Renew your teaching certificate before it expires
Before you head off to summer break, check out these helpful tips to ensure you are on track to renew your teaching certificate before it expires.
Author: Miriam Garcia
Parents and educators push back against unwarranted attacks
As a parent in Livingston County’s Hartland Consolidated Schools, Laura Moore publicly addressed the school board in February to say that a small group of vocal people who have been lobbing insults and criticism at every board meeting for months do not speak for everyone. “I addressed the board as a parent of three students […]
Labor Voices: State leaders must support young educators for the sake of our kids
A lot has changed with teaching in the three decades since I began as a student teacher in Oak Park Schools — much of it to the detriment of Michigan children, educators and families. If policymakers don’t take immediate action to support aspiring and early career educators, Michigan students will face irreparable harm. I remember […]
Educators have a powerful, trusted voice — so let’s use it!
Despite what some far-right politicians and cable news talking heads might want you to believe, the public trusts educators more than just about anyone else — and that’s why educators should stand up and make their voices heard. According to Gallup’s annual Honesty and Ethics of Professions survey, educators rank No. 3 on the list […]
MEA Voice Magazine – April 2022 Issue
Click to view online. In this issue: Letter to Members: For MI Kids and Educators Above and Beyond: Huron Valley Teacher Wins Humanities Prize The Future is Now: Aspiring Educators Run Inspiring Statewide Project Our Strength Can Re-elect Gretchen Whitmer MEA Survey Points to Educator Concerns Educator-to-be: ‘We need minority teachers’ Educator appeals: ‘Let us […]
Member Spotlight: Julie Tolfree
Every school should have a Julie Tolfree, a veteran teacher-turned-behavior-specialist who supports both students and staff at Bridgeport-Spaulding Middle School in Saginaw, her colleagues say. Tolfree extends a safe space to talk, help with physical needs – food or clothing, for example – and time to regroup from a difficult moment. She operates whole-school systems […]
Bargainers Report Contract Successes: ‘This is basic economics’
MEA member Joe Ligaj has a blunt message for school administrators and state-level policymakers concerned about educator shortages: If you pay them, they will come. “This is just basic economics—Econ 101,” the president of the Lincoln Park Education Association (LPEA) said. “There’s a labor shortage, and the way to address that is through the contract: […]
What is a certified school librarian, and what do they do?
School librarians, also called library media specialists in Michigan, are teachers who hold a Michigan Teaching certificate with the Library Media endorsement. They typically have a Masters in Library and Information Science and are uniquely qualified to carry out five roles: Teacher – delivers instruction on reading, accessing resources, information/media literacy, digital citizenship, and technology […]
MEA Member Librarians Concerned About Decimated Profession
When MEA member Kathy Lester reads the latest news headlines, she sees problems where librarians should be. From students’ low reading performance on standardized tests, to community conflicts over what books should be allowed in school, and burned-out educators talking of leaving the profession – librarians can play a vital role in helping to address […]
We Must Advocate and We are Not Alone
Amid critical educator shortages, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is focused on delivering support and resources in her proposed education budget for next fiscal year with plans to use ongoing state revenue increases to shore up public schools as they respond to ongoing effects of the pandemic. In contrast, Republican leaders in the House and Senate issued […]