MEA member Owen Bondono may have been the keynote speaker at MEA’s Aspiring and Early Career Educator conference in March, but Michigan’s reigning top teacher began his speech by acknowledging he just as easily could have been an attendee. “I have now had the honor and privilege and terrifying responsibility of being Michigan Teacher of […]
MEA member Jaycob Yang will forever be part of a unique group—educators who began their first year of teaching in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. By December, he was burning out in his position teaching Utica sixth graders who chose to attend virtual school. “Especially in the first half of the year, it was […]
PETOSKEY — The North Central Michigan College Educational Support Professional Association (NCMC-ESP) today filed a second Unfair Labor Practice charge against NCMC for failing to bargain in good faith. The bargaining unit, composed of custodial, maintenance and office personnel, began its affiliation with the MEA following a successful union representation election in May 2018. Collective bargaining […]
In marking the one-year anniversary of Michigan’s first COVID-19 case, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer shared several stories last week about the inspiring work done by a variety of Michiganders during this pandemic. One person highlighted was MEA member and Warren Woods teacher Todd Bloch – the governor shared his experiences as an educator over the past […]
A new round of SCECH-eligible virtual book studies is now open for member signups! Brought to you by MEA’s Center for Leadership & Learning, these five-week online group discussions center on two important books to help educators improve their skills as advocates for social and racial justice for our students and our society: “White Fragility” […]
Michiganders can now begin registering for the COVID-19 vaccination clinic at Ford Field in Detroit. The community vaccination site is set to officially open on March 24, operating from 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., seven days a week, for eight weeks under the federal government’s vaccination pilot program. There are three options to register for […]
EAST LANSING — The following statement can be attributed to MEA President Paula Herbart marking the anniversary of the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Michigan: “As we mark this solemn anniversary, educators across Michigan first and foremost want to thank the medical professionals, first responders, scientists, public health officials and every other worker who […]
March 10, 2021 By Paula Herbart/President – Michigan Education Association In sports, teamwork is valued by coaches, players and fans because we are stronger working together than alone. The same is true in education. During the pandemic, a strong team bond has formed between educators, students and families. Working together like never before, that team […]
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor MEA member Ryan Ridenour has never known a teacher evaluation system other than the one used in Michigan since 2015. Still the world history and psychology teacher, in his sixth year at West Bloomfield, has found key problems with the state’s method for scoring, rating, and ranking educators. “I […]
By Justine Galbraith In the timeless movie “Almost Famous,” main character William Miller loses his temper. “Who am I to you?” he shouts. “WHO AM I TO YOU?” He is yelling at a groupie – er, Band-Aid – with whom he had just spent the night, who was now tossing him her laundry on his […]
