One of the things that becomes apparent in reading this issue of the Voice is how much expertise and caring MEA members bring to the table. We know our kids, our schools, our communities and – most of all – our profession. The question is when will our understanding, knowledge, and dedication to students be […]
MEA member Leah Porter of Holt was named Michigan Teacher of the Year last spring, prompting her district to assign her a co-teaching role and grant full release for MTOY duties in a tumultuous year. What have you been doing this fall? “I am visiting as many places as I can, which is challenging with […]
Last month, MEA member Shelley Hall got a pleasant surprise worth $89,000. Following an October announcement of changes to the federal loan forgiveness program for public service employees, Hall had emailed a technical question to the loan servicing agency about her application. She opened the reply in late November while riding in the car with […]
Meet a few mentors and mentees testing high‑quality supports MEA member Aric Foster is a National Board Certified Teacher who coaches wrestling and track, works with student teachers, serves as his district’s student-teacher liaison for Oakland University, has taught university courses for aspiring educators—and calls himself “proficient” instead of “master.” At age 43—21 years into […]
MEA’s officers are worried about educators. Yet visits with members across the state have renewed their hope and vigor. MEA President Paula Herbart, Vice President Chandra Madafferi, and Secretary-Treasurer Brett Smith separately have spent time visiting schools and field offices, meeting with members, observing in classrooms, listening. Herbart is convinced the status quo in many […]
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor Who is your audience? It’s a question every English teacher has posed, but now MEA member Rob Keast—an 18-year classroom veteran in Wyandotte—found himself answering it. The former newspaper reporter collaborated on the memoir of Anthony Ianni, whose story is a powerful underdog tale in the vein of Rudy […]
An old adage in education says if you can make it to Thanksgiving break, you can make it to the end of the school year. We’ve passed that milestone, but things might not feel better. If so, you are not alone. Most teachers are familiar with trauma-informed practices and are helping students learn strategies to […]
This fall two MEA-member state Teachers of the Year were honored at the White House together to make up for two canceled ceremonies last spring and the year before due to COVID. Cara Lougheed and Owen Bondono, Michigan’s top teachers from 2019-2021, made the trek in October along with other state TOYs. “It was very […]
We want to start this letter to you by acknowledging that we see you and hear you: This year is hard. But despite our fatigue and frustrations, our profession and public schools are worth fighting for. An important battle looms, thanks to the likes of Betsy DeVos. She and other public education opponents have teed […]
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor MEA member Mariah Gaither had a challenging entry into her teaching career in 2020, having to adapt her secondary science curriculum for remote learners through the full school year in Lansing. Now Gaither is working in-person and getting an eye-opening lesson of her own: she’s discovering how much educators […]
