Blog

Aspiring Educators from Michigan Win National Award

The Aspiring Educators of Michigan (AEM)—MEA’s pre-professional wing made up of college and university student members—has taken home a national award of excellence. AEM leaders were honored with the 2021 NEA Aspiring Educators State Excellence Award at a newly redesigned ceremony in June that recognized the hard work of aspiring educators state programs across the […]

Above and Beyond: MEA Member Gary Cooper

MEA member Gary Cooper could have relaxed after retiring from a 30-year career as an autoworker at Ford Motor Co. Instead the 64-year-old former UAW shop steward took on a new full-time role as a community assistant at Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor. The support staff position requires him to wear “quite a few […]

Labor Voices: Money drives for-profit cyber school recruitment

As we approach the new school year, we’re still faced by challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic and the priority of keeping students, educators and communities safe.  With the right virus mitigation measures, Michigan has shown in-person school can be safe – and many families and educators are looking forward to the academic and social-emotional support […]

Education Policy

The blueprint calls on state leaders to implement higher base funding for all schools with additional dollars for districts with higher populations of students who are at-risk, English language learners, or attending special education and career-technical classes. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has pressed for those changes every year since her election. In July, she signed a […]

Why I Belong: Dr. David Jesuit

Dr. David Jesuit developed an interest in languages and cultures growing up the son of two bilingual education teachers in Chicago. As a young man, he was drawn to explore answers to big political questions – the very issues today driving debate and concern over the health of American democracy. “My dissertation focused on how […]

MEA stance on pandemic safety measures, including masking and vaccines

This week, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) released new guidance about layering protections for safer school operations during COVID-19.  They echo recent recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about in-person school this fall. As rising case levels show, this pandemic is not over. MEA continues to believe health […]

NEA Report: Student Debt Hinders Educators

NEA has released a first-of-its-kind report on the impact of a growing mountain of student loan debt among educators. The report, “Student Loan Debt Among Educators: A National Crisis,” found that no segment of educators is immune from the burden of student loan debt – not young educators, not older and more experienced educators, and […]