Federal COVID funding approved by Legislature – with many strings attached

Update 3/9 – On Tuesday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed HB 4048 releasing federal COVID relief funding for schools as laid out below, but announced she was vetoing HB 4049 – the bill limiting gubernatorial epidemic powers around school closure and athletics which the Republican Legislature tied to the release of $840 million in those federal funds.  The administration has asked […]

Education students seek changes in teacher prep program

EAST LANSING — Members of MEA’s aspiring educators program, Aspiring Educators of Michigan (AEM), have begun an effort to enact changes in the Teacher Preparation Program in the College of Education at Michigan State University. AEM members who are education students at MSU have created the group “Empowering Spartan Educators,” and are working to create […]

Get Ready to Read Across America

Virtual or in-person, it’s time to celebrate NEA’s Read Across America on March 2. Books and stories provide points of access for understanding other people’s lives, to walk in someone else’s shoes—or to try on a different hat! In NEA’s digital Read Across America calendar, the theme for March is “Cultivate Compassion” and features Tiara’s […]

Call to Action: Evaluation Bills Need to Move

Some long-awaited proposed changes to the state’s educator evaluation system have been introduced in the Michigan Legislature. Now action is needed to push lawmakers to move the bills. One pressing issue for educators – the percentage of student growth included in teacher evaluations – has two GOP-sponsored measures awaiting action. That student growth requirement is […]

Whitmer Urges Release of Federal Funds—ADD YOUR VOICE! 

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called out GOP leaders in the state House and Senate today for withholding federal COVID relief money approved by Congress last December, which included $1.7 billion for the state’s schools to address safety concerns amid the pandemic. More than 95% of schools in the state have announced plans for some level of […]