In my school building, I often stop to admire a picturesque mural of a black ship in a blue ocean and to recall the wise words of President Franklin D. Roosevelt: “Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors.” In difficult times, it’s important to remember that we grow into leadership roles. As educators, our ability […]
With the Michigan Capitol as backdrop, standing less than 10 miles from the site of a deadly mass shooting at Michigan State University one week ago, advocates pressed state lawmakers to enact legislation to end the epidemic of gun violence that strikes fear in schools and communities. MEA President Paula Herbart noted that sadly, it’s […]
The tragic murder of three MSU students during Monday night’s shootings on campus not only impacts the MSU/East Lansing community, but also the school districts where these three young people recently graduated. Alexandria Verner graduated in 2020 from Clawson High School, where her mother is a teacher and longtime MEA member and her father serves […]
EAST LANSING — Educators everywhere are reeling this morning after yet another tragic school shooting, this time on the campus of Michigan State University. “Our hearts go out to the victims’ loved ones, as well as to the students, faculty and staff at MSU – many of whom are MEA administrative professional members and aspiring […]
In the wake of gun violence erupting at Michigan State University, with news of student casualties just 15 months after the devastating Oxford school shooting, MEA members across the state are again faced with difficult conversations among students and family members while navigating their own grief. Many educators are understandably reeling from sadness, anger and […]
Click to view online. In this issue: Letter to Members: Good changes afoot MY VIEW- Year’s Resolution 2023: Know Thyself DeVos-backed voucher scheme petitions withdrawn From Classrooms to Committee Chairs: Educators in Position to Shape Education Agenda Key MEA Legislative Priorities for 2023 Key MEA Legislative Priorities for 2023: Student Academic Support Key MEA Legislative […]
From school safety and student mental health to curriculum flexibility and overhauling how public education is paid for in Michigan, there is a long list of pro-education policies that the Legislature and Gov. Whitmer need to address over the long term. MEA’s legislative agenda for the coming years is set by the MEA Legislation Commission, […]
In a bipartisan vote, the state Senate voted this week to eliminate the retention requirement from Michigan’s “Read by Grade Three law.” The bill now goes before the state House. Introduced by Sen. Dayna Polehanki, D-Livonia, Senate Bill 12 would no longer require schools to hold back third-graders if they underperform on the M-STEP exam. […]
By now we’ve all heard much conversation about what it means that voters in the last election handed Democrats control of the Michigan Legislature with a Democratic governor at the helm for the first time in 40 years. Less has been written about another result that has never happened before: Educators now chair the most […]
Yesterday, Gov. Whitmer proposed a $20.9 billion education budget for the coming year — continuing a string of historic funding increases that, if enacted by the Legislature, would total a 22% increase since she took office four years ago. This long-needed funding sets up students, educators and schools for success in the long term. Note […]
