By Brenda Ortega
MEA Voice Editor

MEA member Erik Meerschaert, a special education teacher at Lake Orion High School known for his positivity and leadership in providing inclusive opportunities for all students, was named the 2026 Michigan Teacher of the Year on Wednesday.

“I’m without words… Being a part of this community and watching the impact that we can have on all of our students has been truly incredible,” Meerschaert said in brief remarks after the announcement at a surprise assembly by State Superintendent Glenn Maleyko.

A 17-year special educator who joined Lake Orion Community Schools seven years ago, Meerschaert is known and loved building-wide for bringing different groups of people together in numerous ways across the school year, Principal Daniel Haas said.

“He’s a culture maker; he’s magic. I want to underscore how many phenomenal educators are out there in the state of Michigan, and Mr. M is just a no-brainer for this honor. He’s one of these beautiful people that, for him, the reward is the work.”

Meerschaert teaches the school’s highest-need students, most of whom are severely autistic. In addition, he coaches Unified Sports teams in basketball and soccer, plus a Unified Robotics team, bringing together students with and without disabilities for league competitions.

He also launched and coaches a girls’ varsity flag football team and helps to advise the peer-to-peer Sources of Strength student mental health program.

His joy is bringing people together for opportunities that might not otherwise be available, Meerschaert said in an interview. When students of different backgrounds and abilities interact, that experience leads to understanding, connection and community.

Unified athletes not only come together in practices and games but in the school’s hallways and lunchroom, he said. “Being able to socialize and communicate and understand people who are different than yourself is one of those true life skills for all of our students.”

Everything he does is meant to spur growth and well-being in his students, and witnessing that change over time “fuels my fire and is kind of my passion here,” he added.

Having a special education teacher selected as Michigan Teacher of the Year is especially significant as severe shortages persist in classrooms across the state and nation, Superintendent Heidi Mercer said.

“The work that they do — not only during the school day but beyond, and not only with our students but with families — is incredible,” Mercer said. “There is such a shortage, and we need people like Erik. His passion, his dedication, his love for students is amazing.”

Meerschaert is admired by students throughout the school because they see his commitment in action every day, said Lake Orion Education Association President Lucy Logsdon, a math teacher at the high school.

“One example is in March every year, we have a Unified basketball game that’s played at a pep assembly and all the students watch it, and kids from the other school district come and cheer on their team,” Logsdon said. “It’s one of the most positive events that we have here.”

Positivity is the cornerstone of his teaching approach, Meerschaert said. He believes in celebrating all sorts of successes — large and small, inside and outside of the classroom.

“I’m a firm believer that the use of positivity can go a long way in helping motivate a student or an athlete to do things that they didn’t think were possible before.”

He looks forward to bringing that philosophy to his year-long tenure as Michigan Teacher of the Year, highlighting all of the wonderful work of special educators across the state that too often goes overlooked, he said.

As teacher of the year, Meerschaert will represent Michigan and sit as a non-voting member of the State Board of Education, acting as a liaison between educators and policymakers.

“It’s a hard job, but it is the most rewarding thing that anybody can do. It’s definitely one of the most rewarding things that I’ve done in my life.”