EAST LANSING — The following statement can be attributed to MEA President Paula Herbart calling on the Legislature to distribute federal COVID relief funding immediately to Michigan schools: “Michigan’s public schools need funding immediately to support the dedicated, hardworking educators who are serving the unique needs of students and families during this pandemic and beyond. […]
Because she’s 75 years old, retired educator Pam Kellar was able to get a COVID-19 vaccine quickly, yet most days she’s still on the phone and the internet trying to schedule appointments for shots. For the past few weeks, Kellar – who is president of her MEA-Retired chapter in Warren – has taken it upon […]
On Wednesday, the Michigan House Republicans issued a proposal that made distributing bipartisan federal education funding contingent on the governor giving up important powers to protect public health, including closing schools and suspending activities like athletics if data about how the virus is spreading warrants it. “We need bipartisan action, not political gamesmanship,” said MEA President […]
Sen. Lana Theis (R-Brighton), chair of the Senate Education and Career Readiness Committee, has launched an online survey to hear from educators, parents and students about the impact of COVID-19 on education. The survey is meant to gather “first-hand accounts, feedback and recommendations [to] help lawmakers evaluate where we are one year on and help […]
In a State of the State speech like no other – following a year of historic events, unprecedented challenges, and difficult choices – Gov. Gretchen Whitmer vowed on Wednesday evening to put forth an education budget in coming weeks that addresses the fallout. “I want to say thank you—thank you to our incredible educators, administrators, […]
EAST LANSING — The following statements can be attributed to MEA President Paula Herbart in response to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s State of the State address and related developments in Lansing today. Regarding investment in education to meet the diverse needs of students: “The pandemic has laid bare many of the inequities in our education system. […]
UPDATE: You can watch a recording and read a recap of the event with Dr. Fauci here. NEA and AFT are hosting a national “fireside chat” with Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the leading experts on the American response to the COVID-19 pandemic, on Thursday, Jan. 28 at 6 p.m. NEA President Becky Pringle and AFT […]
EAST LANSING — The following can be attributed to MEA President Paula Herbart about the Michigan Department of Education’s request for a federal standardized testing waiver for 2021 that was filed today with the U.S. Department of Education: “MEA applauds Superintendent Rice and the Michigan Department of Education for continuing efforts to obtain a federal […]
This week has marked major news on several fronts in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic: – New President Joe Biden has made good on promises for swift action to fight the pandemic, including another COVID relief package to fill in the gaps left by the last Congress and provide essential federal funding and support, […]
January 13, 2021 By PAULA HERBART/President – Michigan Education Association Since the beginning of the pandemic, educators have longed to safely return to the classroom for in-person learning. Virtual learning options — while vastly-improved thanks to the hard work of educators — are no match for the academic and overall benefits that come with face-to-face […]
