In Hudsonville, it wasn’t difficult to rally MEA members to get out to vote in favor of the 2018 Ottawa regional enhancement millage. Everyone knew the money would be going to help address the biggest issue facing many schools across the state—student behavior and student mental health. Money from the millage hired counselors to reduce caseloads […]
Amid a contentious political scene nationally, a diverse group of Michigan leaders from the education, business, civic, and philanthropic realms—often at odds in the political arena—have spent the past 18 months seeking common ground on education policy. In December, the unusual coalition known as Launch Michigan released its first set of recommendations for rebuilding a public […]
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor LIKE MANY educators, Jennifer Gougeon-Catarino has always been a planner—independent and efficient at getting things done. A teacher friend once called her “Polly Positive” for her go-getter spirit. “I was productive, and I was in control,” she said. “I thought I had my whole life planned out. Then this happened.” Four years […]
During a pay freeze in his district, MEA member Steve Conn watched as teacher colleagues left Wayne-Westland Community Schools by the dozens. “People were having resume-building parties, looking for jobs in other districts. Some left education altogether.” As years passed, with educators stuck on low rungs of the salary schedule, the poaching by wealthier nearby districts […]
For the last few years, students in Alanson Public Schools about 10 miles north of Petoskey did not have physical education classes. Declining enrollment and inadequate state funding meant the course had to be cut from every grade level except for one semester of high school to meet graduation requirements. This year, thanks to a […]
by Nicole Droscha Third-grade teacher, Mason Public Schools “We still have so many third graders not meeting target scores for reading fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary. How will we close these gaps by year’s end? What other strategies or interventions can we try? What other resources can we use to reach more kids?” These difficult questions […]
Who needs “latte funds” anyway? By Kay Walker-Telma MEA-Retired president Welcome to 2020. Have a cup of coffee and relax for a moment. Then, get to work. With the November election a mere eight months away, we’ll be looking at the Election Day date on the calendar much more quickly than we can imagine. Members […]
MEA member Stefanie Sedlar was drawn to become an educator in two ways. She felt a strong desire to help at-risk kids find their way to success, and she believed a federal loan forgiveness program for teachers would help her “afford” to make less income than other college-educated professionals. This week Sedlar shared her story […]
The Education Policy Innovation Collaborative (EPIC) at Michigan State University is launching their first ever statewide Read by Grade Three survey for current K-8 teachers and principals – which is now live. Because educators’ time is valuable, EPIC has worked with the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) to offer 5 hours of State Continuing Education […]
By Jennifer Dooley M.Ed., MAED. Sixth-grade teacher Pontiac City School District In the December-January issue of MEA Voice magazine, I was one of several educators quoted in a piece about educator recruitment and retention. However, I found when the issue came out, my quote did not make sense out of context. Without explanation, it was […]
