiring the board of a school district to “hire and contract with qualified teachers”; and whether employees of an outside company who are providing instructional services to PSA students are members of MPSERS.

Although instruction in PSA’s is to be provided by certificated teachers, pursuant to this opinion, PSA’s may contract with outside companies for the provision of instructional services. Teachers who are providing instructional services to students of a PSA, who are employed by an outside company rather than by the public school academy, are not members of MPSERS.

I want to teach in a non-profit public school academy (PSA’s must be non-profit as cited in Section 380.502(1) in the Revised School Code) and want to know how this will affect my college Perkins loan.

Schools, including public school academies that are classified as low-income and non-profit

The Perkins Loan Forgiveness is processed (money and request for forgiveness) at the college level, which is based on the input received from the Michigan Department of Treasury.

Students who have a Perkins Loan can request their loan be forgiven if the school they work for participates in the National School Lunch, School Breakfast, and or Special Milk Program; and where 30% or more of the enrolled children have been approved for free and/or reduced price meals or free milk.

If a teacher works for, and receives a paycheck from, an educational management organization that is for-profit, then the teachers Perkins student loan is NOT forgiven.

If a teacher works for a public school academy and receives paycheck from academy, then the teachers Perkins student loan IS forgiven.