August means new beginnings and the chance to reach and teach a new group of students. The start of a school year brings out a level of excitement in educators like no other time. That feeling is one of the greatest aspects of our shared profession – and it’s on us to make sure the […]
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor Like its name, the MiCAREER Resource Hub offers simplicity on the surface and complexity underneath. For current and prospective educators who want to teach or change roles to fill a vacancy in rural schools, it’s simple: The resource hub promises a personalized pathway to no-cost credentialing with individual supports […]
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor From many years of working with children, Elaine Hunt has figured out a lot. For example, she discovered early on that young people do better when parents and educators work together. “I believe that if you can build a relationship with the parents, then the relationship you have with […]
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor In June of 2021, MEA member Justin Harper and two co-founders formally launched a free program for youth in the Ypsilanti-Ann Arbor area, focusing on sports as a tool for teaching kids about health and nutrition along with problem-solving and leadership. Back then Harper was working as a 15-year […]
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor When high schooler Rebecca Cox realized she wanted to be an art teacher, she wondered if she had what it takes, so she signed up for the Education Careers program at the Lenawee Intermediate School District (LISD) Tech Center. “I knew I really liked the art part — I […]
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor MEA member Aric Foster got bitten by the teaching bug as a teenager working as a Taekwondo instructor. Specifically he recalls showing a skinny kid named Tyler a new kick, then watching him deploy it at a tournament to win an award. Foster remembers the confidence on Tyler’s face, […]
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor MEA member Sarah Le Febre realized last spring she didn’t know how many years she’d accumulated in her teaching career or what time counted toward retirement from her early experience as a long-term substitute or years of coaching soccer and cheerleading. “I had to call the 1-800 number to […]
Click to view online. In this issue: LETTER TO MEMBERS: Happy New Year NEWS & NOTES AEM/MiNE: The Future is Now / Educator Recruitment STRENGTH IN UNION: Support staff Bill of Rights unveiled ISSUES & ADVOCACY: Updates on shifting policy landscapes ISSUES & ADVOCACY: Federal voucher scheme passes AT THE CENTER: New MEA LearnCenter launches […]
By Chandra Madafferi, MEA President & CEO It’s back-to-school season, and in towns and cities across Michigan, parents and educators are gearing up for a new school year. Whether it’s the buzz of a Friday night football game, the excitement of a school play, or the familiar faces in the school pick-up line, our hometown […]
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor The nation’s first federal school voucher scheme was tucked inside the tax cuts and spending plan that Republicans in Congress passed and President Donald Trump signed into law on July 4. Last-minute changes require states to opt-in to participation — which adds even more significance to 2026 mid-term elections […]
