Member Voices By Jaime Churches, Grosse Ile EA member My name is Jaime Churches, and I’m a fifth-grade teacher on Gross Ile. I’m running for a state House seat representing Downriver Wayne County and hopeful for the privilege to continue serving my students and their families every day – but now from the Capitol instead […]
After nearly three years of a pandemic, school closures, virtual learning, severe educator shortages and a student mental health crisis, it should surprise no one that test scores are down. The National Assessment of Education Progress scores, released last week, show a decline in math and reading scores across almost every demographic. While standardized test […]
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor As a sign language interpreter, MEA member Heather Dew was taught to think of herself as the unseen part of a communication triangle: A speaks to B and B speaks to A, while she serves as “the invisible C” facilitating the exchange. Dew brought that same sensibility to her […]
The stark contrast between Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and her opponent, Betsy DeVos-funded Tudor Dixon, took center stage at their final debate this week when Dixon pushed harder on banning books than weapons in schools. “Do you really think books are more dangerous than guns?” Whitmer retorted when Dixon tried to claim – in direct opposition [...]
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced today that applications for $10,000 scholarships for up to 2,500 future Michigan educators and $9,600 payments for student teachers will open on Monday, Oct. 31. The innovative programs, included in the state education budget signed by Whitmer in July, aim to lower the cost of higher education so the state can […]
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Tuesday signed bipartisan legislation to deliver $250 million to ease the financial burden on young Michiganders pursuing higher education. The bill creates the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, which will lower tuition costs by up to $5,500 per year for college and occupational training students, reducing the need to take out excessive loans. […]
MEA President Paula Herbart used a column in Bridge Michigan to further urge educators to take advantage of temporary rule changes to the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program before the waiver expires on Oct. 31. “Michigan educators are often saddled with tens of thousands or more in student debt, leaving many of them […]
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor Education policies pursued for the past two decades in Michigan have ignored the needs of rural school districts, which has reduced opportunities for students and stymied community development in areas facing serious economic hardship, a new study has found. School reforms favored by policymakers over the past 20 years […]
The American Rescue Plan (ARP), touted by President Biden as “gamechanger,” delivered vital funding to Michigan’s public schools in the wake of the pandemic. Prior to the pandemic in 2019, the federal government provided $1.7 billion in support to Michigan’s education budget. By 2021, that number swelled to $7.9 billion with the support of Democrats […]
Michigan schools are facing significant challenges that require all of us to come together and work as a team for the betterment of our children — yet some political extremists are dead set on fanning the flames of their culture war and using our kids as their political pawns. This small-but-vocal minority’s latest target in […]
