Schools nationwide should be freed from mandates to administer state standardized assessments this spring in the wake of widespread school closures across the nation, Michigan education officials said in a letter to U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. Students will need a focus on social-emotional connection and academic instruction to return to normalcy after the long absence […]
With parents across the state facing many challenges over the coming weeks, MEA President Paula Herbart offers resources for weathering the crisis in her latest “Labor Voices” column in The Detroit News. “As jarring as this is for us as adults, we also must remember that this situation can be even scarier for a 10-year-old,” Herbart […]
Michigan lawmakers adjourned last night without taking action to ensure all school employees get paid during this statewide school closure caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, despite bipartisan support and joint appeals from varied education organizations and educators across the state. Leaders from both the labor and management sides of the education community had worked together […]
March 18, 2020 By PAULA HERBART/President – Michigan Education Association With the closure of schools due to the coronavirus outbreak, parents are faced with many challenges over the coming weeks. While I can’t hope to solve all of them, I can provide my expertise as an educator to help weather this crisis and provide advice […]
Nothing can replace the face-to-face education that our public schools provide, but parents and educators who are looking for ways to keep school-age children engaged and learning during this unexpected break from school can find ideas and resources online. Of course, one problem with online learning is the digital divide that exists across the country […]
Despite bipartisan support, legislation stalled on school employee pay and forgiveness for closure days MICHIGAN — No action occurred today on a bipartisan solution to keep school employees paid and forgive school districts for the days of education missed due to the ongoing school closures caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. The Michigan Education Association, AFT Michigan, […]
March 14, 2020 Dear MEA members, As your MEA President, I wanted to reach out and update you regarding how MEA is engaging around the coronavirus outbreak and its impact on our students and our members. Commitment to Safety Obviously, we’re committed first and foremost to everyone’s safety. As I said in a statement released Thursday night […]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, March 12, 2020 Contact: Doug Pratt, MEA Director of Public Affairs, 517-337-5508 EAST LANSING – The following can be attributed to MEA President Paula Herbart regarding tonight’s order from Gov. Whitmer that Michigan schools will be closed for three weeks starting Monday: “Earlier today, I recorded a message urging that we […]
We regret to inform you that the Statewide ESP Conference (March 13-14) and the Aspiring Educators/Early Career Educators Conference (March 21) are postponed due to precautions related to the coronavirus. In addition, numerous meetings and trainings are either postponed or cancelled. See the list below. We are currently assessing viability of holding the MEA Representative […]
EAST LANSING – The Michigan Education Association is pleased to announce recommendations for Chief Justice Bridget Mary McCormack and Elizabeth Welch for election to the Michigan Supreme Court. “When the interests of students and educators come before our state’s Supreme Court, we expect nothing more or less than a fair hearing under the law,” said […]
