UPDATE 7/22 – On largely party line votes, HBs 5910-5913 passed the House Education and Ways & Means Committees before being passed on the House floor Wednesday evening. Deviations from party lines included Rep. Scott VanSingel (R-Grant), who was the sole GOP vote against HB 5910 but voted in favor of the other three bills […]
The Legislature is expected to enact a supplemental budget bill this week to address pandemic-driven revenue shortfalls for the school year that ended in June. As announced a few weeks ago, Gov. Whitmer and Republican legislative leaders agreed to a budget resolution that filled funding gaps with federal CARES Act dollars, State Budget Stabilization Fund […]
MEA joined with AFT Michigan, the Michigan Association of Superintendents & Administrators (MASA) and the Michigan Association of School Boards (MASB) on a joint statement calling on local districts and educators to work collaboratively on Preparedness Plans for fall learning. “To create and maintain safe school communities, district leaders, building leaders, teachers, staff members, and […]
MEA member Owen Bondono pledged to spend his time as the newest Michigan Teacher of the Year (MTOY) lifting up marginalized voices and working to ensure no children get left behind as schools face the unique challenges of operating amid a global pandemic. The ninth grade English Language Arts teacher from Oak Park’s Freshman Institute […]
Throughout the pandemic, MEA has been actively collecting and sharing information with members, including a survey of members about COVID-19 and education, as well as a statement about MEA’s priorities for a safe return to learning. The following are some of the questions we’re receiving from MEA members as discussions continue about a potential return […]
July 15, 2020 By PAULA HERBART/President – Michigan Education Association A lawsuit filed last week against U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos created a case name that captures a long-standing feeling among educators and friends of public education. Michigan v. DeVos. After years of Betsy DeVos and her family pushing an extreme, anti-public education agenda across our state […]
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel on Tuesday announced a lawsuit has been filed challenging a rule issued by U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos which rerouted millions of dollars in federal COVID-19 relief money to private schools. Nessel is partnering with California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to lead a coalition of six attorneys general in a […]
EAST LANSING — The following statement can be attributed to MEA President Paula Herbart following the announcement of the “Michigan v. DeVos” lawsuit: “Once again, our state leaders are standing up for Michigan public school students and their families. This lawsuit, filed by our state’s outstanding Attorney General Dana Nessel, will help ensure that Betsy DeVos’ […]
To safely reopen for in-person learning next fall, schools across the state will be required to enact one of a range of safety plans based on the COVID-19 threat level their particular region is facing at a given time, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced on Tuesday. The MI Safe Schools Return to School Roadmap resulted from the […]
EAST LANSING — Following more than 15,000 survey responses from educators and discussions about the needs of both students and school employees, today MEA announced three key priorities the state’s largest education union feels must be fully addressed as we look toward safely returning to school buildings this fall. As our mission indicates, we believe […]
