Michigan State University Professor Gail Richmond was elected to two state-level leadership positions in spring 2026.
Beginning in summer 2026, Richmond will serve as the chair of the Directors and Representatives of Teacher Preparation Programs (DARTEP) in Michigan.
The organization supports “the continued improvement of teacher preparation” in the state. It does so by serving as a liaison and collaborator amongst higher education institutions and the Michigan Department of Education regarding certification regulations and procedures. As chair, Richmond will work to identify key issues, policies and initiatives to bring before the membership at their quarterly meetings, communicate regularly with state organizations (such as the Michigan Department of Education) about matters which affect university-led teacher preparation programs and facilitate partnerships with relevant education stakeholders and advocate for responsive, high-quality teacher preparation programs and initiatives.
Richmond, associate chairperson of the Department of Teacher Education (undergraduate education) and director of MSU’s Teacher Preparation Programs, previously served as the organization’s secretary. She is the second-ever representative from MSU to lead the organization and the first since the 2007-08 term. Richmond’s term continues through 2027.
Richmond was also appointed to the Executive Board for the Michigan Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (MACTE), the state affiliate of the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (AACTE).
The organization helps “promote the learning of all students through the promotion of high-quality preparation and continuing education.”
As part of the Board, Richmond will work with other Board members
- to identify issues of relevance to teacher education programs and initiatives,
- to create advocacy documents for such matters which are shared with legislative and practitioners stakeholders across the state and to partner with AACTE in such advocacy
- and to provide support for its members across the state of Michigan in providing opportunities for those who wish to become educators and those who wish to continue to develop their practice through professional development.
Her term began in May and continues through 2028.
Michigan State University is a long-time member of AACTE. The College of Education served as host to its academic journal, the Journal of Teacher Education, from 2015-2021; Richmond served as a senior editor.
“These appointments for Professor Gail Richmond are valuable paths by which Michigan State University can continue to shape and improve the future of education for everyone,” said Jerlando F. L. Jackson, dean and MSU Research Foundation Distinguished Professor of Education. “Dr. Richmond consistently advocates for future Spartan educators and for the betterment of teacher preparation. I look forward to the improvements for Michigan’s future educator workforce developed through these appointments and to how she will continue to advance similar efforts here at Michigan State University.”