Committee adopts H2 substitute advancing bill to allow national teacher exams; broader debate continues

The committee voted to adopt the H2 substitute to House Bill 5358, a change that would require the Michigan Department of Education to approve at least one nationally administered teacher certification exam after the current MTTC contract expires. Vice Chair Linting moved the substitute and the clerk called the roll; the substitute passed on the recorded vote (reported in committee as 10 yes, 0 no).

Representative Preston, sponsor of HB 5358, argued national exams reduce duplicative testing for out‑of‑state teachers and help recruit educators without ceding Michigan authority over coursework, clinical requirements or professional standards. "Nationally administered exams are strong, well‑validated measures of teacher readiness," said an ETS representative testifying in favor of the change, noting alignment analyses submitted to the committee.

Opponents including the Michigan Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (MACT) urged caution. MACT representatives said Michigan developed its current licensing framework with local stakeholders and warned the committee against replacing it without evidence that national exams would improve outcomes for Michigan students. They flagged implementation costs, faculty training and potential misalignment with Michigan priorities.

Committee members asked about implementation, reciprocity and whether adopting national exams would reduce barriers that keep qualified out‑of‑state teachers from entering Michigan classrooms. The matter remains under committee consideration; adoption of the H2 substitute clears a technical hurdle but does not by itself adopt any specific national assessment.