Blog
Educators testify in support of bills restoring school employees’ workplace rights
UPDATE: The House Labor Committee passed House Bills 4354-4357 on Thursday, May 25. The legislation will now proceed to the full House for consideration, likely in June. In the early hours of Thursday morning, over a dozen MEA members from across the state made the drive to Lansing to make their voices heard in the […]
MEA helps members get millions in loan debt forgiven
It was April 1 of this year when MEA member Stacey Daniels received an email that said $50,000 of her student loan debt had been forgiven. The Flushing teacher was among hundreds of members who utilized MEA assistance in applying for a temporary waiver last year that relaxed some qualifying rules for the federal Public […]
MEA members forge family partnerships, help improve literacy in rural communities
CHARLEVOIX, Mich. — What started as a pilot program to engage families and communities in reading has created new bonds among students, parents and educators in rural communities across Northern Michigan. Through the Family Literacy Projects, MEA members identified families in rural areas with higher rates of poverty to encourage students to read, and parents […]
Unions join together to lobby for return of collective bargaining rights: ‘This is the way we can make change for our students’
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor Five years ago when Nadia Rodriguez took a teaching job in Flint Community Schools, she knew world-changing history – the Flint Sit-Down Strike of 1937 – had played out on hallowed ground across the street from her K-3 Montessori classroom at Durant Tuuri Mott Elementary. A Flint native who […]
Take action to thank educators this Teacher Appreciation Week
The vast majority of people support their local schools and the essential work performed by educators to help students learn and grow, but you might not get that perception when you turn on cable news or browse social media. With Teacher Appreciation Week next week, there’s no better time for everyday citizens to voice the […]
Legislative budget proposals continue to rebuild education funding from pre-school to post-secondary
Earlier this year, Gov. Whitmer proposed a $20.6 billion plan for the state education budget for the coming year. This week, the State House and Senate put forward their own proposals for funding Michigan schools, with the House recommending a $19.6 billion plan and the Senate at $20.76 billion. Wherever they end up, public schools […]
COVID relief funds used to support students, educators
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic rippled out into nearly every aspect of our lives, and public education was no exception. Michigan’s students and educators have faced unprecedented challenges in the aftermath of extended periods of remote learning and emotional trauma inflicted by a worldwide pandemic. To help alleviate the impact and ensure our neighborhood […]
AEM Elects Leaders for 2023-2024
Each year in connection with the MEA Conference for Aspiring and Early Career Educators, Aspiring Educators of Michigan (AEM) members are invited to vote for state leaders who will serve as the AEM Board of Directors. This year, we are pleased to announce our members have elected Abriana White as President and Aryana Jharia as […]