The blueprint calls on state leaders to implement higher base funding for all schools with additional dollars for districts with higher populations of students who are at-risk, English language learners, or attending special education and career-technical classes. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has pressed for those changes every year since her election. In July, she signed a […]
Dr. David Jesuit developed an interest in languages and cultures growing up the son of two bilingual education teachers in Chicago. As a young man, he was drawn to explore answers to big political questions – the very issues today driving debate and concern over the health of American democracy. “My dissertation focused on how […]
This week, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) released new guidance about layering protections for safer school operations during COVID-19. They echo recent recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about in-person school this fall. As rising case levels show, this pandemic is not over. MEA continues to believe health […]
Last summer, amid a global pandemic, racial unrest and a divisive national election, MEA member Travis Neller wanted to give young people a chance to join the dialogue surrounding tough issues facing the country – so he took action. A prevention specialist at the regional educational services agency in Eaton County – Eaton RESA – […]
NEA has released a first-of-its-kind report on the impact of a growing mountain of student loan debt among educators. The report, “Student Loan Debt Among Educators: A National Crisis,” found that no segment of educators is immune from the burden of student loan debt – not young educators, not older and more experienced educators, and […]
With educator shortages crippling the state’s K–12 workforce and impacting learning opportunities for students, Launch Michigan today released the findings of a statewide survey of more than 5,000 public school teachers and other professionals. The findings shed light on many of the reasons why Michigan educators are leaving the profession. Launch Michigan, a partnership of business, […]
On Tuesday in Kentwood, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed the 2021-22 K-12 education budget, which invests a record $17.1 billion in schools and equalizes the state’s foundation grant funding for districts at $8,700 per pupil. MEA President Paula Herbart joined Whitmer at the press conference announcing the signing. See her remarks in this WLNS news coverage […]
The solution to the severe shortage of educators in Michigan is as familiar as Aretha Franklin’s anthem: R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Educators deserve not only words of respect for the job they do, but actions to prove that respect is real. Through our Michigan Educator Project, MEA has asked teachers and other school employees what is driving decisions […]
Like many teachers in Michigan and across the country, I have followed recent news coverage of the alarming educator shortage from the perspective of an insider pushing through the hardest year of my career. However, I also occupy a unique perch from which to view the dire scene unfolding in the realms of educator recruitment […]
