Following passage Wednesday night in the State House, the State Senate concurred with changes to Senate Bills 395 and 396 – the amended bills that address key changes to teacher evaluation now head to Gov. Whitmer for her approval. Under the bills, the following changes will take effect for the 2024-25 school year: Make teacher […]
Federal leaders must fix an antiquated exemption that prevents teachers from receiving overtime pay, writes MEA member Audra DeRidder, a special education and fifth-grade teacher in Iron Mountain Public Schools, in a recent essay for the National Employment Law Project. The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1935 (FLSA) is a landmark law that provides critical […]
Soon after teachers in Flint’s Beecher Community School District settled a strong contract, staff at the combined middle/high school enjoyed a visit by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on her back-to-school tour – joined by NEA President Becky Pringle and MEA President Chandra Madafferi. After a decade of financial struggle and stagnation, the Beecher Education Association’s new […]
By Chandra Madafferi Michigan educators and communities are doing amazing things with the billions of dollars our state has received in federal school rescue funds. While there’s still plenty of great work to be done, time is running out for school districts to put this one-time funding to good use. Our state received $5.6 billion […]
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin said she received her proudest endorsement when MEA announced its recommendation of the third-term 7th District congresswoman in her bid for the U.S. Senate in 2024. Educators are mission-oriented people, and she feels kinship, she said during a meet-and-greet event with MEA members on Saturday […]
MEA is pleased to announce the first annual conference and competition for middle and high school students interested in pursuing a career in education. If you work with students who are part of a club, elective course, or CTE program, reach out to get involved in Educators Rising: a program built just for them.
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor When MEA member Megan Ake changed school districts from Farmington to Fenton five years ago, the first teaching tasks she felt pressured to master involved massive classroom-practice checklists and student-growth data mandates in the state’s evolving educator evaluation system. Instead of learning her students’ names, delving into a new […]
The Lunch Bags help keep students ready to learn (uppermichiganssource.com) Traverse City Schools’ New Student Health Center – A Lifeline for Students (bnnbreaking.com) Remaining COVID-19 relief funds being eyed for new Jackson schools curriculum – mlive.com The Multiplier: Connecting to Community to Connect to Networks | Benton Institute for Broadband & Society VIDEO: MCC debuts […]
Gov. Whitmer has signed a bill making important changes to the post-retirement employment window and earnings limits for school retirees who choose to return to work. House Bill 4752 (now Public Act 147 of 2023), introduced by Rep. Matt Koleszar (D-Plymouth), shortens the waiting period for a retiree with a bona fide retirement to work […]
This Banned Books Week, be sure to check out MEA’s “Freedom to Read” series, which explores how educators across Michigan are fighting back against political extremists and working to protect students’ freedom to read. In the five-part series, MEA Voice Editor Brenda Ortega — a former reporter with the Los Angeles Times — examines growing […]
