On Tuesday, the State House overwhelmingly passed bipartisan, MEA-supported legislation designed to improve safety on Michigan school busses. Two of the bills, HBs 4201 & 4203, would prohibit unauthorized individuals from entering a school bus without the driver’s permission and allow for notices on busses about the prohibition. HBs 4202 & 4204 aim to prevent […]
House GOP budget proposals for the 2021-22 fiscal year unveiled this week included the concept of quarterly appropriations to state departments. Only distributing money for 25% of the year at a time would make it impossible for the state to accurately plan for the year. While the education budget was not among those unveiled with […]
As federally mandated testing is underway and the school year enters its final two months, the time is NOW for lawmakers to take action on bills removing student growth data from teacher evaluations and delaying the implementation of third grade reading retention. While using standardized test data to retain students and judge teacher effectiveness is […]
EAST LANSING — Nearly 90% of Michigan school employees are either fully or in process of being vaccinated against COVID-19, according to an online survey completed by more than 22,000 MEA members. Beyond the 82.3% who report being fully vaccinated, some educators are still in the vaccination process – 3.6% having received the first of […]
April 14, 2021 By PAULA HERBART/President – Michigan Education Association The return to in-person learning in most districts means increased vigilance around safety measures is imperative. Michigan’s recent surge in COVID-19 cases is a danger to our students, families and communities. Case numbers for kids 10-19 years old have skyrocketed. School outbreaks rose 47% over the last week […]
The State Legislature returns to Lansing this week after Spring Break to a long “to do” list of important topics for public education. Federal COVID Relief and 2021-22 Education Budgets With COVID-19 cases on the rise, ensuring safety and student learning assistance are critical. The Legislature still has $841 million in federal COVID relief funding […]
EAST LANSING — The following statement can be attributed to MEA President Paula Herbart regarding the need for a post-Spring Break suspension of in-person learning: “When we say that the health and safety of our students must be our priority, that’s not just lip service or a catchy message. As educators, nothing is more important […]
The Michigan Department of Education has informed school districts that during the COVID-19 pandemic, it does not support requiring otherwise remote or virtual students to be brought into school solely for the purpose of state assessment. That policy guidance was issued in light of the U.S. Department of Education’s denial of Michigan’s request to waive mandated […]
In an annual tradition made difficult by the pandemic, aspiring educators from Michigan State University have again completed a service project at an area school to show appreciation to educators and see firsthand the power of community in education. The group of about 20 future educators spruced up a staff lounge at Waverly Middle School […]
Beginning next week, all Michigan residents ages 16 and older will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. As Michigan faces increasing cases, Gov. Whitmer has urged all providers to not turn someone away who wants the vaccine. “Because the quicker we can get to that 70 percent-plus (vaccinated) number, the better for every one of […]
