Federal leaders must fix an antiquated exemption that prevents teachers from receiving overtime pay, writes MEA member Audra DeRidder, a special education and fifth-grade teacher in Iron Mountain Public Schools, in a recent essay for the National Employment Law Project. The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1935 (FLSA) is a landmark law that provides critical […]
Soon after teachers in Flint’s Beecher Community School District settled a strong contract, staff at the combined middle/high school enjoyed a visit by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on her back-to-school tour – joined by NEA President Becky Pringle and MEA President Chandra Madafferi. After a decade of financial struggle and stagnation, the Beecher Education Association’s new […]
By Chandra Madafferi Michigan educators and communities are doing amazing things with the billions of dollars our state has received in federal school rescue funds. While there’s still plenty of great work to be done, time is running out for school districts to put this one-time funding to good use. Our state received $5.6 billion […]
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin said she received her proudest endorsement when MEA announced its recommendation of the third-term 7th District congresswoman in her bid for the U.S. Senate in 2024. Educators are mission-oriented people, and she feels kinship, she said during a meet-and-greet event with MEA members on Saturday […]
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor When MEA member Megan Ake changed school districts from Farmington to Fenton five years ago, the first teaching tasks she felt pressured to master involved massive classroom-practice checklists and student-growth data mandates in the state’s evolving educator evaluation system. Instead of learning her students’ names, delving into a new […]
Gov. Whitmer has signed a bill making important changes to the post-retirement employment window and earnings limits for school retirees who choose to return to work. House Bill 4752 (now Public Act 147 of 2023), introduced by Rep. Matt Koleszar (D-Plymouth), shortens the waiting period for a retiree with a bona fide retirement to work […]
This Banned Books Week, be sure to check out MEA’s “Freedom to Read” series, which explores how educators across Michigan are fighting back against political extremists and working to protect students’ freedom to read. In the five-part series, MEA Voice Editor Brenda Ortega — a former reporter with the Los Angeles Times — examines growing […]
Just two years ago, the MEA unit representing 11 office clerical workers in Grosse Ile Township Schools consisted of one member. The group was working without a contract, and the unit faced decertification for low membership numbers. In the winter of 2021, that one member recruited two others and the trio did their best to […]
By Chandra Madafferi and Terrence Martin From small farm towns to the inner city and the suburbs, every student in Michigan deserves an opportunity to succeed, and that’s why education leaders are excited about Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s new initiative designed to keep kids and their parents from falling through the cracks. This summer, Whitmer announced […]
After interviewing the candidates and learning about their stances on education and labor issues, MEA’s Statewide Screening & Recommendation Committee has voted to support Elissa Slotkin in her bid to become Michigan’s next U.S. Senator. MEA’s backing marks the 17th labor union – and largest public employee union to date – to support Slotkin in [...]
