Blog
Reading, Writing, Literacy Leaders Raise Alarm over Book Bans
Part 4 of our 5-part “Freedom to Read” series By Brenda Ortega, MEA Voice Editor Michigan Education Association MEA member Troy Hicks has always been aware of the dangers of censorship as a professor of English and education at Central Michigan University. But he remembers when his thoughts grew into concerns this year. A troubling […]
Regarding the latest school shooting and taking a stand for student and educator safety
Dear MEA Family, There aren’t words to convey adequate emotions – heartbreak, rage, fear, frustration – after yesterday’s senseless shooting deaths of 19 children and 2 teachers in a Texas elementary school. After what happened just six months ago in Oxford, yesterday’s events are resurfacing many of the same feelings for all of us […]
Book challenges show need for policies to ‘uphold a constitutional promise’
Part 3 of our 5-part “Freedom to Read” series By Brenda Ortega, MEA Voice Editor Michigan Education Association MEA member Christine Beachler has felt especially valued this year in Lowell Area Schools, east of Grand Rapids, where her expertise and well-established library policies and procedures have served as a bulwark against a sudden burst of […]
MEA supports Gov. Whitmer’s proposal to help students get back on track
EAST LANSING — The Michigan Education Association announced its support Monday for Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s “MI Kids Back on Track” proposal, which would invest $280 million in surplus state revenues in helping Michigan students get back on a path to success following the pandemic. “Many Michigan students fell behind during the pandemic — particularly those […]
Turmoil Over Book Bans Affects Educators: ‘This is the hill I’m willing to die on’
Part 2 of our 5-part “Freedom to Read” series By Brenda Ortega, MEA Voice Editor Michigan Education Association MEA member Elizabeth Gates has had to organize against efforts to ban books in Greenville Public Schools, a rural district 30 miles northeast of Grand Rapids where she serves as an instructional coach and local union […]
Federal funding providing critical tutoring support for students
Providing additional academic support for students recovering from the pandemic has become a key use of federal school rescue funds in local districts across Michigan. Many school leaders are spending these resources on tutoring for students who struggled to adjust to learning from home and are now working to catch up. More than 200 school […]
Educators and Parents Battle Book Bans: ‘That is not who we are, and our children deserve better’
Part 1 of our 5-part “Freedom to Read” series By Brenda Ortega, MEA Voice Editor Michigan Education Association Four years after wrapping up a distinguished teaching career, MEA-Retired member Gayle Martin stepped up to the podium to speak at a recent school board meeting in Rochester, where she has lived and taught for more than [...]