More than 4,500 students from across Michigan gathered in Howell last week for two days of hands-on experience with tools, materials and heavy equipment as part of the 16th annual Michigan Construction Career Days event. The event, hosted at Operating Engineers Local 324’s training center in Howell, showcased to students from grades 7-12 the diverse […]
Surrounded by over 1,600 students, family members, colleagues, and supporters, Rochester High School teacher Kelley Cusmano was presented with Michigan’s Teacher of the Year award for 2024 by State Superintendent Dr. Michael Rice. Cusmano, a veteran teacher of 19 years, is an English teacher, MEA member and the student council adviser at Rochester High School. […]
By MEA President Chandra Madafferi Federal school rescue funds provided by the Biden administration to help Michigan students recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic will run out later this year, and it’s critical that our leaders identify revenue streams to maintain the progress our schools have been making. Michigan received a total of […]
With the introduction of the House and Senate School Aid Fund budget proposals – in addition to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s executive budget recommendations earlier this year – the state budget process for the 2024-25 school year is now in full swing. Over the next few weeks, MEA will be closely engaged with stakeholders in budget […]
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor MEA member Kevin Fannin doesn’t need accolades to know he’s doing incredible work with young people at Milwood Magnet School in Kalamazoo—the looks on kids’ faces when they see him, the smiles, the hugs, the high fives, hand shakes and fist bumps say it all. But as a longtime […]
Traverse City Area Public Schools educators recently tapped into federal American Rescue Plan Relief funds to launch the TCAPS Student Health Center, a medical and behavioral health services clinic serving local students and their families. Through the health clinic, students ages 3-21 can access critical medical and mental health services at West Middle School through […]
Nearly 400 MEA members gathered in East Lansing for the 2024 Representative Assembly (RA) last weekend, passing the 2024-25 MEA budget, electing members to MEA and NEA boards and approving items and resolutions on human rights, artificial intelligence and gun safety, among other business. Delegates to MEA’s largest governing body heard from MEA President Chandra […]
In Wyoming Public Schools, union leaders and district officials found a way to spend federal COVID-relief dollars that altogether honors the expertise of local educators, promises dynamic instruction for students, and offers a foothold in the profession to early career educators for years to come. The Kent County district used a portion of its federal […]
After months of uncertainty, Flint educators and Flint Community Schools approved a settlement agreement this week that respects the professionalism of Flint teachers and will help attract and retain the quality educators that Flint students need to succeed. “This landmark agreement, reached after nearly 15 hours of collaborative, honest and constructive dialogue, reflects our shared […]
In the best of times, Michigan’s rural public-school districts face major hurdles in accessing reliable internet service to provide instructional technology that helps students succeed in remote parts of the state. This is particularly true in the Eastern Upper Peninsula Intermediate School District (EUPISD), where educators realized early on during the COVID-19 pandemic that a […]
