Morale among educators in South Redford is the worst Bill Dyer has seen in 28 years as a math teacher in the district, the local union president said. He also has never before seen 10 teaching positions open mid-year—which was the number unfilled last month. “It’s been an uphill battle for us to attract new teachers, […]
Schools in Michigan are looking to hire hundreds of mental health professionals to address a huge explosion of need from young people in the pandemic—part of a $240 million initiative signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in this year’s state school aid budget. Even before the global health crisis—which has killed close to 900,000 Americans and […]
By Brenda Ortega, MEA Voice Editor Michigan Education Association MEA member Jake Trotter says he’s the type of person who likes having structure to his days teaching mostly upper-level world history classes and the second-year history course in the Diploma Programme (DP) at Oxford High School, an International Baccalaureate (IB) School. Trotter’s sense of order […]
By Brenda Ortega, MEA Voice Editor Michigan Education Association It was late on Monday, January 10, the night before Oxford High School students and staff would come back together in a school setting for the first time since a horrific shooting six weeks earlier that killed four students and injured seven, including a teacher. Oxford Education […]
Ted DeChane, PhD, is a physical therapist in Mt. Clemens who works with about 30 children a year who have physical and health impairments. Now the 31-year-old is coping with a chronic health problem—Long COVID—but continues working and fundraising for a new playground for his students. What is your role in the school district? I […]
Results of 2,600-educator survey show need for Whitmer budget proposals addressing educator shortage and student mental health EAST LANSING – The Michigan Education Association today released a statewide survey of nearly 2,600 educators, with the vast majority of those surveyed saying the state’s acute educator shortage and its impact on students is the most pressing […]
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is proposing the largest funding increase for public education in 20 years, with proposals to recruit and retain educators, increase per-student spending, rebuild mental health supports, expand preschool access, and fund school construction and renovations. In addition, the governor’s budget, presented to lawmakers Wednesday, proposes 5% ongoing increases for the state’s colleges […]
Educators and parents are an essential team for helping students achieve their full potential. But some politicians want to drive a wedge between parents and their children’s teachers in hopes of securing short-term political gain. If left unchecked, these dangerous ploys — in which political extremists create artificial controversies — can cause long-term harm to […]
A third of surveyed districts have had multiple days this school year where student attendance fell beneath the required 75% requirement, forcing some schools to close and others to risk losing state funding– despite staying open for in-person learning. In a Monday press release, MEA and other education organizations explained why lawmakers must take urgent action to […]
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will unveil an ambitious budget plan this week that addresses Michigan’s educator shortage as well as mental health and learning needs for students. Whitmer is proposing to provide the biggest increase in education spending in 20 years. The governor’s budget director is set to present the spending recommendations to lawmakers Wednesday. Whitmer’s […]
