By PAULA HERBART/President – Michigan Education Association As we approach the start of a school year like no other, teachers and education support professionals are feeling scared and angry. Scared because of unknown consequences of returning to classrooms without clear answers about COVID-19 health and safety — because, frankly, the experts don’t have those answers […]
When MEA member Ben Henri won this year’s Teachers Tournament on the long-running game show Jeopardy!, he returned home with something beyond the $100,000 in winnings. Henri found an extended support network in the educators he defeated for the grand prize. Of the 15 tournament competitors, 14 remained in touch months later – meeting virtually […]
The state House on Monday approved a compromise package of bills that provides answers about student counts for school funding, benchmark testing and other important matters as the 2020-21 school year begins amid the COVID-19 pandemic. House Bills 5911-13 now go to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for a signature after passing the state Senate in a […]
By Kathleen Dillon-Dowd As a 38-year teacher in mostly public-school classrooms from preschool to eighth grade, I could have retired a while ago. But in March, when we all went into home isolation, I realized how much I want to be in the classroom. I may not like getting up at 5:30, or the hours […]
The state Senate has scheduled an unusual Saturday session for this weekend, and while nothing is yet certain, early indications are that the goal will be to pass measures related to the return to school this fall. Less clear is whether the agenda will include bipartisan solutions to pandemic-related challenges or partisan schemes that use […]
By Bill Daniels As a veteran public school teacher, I’m flabbergasted when I hear people say we should throw caution to the wind and return to full-time, in-person learning regardless of potential health or safety risks. This claim is short-sighted on many fronts, and in almost all cases is made by those with zero experience […]
EAST LANSING — At an emergency meeting Tuesday evening, the MEA Board of Directors adopted the following motion regarding the association’s stance on a safe return to learning for students and educators this fall amidst the COVID-19 pandemic: MEA stands with all educators, who must be a part of creating and implementing return to school […]
On Tuesday, Sept. 1, the Michigan Court of Appeals will consider the state’s appeal of a 2018 ruling that school employees were owed additional interest on the 3% of their earnings illegally withheld by the state. In December 2017, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled in favor of returning to educators their 3% withheld from 2010-2012 to fund […]
Delegates to MEA’s Representative Assembly met virtually on Saturday to finish the business of the association’s annual meeting, adopting changes to MEA dues, staffing policy and other business introduced when the meeting first convened in April. In an effort to reduce dues for members who earned less and hopefully increase membership, the RA adopted different […]
Listen to a recording of Friday morning’s telephone townhall for MEA and AFT Michigan members with Michigan Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, Detroit Chief Public Health Officer Denise Fair, and Health Department of Northwest Michigan’s health officer Lisa Peacock.
