EAST LANSING – U.S. Navy seaman Auvergne Breault was just 20 when he was struck by a giant mortar that knocked him off his boat, leading to his drowning death, during the June 6, 1944, allied forces invasion of Normandy, France, known as D-Day. Thanks to Rochester social studies teacher and MEA member Matt Cottone […]
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor The self-portrait in colored-pencil that MEA member Amber Thompson entered into this year’s 60th Annual MEA-MAEA Art Purchase Exhibition had very special meaning to her, but she didn’t expect it to win Best in Show. News that her piece, “Grow Where Planted,” was selected for the exhibition’s top prize […]
As Michigan’s budget process enters the final stretch, lawmakers must maintain our state’s momentum by passing an education budget that prioritizes increasing educator compensation so we can provide every student with trained, qualified and caring school employees. Thanks to the bipartisan support from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Legislature, Michigan has passed record levels of […]
EAST LANSING — The Michigan Education Association announced the recipients of the 2024 MEA Scholarships on Tuesday, honoring exemplary public school students from across the state who will attend a Michigan public university this fall. Among the 357 applications submitted for scholarship awards this year, the MEA Scholarship Fund trustees chose 26 new awardees, who […]
When Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding became available in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Portage Public Schools educators embraced the opportunity to bolster student interest in the wonders of flight, science and technology. The Portage educators planned to apply the federal funding, made possible by President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, toward […]
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor A few years into his role as president of the Farmington Education Association (FEA), Chris DeYonke was marking member information in a spreadsheet when he stumbled across a finding: New hires who joined the union remained in the district more often than those who didn’t join. DeYonke gathered all […]
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 […]
