Bill to fix Michigan’s educator evaluation system gets first hearing

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 […]

Banned Books Week: October 1 – 7, 2023

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 […]

MEA recommends Elissa Slotkin for U.S. Senate

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 [...]

Fix teacher evaluation NOW

Ask legislators to support bill fixing teacher evaluations Teacher evaluations are broken — and it’s time to fix them. The state Legislature is expected to take up legislation this fall to do just that by making teacher evaluations more fair and constructive. Senate Bill 395, introduced by state Sen. Dayna Polehanki (an MEA member and […]

Statement from MEA President on UAW working toward a contract settlement

EAST LANSING — Michigan Education Association President Chandra Madafferi, a teacher from Oakland County, released the following statement Friday: “We hope a resolution can be found soon in the contract negotiations between the UAW and the Detroit Three automakers. The economic impacts of a drawn-out work stoppage would be devastating for our local communities, including […]

NEA president’s school visits spotlight Michigan successes: ‘I will tell your stories everywhere I go’

By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor NEA President Becky Pringle and MEA President Chandra Madafferi serve free breakfast to students at Dublin Elementary in Walled Lake, the first stop of a two-day, four-district tour. NEA President Becky Pringle visited four school districts in Michigan last week to see what change looks like when a governor [...]