“Thinking about the teacher who inspired you… it will be your responsibility to be that teacher for a student you work with. You get to inspire future generations. You get to be the reason why Michigan students love learning.” That was Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s message to more than 400 aspiring educators attending the first-annual Educators […]
By Chandra Madafferi Certified school librarians across Michigan are doing amazing work to help increase literacy rates and spark a love of reading among students. As a state, we must work to ensure every student has access to a certified librarian in their school. Certified school librarians run vibrant programs that allow students to learn […]
In her 10-year teaching career in Livonia, MEA member Sara Williams has never been involved in politics. But Williams says she is stepping up now because “It feels like education is going in the right direction finally. We have educators on the education committee fighting for us.” Williams and other volunteers on the local union’s […]
Michigan’s dedicated public school educators prioritized the safety, health, well-being and success of their students when planning use of federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding. The funds, distributed district by district, include the largest amount allocated by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden in the American Rescue Plan to address learning […]
New gun safety laws in Michigan are among many key pieces of legislation which passed last year and take effect this week as students, faculty and staff at Michigan State University are set to mark one year since a lone gunman opened fire on campus, killing three and terrorizing thousands. All Feb. 13 classes were […]
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor In her nearly 14 years as president of the Clawson Education Association, Kelly Pearson has not bargained a better contract than the one she recently signed. Overwhelmingly approved by membership, the deal struck different responses between early-career and longer-term educators. “Overall, people were happy,” Pearson said of reactions during […]
Free universal preschool and community college, along with continued record funding for Michigan’s public schools, are at the heart of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s proposed 2024-25 education budget, which she announced Wednesday. Whitmer said her latest budget recommendation “builds on the historic investments we’ve made since I took office and delivers on the issues that make […]
By Chandra Madafferi More than ever, our kids need a running start at a high-quality public education and a boost as they graduate from high school to prepare for the competitive modern workforce. It starts in preschool, which provides the building blocks for student learning and development of essential social skills to last a lifetime. […]
Improved equity, safer roads, lower costs and higher quality. For these reasons and more, the push to return driver’s education to public schools took center stage at a press conference with Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson on Monday in Kearsley. Benson was joined by MEA President Chandra Madafferi, plus educators and students from the Flint-area […]
When Mattawan Middle School won a prestigious award last fall, it wasn’t for a new program or a single employee. The School of Distinction award bestowed on the west Michigan school recognized a building-wide team-based commitment to students built over two decades. This week Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II visited Mattawan Middle in Van Buren […]
