A new statewide Bill of Rights campaign aimed at improving the wages, benefits and working conditions of school support staff was rolled out recently at the annual MEA conference for Education Support Professionals (ESP). Modeled after similar campaigns launched in other states, including Maryland, Illinois and Massachusetts, the Michigan ESP Bill of Rights calls for [...]
Landen Robinson is a rising sophomore in the College of Education at Wayne State University, but he first fell in love with teaching in high school. Robinson spent two years in a Teacher Cadet program at Lakeview High School in St. Clair Shores, part of the district’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) offerings. “It was […]
August means new beginnings and the chance to reach and teach a new group of students. The start of a school year brings out a level of excitement in educators like no other time. That feeling is one of the greatest aspects of our shared profession – and it’s on us to make sure the […]
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor Like its name, the MiCAREER Resource Hub offers simplicity on the surface and complexity underneath. For current and prospective educators who want to teach or change roles to fill a vacancy in rural schools, it’s simple: The resource hub promises a personalized pathway to no-cost credentialing with individual supports […]
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor From many years of working with children, Elaine Hunt has figured out a lot. For example, she discovered early on that young people do better when parents and educators work together. “I believe that if you can build a relationship with the parents, then the relationship you have with […]
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor In June of 2021, MEA member Justin Harper and two co-founders formally launched a free program for youth in the Ypsilanti-Ann Arbor area, focusing on sports as a tool for teaching kids about health and nutrition along with problem-solving and leadership. Back then Harper was working as a 15-year […]
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor When high schooler Rebecca Cox realized she wanted to be an art teacher, she wondered if she had what it takes, so she signed up for the Education Careers program at the Lenawee Intermediate School District (LISD) Tech Center. “I knew I really liked the art part — I […]
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor MEA member Aric Foster got bitten by the teaching bug as a teenager working as a Taekwondo instructor. Specifically he recalls showing a skinny kid named Tyler a new kick, then watching him deploy it at a tournament to win an award. Foster remembers the confidence on Tyler’s face, […]
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor MEA member Sarah Le Febre realized last spring she didn’t know how many years she’d accumulated in her teaching career or what time counted toward retirement from her early experience as a long-term substitute or years of coaching soccer and cheerleading. “I had to call the 1-800 number to […]
Click to view online. In this issue: LETTER TO MEMBERS: Happy New Year NEWS & NOTES AEM/MiNE: The Future is Now / Educator Recruitment STRENGTH IN UNION: Support staff Bill of Rights unveiled ISSUES & ADVOCACY: Updates on shifting policy landscapes ISSUES & ADVOCACY: Federal voucher scheme passes AT THE CENTER: New MEA LearnCenter launches […]
