By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor At Parma Elementary School in Jackson County’s Western School District, students coming through Miss Dawn’s cafeteria line enjoy a generous serving of love along with their chicken nuggets, buttered corn and apple slices. “The kids absolutely love her because they know she cares,” said Principal Sue Haney. “She jokes with […]
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 […]
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 […]
EAST LANSING – At-risk students may be hardest hit by the disruption of schooling in the COVID-19 era, so an MEA unit of Kalamazoo behavior specialists has taken action to help them cope from a distance. The 14 members of the Kalamazoo Behavior Specialists Association (KBSA) came up with the idea to create Wellness Toolboxes for their students to […]
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor MEA member Eric Curtiss thought he had a high number of students in his English classes last year when his numbers topped out at 144. This year he has 168, although the number fluctuates. Last year he had five preps, the most in his 22-year career. Now he has […]
Chuck Waldroup signed up to be a bus mechanic seven years ago with Inland Lakes School District, but to his surprise a driver shortage placed him behind the wheel in a permanent second role. What was your reaction to unexpectedly becoming a bus driver? I thought it was going to be a nightmare with kids […]
Rolonda Gleason is a secretary at Ferris State University. The Alaska native knows what it’s like to work without a union, so now she’s a one-woman MEA welcoming committee. What work did you do before coming to FSU? I was a support-staff person at the University of Alaska and worked closely with the School of […]
