COVID-19 Teletownhall with Whitmer and Rice
You can listen to the recording of Monday’s telephone townhall for MEA, AFT Michigan and AFSCME members with Gov. Whitmer and State Supt. Rice here.
Author: Miriam Garcia
Clarity on Instructional Time News from Friday
There was a flurry of news activity on Friday surrounding the online learning districts are pushing to deliver for students and how the state was going to count that toward requirements for student contact time this school year. The short version: There’s a lot that the state doesn’t know yet that we need to figure […]
MEA open for business, but all offices closed effective Monday
Effective at the close of business today (Friday, March 20), all MEA offices statewide will be physically closed until further notice. Most MEA staff have already been working remotely, but we’re taking this extra step out caution for everyone’s health and safety during this crisis. We remain committed to being there for our members, their […]
MEA Economist Starting New Life as Educator
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor Ask MEA Economist Ruth Beier about her youth, and you might get a wry joke with a deadpan delivery: “I describe my childhood as Lord of the Flies in the suburbs. It was a pack of kids and some Cap’n Crunch.” Truth is – she’s not kidding. On the […]
State Officials Call for Nationwide Testing Waiver
Schools nationwide should be freed from mandates to administer state standardized assessments this spring in the wake of widespread school closures across the nation, Michigan education officials said in a letter to U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. Students will need a focus on social-emotional connection and academic instruction to return to normalcy after the long absence […]
Herbart and MEA Share Parent Resources
With parents across the state facing many challenges over the coming weeks, MEA President Paula Herbart offers resources for weathering the crisis in her latest “Labor Voices” column in The Detroit News. “As jarring as this is for us as adults, we also must remember that this situation can be even scarier for a 10-year-old,” Herbart […]
Despite bipartisan support, legislation stalled on school employee pay and forgiveness for closure days
Michigan lawmakers adjourned last night without taking action to ensure all school employees get paid during this statewide school closure caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, despite bipartisan support and joint appeals from varied education organizations and educators across the state. Leaders from both the labor and management sides of the education community had worked together […]
Opinion: In trying times, put students’ needs first
March 18, 2020 By PAULA HERBART/President – Michigan Education Association With the closure of schools due to the coronavirus outbreak, parents are faced with many challenges over the coming weeks. While I can’t hope to solve all of them, I can provide my expertise as an educator to help weather this crisis and provide advice […]
Resources for Student Learning During Coronavirus School Closures
Nothing can replace the face-to-face education that our public schools provide, but parents and educators who are looking for ways to keep school-age children engaged and learning during this unexpected break from school can find ideas and resources online. Of course, one problem with online learning is the digital divide that exists across the country […]
Education Organizations Blast Inaction on COVID-19 School Support
Despite bipartisan support, legislation stalled on school employee pay and forgiveness for closure days MICHIGAN — No action occurred today on a bipartisan solution to keep school employees paid and forgive school districts for the days of education missed due to the ongoing school closures caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. The Michigan Education Association, AFT Michigan, […]