Blog
Lawmakers must restore educators’ voice in the workplace
During a sustained political assault on the education profession a decade ago, educators had many rights stripped away that provided a critical voice in their classrooms and workplaces. Soon, state lawmakers may restore these essential bargaining and job security rights to help stabilize the education workforce and improve the quality of education our kids receive. […]
MEA Elections Information
Paula Herbart Candidate for President Bio MEA President Herbart took office in 2017. A music teacher from Macomb County, Herbart served as local president, 6-E coordinating council chair and president of MEA/NEA Local 1 and was on the MEA and NEA Board of Directors. She has served as Vice-President/Mid-West Region on the National Council of […]
MEA Voice Magazine – April 2023 Issue
Click to view online. In this issue: Letter to Members: We are champions Member art teacher in Livonia wins top prize in MEA/MAEA Art Exhibition The Future is Now: The Sometimes Forgotten Benefit My View: Dear Past, Present and Future Educators In the wake of MSU shooting, loss, grief, anger and activism Small district, big […]
After threats and abuse, Rochester band teacher rebuts school board trustee’s claims
When MEA member Amy Rever-Oberle experienced a mishap on a field trip with 150 sixth-grade band students and 30 adult chaperones from Rochester Community Schools, she handled it, got everyone back to school early, and let administration know what happened. Over the next few days, the principal responded to a few parent questions, and life […]
Northern MI grant project engages students, families, educators in deeper history
By Glen Young Educators in northern Michigan are utilizing a national grant award to help develop curriculum to address topics of social justice and strengthen reading in local schools. “Building A More Perfect Union” funding is supporting 38 groups nationally in anticipation of the upcoming 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, according […]
Letter to Members: We are champions
If you’ve been keeping up with developments at the state Capitol since January, you know some good things are happening and more is in the works. Democratic leaders in both chambers passed a rollback of the state’s unfair retirement tax, which Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed along with an expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit […]
MEA bargaining tools arm local teams with powerful narratives
As local bargaining teams head to negotiating tables this spring, MEA has new data showing in many places educator compensation has not kept pace with school funding increases, information which could be used to justify significant pay increases. Statewide trends show all school employees’ compensation as a share of total school district expenditures has fallen […]
Anatomy of a Crisis: How one MEA bargaining unit built strength to win
THE STORY One year ago, a group of Oakland County teachers began negotiating a new contract. They had been underpaid for a long time. Their bargaining unit was not tightly organized. They had little union infrastructure or member involvement. Few members even knew what the contract said. Yet today those educators boast major contract wins […]
Small district, big battle: Educators and community in southwest Michigan town push back against extreme school board
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor Things weren’t going according to plan at a recent meeting of the board of Brandywine Community Schools in Niles, where community opposition is growing as a new board majority has begun to enact an extreme political agenda targeting library books and teaching materials. Missing two of its seven members, […]