MEA member Aaron Bailey knows what it is like to be a brand-new paraprofessional in a classroom at the beginning of the school year. “When I first started, I had very little training, and I was lucky enough to get teachers who had 10 or 15 years of experience and could take the time to […]
In true librarian fashion, MEA member Christina Chatel had a nagging question and set about digging for an answer: “Where are the books written with the 13- to 15-year-old in mind?” As a middle school library media specialist in Troy, Chatel reads several dozen books a year and talks with hundreds of young people to […]
From WILX News 10: https://www.wilx.com/2026/07/29/mea-art-exhibition-celebrates-62nd-annual-purchase-awards The Michigan Education Association and the Michigan Art Education Association hosted the 62nd annual Art Acquisitions Purchase Awards exhibition, showcasing the artistic work of MEA teachers. The exhibit featured a variety of media, including paintings, drawings, photographs, sculptures, and jewelry. Andrew Monroe, an art teacher from Fraser, won best in […]
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor Never as a journalist in metropolitan Kansas City, nor an assistant professor at a mid-size public university in Missouri, did MEA member Matt Bird-Meyer get a kiss from comedian and late-night talk host Stephen Colbert. Bird-Meyer notched that unbelievable experience after becoming a professor of journalism and humanities at […]
The Michigan Education Association announced the recipients of the 2026 MEA Scholarship on Monday, honoring exemplary public school students from across the state who will be attending a Michigan public university in the fall. The MEA Scholarship Fund Trustees selected 24 new award recipients, each receiving $2,000. In addition, 22 already enrolled in college will […]
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor For MEA member Brian Dalton, everything he’s learned about life — and teaching middle school kids — can be summed up in a project that he’s worked on since January and will culminate in a sold-out public performance on June 2 at The Roxy Rochester. Preparations inside his classroom [...]
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor A diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) explained why MEA member Erik Meerschaert couldn’t read in second grade. Now the Lake Orion special education teacher points to his neurological difference as a power that has shaped his success. Known for his shining positivity and leadership in providing inclusive […]
From the Lansing State Journal: https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/news/local/education/2026/04/06/as-artemis-ii-heads-to-moon-a-small-town-michigan-teacher-is-headed-to-nasa/89401671007/ In a few months, Dee Smith will make her way from Ashley – a small village of about 500 people located north of Lansing, traveling some 1,300 miles south to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Texas. Smith will be part of NASA’s LiftOff Summer institute, which provides teachers with […]
A longtime advocate for the rights and safety of LGBTQ+ staff and students, Frank Burger became the first recipient of MEA’s new Gerry Crane Human and Civil Rights Award, named after a west Michigan teacher whose tragic story inspired others to action. A 28-year educator in the Flint-area Carman-Ainsworth Community Schools, Burger advises the high […]
As a union leader in Grand Rapids, when she discovered male and female teachers with identical resumes being paid differently, Wendy Winston worked to resolve the disparity. She cites the example for why the intersectional fight for gender equity and human rights must go on. In accepting MEA’s 2026 Maurine Wyatt Feminist and Gender Equity […]
