By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor As a behavior specialist in Kalamazoo Public Schools, MEA member Tia Whitley describes her job as advocating for students’ academic success by providing them additional supports, resources and services. But what happens when school is closed? How can Whitley and other behavior specialists intervene meaningfully when they can’t see or physically […]
Lots of people say it in these unusual days of our lives, but for MEA member Amy Quiñones it’s literally true: She did not sign up for this. The job she’s doing in Rockford Public Schools—COVID Response paraprofessional—didn’t exist before this year. “I jokingly say that the brochure lied,” Quiñones said. “Never before has a […]
MEA member Jacob Oaster is a mid-career vocal music teacher who knows how to manage a teaching load of 150 sixth through twelfth graders split into five different choirs, but 2020 has taken him back to a less certain time in his career. “I’ve worked harder this year than I ever have,” Oaster said. “It doesn’t feel like […]
MEA member Karen Christian can recall a few moments of panic from her COVID-19 diagnosis in late September, starting with the shock of hearing a nurse on the phone saying the test was positive. That was on a Monday. The president of United Teachers of Flint, Christian thought she’d been battling a sinus infection—head congestion—since the previous Monday. […]
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor One of Karen Moore’s proudest accomplishments as Grand Blanc West High School secretary is the “zen room” she created a few years ago—outfitted with soft lights, gentle white noise, a lilac-scented diffuser, and coloring books, crayons, and puzzles. It’s a testament to her powers that she convinced the building principal to give […]
By Robyne Muray In a recent professional development that I attended in my district, the presenter discussed how our biases can distort our intentions and lead to inequity. I had a flashback of a time when I was an offender—when my unconscious bias directed my interaction with a student. Many educators have been facing up to similar uncomfortable truths this year amid […]
This week, MEA members gave and they received. They gave feedback to policymakers and the public in the form of survey answers sounding their alarm. And they received clarification from the state on information their school administrators must supply to make educators show up to an empty classroom for “remote” teaching. The week started with […]
By Paula Herbart When it comes to decisions on how to educate students, we must heed the voices of Michigan’s front-line educators. That’s been a steady refrain in my monthly columns – but it’s never been more critical than right now with lives on the line. This week, the Michigan Education Association released the results […]
Educators want to be part of the decision-making process, solution EAST LANSING – The Michigan Education Association today released a statewide online survey of more than 4,700 educators with findings related to COVID-19’s continued impact on public education. The survey found a vast majority of educators are concerned about a full return to in-person learning as cases […]
With all the focus on the election, it would have been easy to miss the advocacy work MEA has been doing to ensure schools are safe for students and employees alike, including helping members lift their voices with the media and public. Here are some of the latest, in case you missed them: – MEA […]
