Reaching and teaching amid coronavirus school closures By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor MEA member Sarah VanderMeer says her heart aches with missing her developmental kindergarteners from Brown Elementary School in Byron Center, so she checks in via FaceTime to see how they’re doing, setting up appointments through parents. Recently she spent half an hour…
You can listen now as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and members of her education policy staff join MEA, AFT Michigan, and AFSCME for a Teletown Hall following her Thursday announcement that schools will remain closed for the rest of this school year. Whitmer told thousands of union members assembled on the call: “I know this is hard,…
Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed Executive Order 2020-35 earlier today, which orders all K-12 school buildings to close for the remainder of the school year — unless restrictions are lifted — and ensures at-home learning will be provided to students, families in need will still be provided meals, and all school employees will continued to receive…
EAST LANSING – The following can be attributed to MEA President Paula Herbart regarding Gov. Whitmer’s executive order suspending in-person school operations for the rest of the school year (or until schools are deemed safe to reopen): “The Michigan Education Association supports Gov. Whitmer’s executive order to close in-person public school operations to help slow…
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor If schools remain closed for the rest of the year, educators at the local level should decide what learning opportunities are most important to provide for their students and how best to deliver them, says MEA President Paula Herbart. The union has been advocating for local control of local…
With the ongoing crisis, it’s more important than ever to participate in the ongoing, once-a-decade United States Census. Today, April 1, is Census Day! Do your part by completing your Census form and encouraging others to do the same! Millions in federal funding for education programs depend on getting a complete count of Michigan residents…
Advocacy continues to ensure all school employees are paid, all students are educated “MEA wants to thank the many school districts that have done the right thing and continued paying all school employees during this closure,” said MEA President Paula Herbart today, as the COVID-19 school closures approach the two-week mark. “From teachers to hourly…
When MEA member Lisa Weise first volunteered to coach a robotics team at Holt High School, she knew little about building a robot but was game for a challenge. Now just five years later, her experience and connections are helping to combat the coronavirus outbreak in Michigan. A biology teacher and 2004 Michigan Science Teacher…
More on Stay Home, Stay Safe order; NEA story on Alpena “Meals on Wheels” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and State Supt. Michael Rice joined MEA President Paula Herbart and other state education leaders in a teletownhall Monday to address questions surrounding statewide school closures. If you missed the call, you can listen to a recording now.…
You can listen to the recording of Monday’s telephone townhall for MEA, AFT Michigan and AFSCME members with Gov. Whitmer and State Supt. Rice here.
