By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor Ask MEA Economist Ruth Beier about her youth, and you might get a wry joke with a deadpan delivery: “I describe my childhood as Lord of the Flies in the suburbs. It was a pack of kids and some Cap’n Crunch.” Truth is—she’s not kidding. On the precipice of […]
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer got a close-up look at the work of a literacy specialist when she job shadowed MEA member Kristyn Cubitt at Troy’s Wass Elementary School in March. Whitmer observed Cubitt co-teaching a readers’ workshop lesson followed by a coaching session with a third-grade teacher. She also saw Cubitt run a Leveled Literacy Intervention […]
Education has become a front-burner issue in a bid for re-election by U.S. Sen. Gary Peters in Michigan because of the stark contrast between him and his opponent, he says. Peters has fought back against the destructive budget cuts and policies of U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. His Republican challenger, John James, is being aided […]
Rolonda Gleason is a secretary at Ferris State University. The Alaska native knows what it’s like to work without a union, so now she’s a one-woman MEA welcoming committee. What work did you do before coming to FSU? I was a support-staff person at the University of Alaska and worked closely with the School of […]
No one asked MEA member Jessica McGrath to start a food pantry for hungry children in her Wayne-Westland school. But when the food services employee realized youngsters coming through her line for breakfast and lunch were going without dinner at night or meals over weekends and holidays, she was moved to action. “I talk to […]
How “Enhancement Millages” are helping students and educators By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor Tov Pauling Longtime school custodian Tov Pauling has a unique perspective on what’s happening in Wayne-Westland schools. To sum it up, he quotes Carl Reed—the custodian character from the 1980s “Brat Pack” movie, The Breakfast Club—“I am the eyes and ears [...]
By Jennifer Dooley M.Ed., MAED. Sixth-grade teacher Pontiac City School District I am ecstatic when organizations and policy makers recommend funding schools with a weighted formula based on student needs. It is an important first step to acknowledge that not all children are the same nor are they afforded the same economic advantages. However, even […]
Rockford bus driver Russ Clark, known for his dedication to the students with cognitive impairments who ride his bus, was recognized as the statewide Education Support Staff Professional of the Year at a surprise assembly in December. The MEA member was selected from among 250 nominees for getting to know students individually and showing them […]
Gabby Taylor, a fourth-year teacher in Ann Arbor, channels veteran educators’ frustrations in “Teachers Anthem,” a moving song she wrote and performed at a school board meeting as contract talks started. You must have a music background—the anthem is powerful. I started writing in eighth or ninth grade. I took guitar lessons. I did show choir […]
The once-a-decade United States Census provides a fascinating teachable moment for students of all grade levels, intersecting social studies, mathematics and other disciplines in concrete ways. The U.S. Census Bureau’s Statistics in Schools program is offering free, teacher-designed resources at census.gov/schools that connect with various academic areas, including math, geography, history and more. There are […]
