September 18, 2019 By PAULA HERBART/President – Michigan Education Association We often hear politicians say, “It’s about the kids,” and, “The students of today are the leaders of tomorrow.” If they truly believe that, they need to craft a state education budget that recognizes a simple fact: Not all students are the same. Unfortunately, the Republican education […]
A pension is a promise of a secure retirement. But too often in Lansing, they’re viewed as piggy banks to be broken into for political purposes. As a young educator, I remember then-Gov. John Engler diverting state payments from the Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System to fund other priorities — which accelerated us down a […]
July 17, 2019 By PAULA HERBART/President – Michigan Education Association In late 2016, the Detroit News ran a story under the headline, “State says literacy not a right in Detroit.” Think about that. That story was part of a long running legal battle launched by seven Detroit school students who claimed that decades of disinvestment […]
June 19, 2019 By PAULA HERBART/President – Michigan Education Association Unions learned an important lesson decades ago: collective action gets results. Tuesday, educators from the Michigan Education Association and American Federation of Teachers Michigan — along with parents, students, and other public education supporters — descended on the Capitol to urge legislators to “Value Students, Respect […]
By PAULA HERBART/President – Michigan Education Association For many, education is a calling — but that doesn’t mean a career in education should come with a vow of poverty. That’s the case for too many educators who are struggling with low and declining pay, according to recently released national figures. Studies have shown – and […]
April 17, 2019 By PAULA HERBART/President – Michigan Education Association For some time, Michigan educators have been ringing the alarm bell about our broken evaluation system. It’s time for policymakers to listen. A recent survey of nearly 17,000 educators by Launch Michigan — a coalition of education, labor, business and philanthropic organizations — found only […]
“We don’t have to wait any longer. We know what we’re doing isn’t working.” That’s a quote from David Arsen, MSU education policy professor and lead author of a new report on education funding in Michigan. This research drives the point home: “Michigan schools face nation’s worst decline in state education funding,” read the headline […]
January 16, 2019 By PAULA HERBART/President – Michigan Education Association As a legislator, Gretchen Whitmer understood both the challenges facing public schools and the solutions needed to fix them. Now, as governor, she now has the power to pursue those solutions. Refreshingly, Whitmer understands that improving our schools and raising student achievement requires input from […]
