The State Board of Education approved a resolution on Tuesday calling on Michigan’s state and national lawmakers to push for legislation preserving “educational services to Michigan school children that have been threatened as a result of this pandemic.” The resolution – which MEA formally supported during meeting – comes as Congress begins to ramp up […]
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor Some MEA members – like the three featured below – are positioned at the crossroads of the current public health crisis, working both in education and health care. They offer a unique perspective on teaching, learning, and appreciation for front-line caregivers in the age of COVID-19. Patrick Lothrop – […]
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer joined NEA President Lily Eskelsen García on a webinar on Wednesday night where members of the nation’s largest union – our education association – were urged to press Congress to send money to states for public education needs. The global pandemic has wreaked havoc on state budgets across the country, Whitmer noted. […]
EAST LANSING – Otsego Public Schools food service workers on Monday provided their 100,000th meal to local families since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The West Michigan school district’s experience is indicative of other districts statewide that are continuing to serve meals to students in need. “We knew it was going to come at […]
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor As a self-described “Harry Potter nerd,” MEA member Ashley Calhoun has brought a bit of magic to her hometown of Homer, where she is now finishing her fourth year of teaching fourth grade. When the global COVID-19 pandemic forced school buildings in Michigan to close in March, Calhoun was […]
The safety, health and well-being of our public school employees, students and families has emerged as a critical concern during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mental health is paramount in the current climate, and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Michigan Virtual recently announced free mental health resources for students, families and educators. ‘Stay Home, Stay MIndful’ In April, […]
Students, parents, and educators are grappling with a global crisis, trying to stay safe, facing a new virtual reality and struggling to connect. Now more than ever, school communities across the nation need support and leadership. Instead, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is using this pandemic to, once again, push her failed privatization agenda to defund […]
EAST LANSING – The following can be attributed to MEA President Paula Herbart regarding MEA’s continued support of Gov. Whitmer’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis and the need for decisions going forward centered on public health protection: “As Michigan citizens continue to follow Stay Home, Stay Safe orders designed to flatten the curve of COVID-19 […]
EAST LANSING – The following can be attributed to MEA President Paula Herbart regarding today’s announcement by Gov. Whitmer of the short-term extension of the Stay Home, Stay Safe order through May 15: “By listening to public health experts first in making the tough decisions needed to slow the spread of COVID-19, Gov. Whitmer is […]
Michigan Education Association member Sarah VanderMeer says her heart aches from missing her developmental kindergartners from Brown Elementary School in Byron Center, so she checks in via FaceTime to see how they’re doing, setting up appointments through parents. VanderMeer taps every tool at her disposal to keep kids connected and engaged during online chats and virtual […]
