Initially Kathy Kosobud set out toward a career in theater design, but she shifted to education after college and applied her manual arts skills to pre-vocational settings for children with disabilities, spending many years as a special education teacher in Ann Arbor. Following a long career advocating for fairness and creating access to opportunities for […]
Daniel Clason drew inspiration from a Mississippi blues museum for the centerpiece of his project-based approach in Clarkston: traveling trunks filled with American Revolution artifacts created by eighth graders as hands-on learning tools for fifth graders. Clason is the recipient of the 2026 MEA Educational Excellence Award for his instructional leadership and creativity as an […]
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor It wasn’t until her last year of high school that MEA member Stephanie Johnson figured out what career to pursue. She found her path in senior English class. Johnson always loved school, and that ye ar she especially enjoyed breaking down phrasing and vocabulary from Shakespeare and Chaucer to […]
From NEA: https://www.nea.org/nea-today/all-news-articles/chemistry-teacher-day-olympic-hockey-referee-night When Jake Davis stepped onto Olympic ice in Milan, he was not just a chemistry teacher from Michigan anymore. Davis was now one of the few officials in the world who would referee the 2026 Olympic men’s hockey. “Stepping on the ice was surreal,” said Davis. “Just being on the ice with the best hockey players in the world and […]
From Michigan Department of Education: https://www.michigan.gov/mde/news-and-information/press-releases/2026/02/26/mi-teacher-honored-with-milken-educator-award What started with a special visit from Michigan Chief Deputy Superintendent Dr. Sue Carnell turned into an exciting announcement Pine River Middle School teacher Stephanie Johnson will never forget: she is Michigan’s Milken Educator Award recipient for 2025-26! Johnson, a seventh grade ELA teacher at PRMS, is Michigan’s 93rd recipient since The Great […]
Marquette Alternative High School (MAHS) teacher Brian Prill has helped make the school a statewide leader in environmental sustainability, Career and Technical Education, and in redefining the role of the alternative high school. Prill, who teaches social studies, Spanish and a construction and work readiness course, provides a world view for his students, having completed […]
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor For MEA member Maria Scott, the Romulus Middle School secretary who averted tragedy when an armed man rang the school’s front buzzer, first her instincts kicked in — then her training took hold. “I knew something wasn’t right and instantly called 911,” Scott said in an interview. It happened […]
From WXYZ Detroit ABC 7: https://www.wxyz.com/news/region/wayne-county/youre-gonna-give-me-my-son-hero-secretary-reveals-gunmans-demands-at-romulus-middle-school Check out this story about Maria Scott, the Romulus Middle School secretary who helped prevent a potential tragedy by denying building access to a banned parent who showed up at the school with a loaded weapon. Hear about the terrifying encounter and how Scott’s instincts and training protected her students […]
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor From the get-go, Jim McCloughan was competitive “with a capital C,” he says. Small and athletic, he excelled at every sport he tried. At Bangor High School in the early 1960s McCloughan earned 11 varsity letters and all-conference honors in football, basketball, baseball and track, despite standing just 5-foot-2 […]
MEA Presidents’ Academy forum brainstorms policy changes to meet student needs on high school requirements, literacy By Chandra Madafferi MEA President & CEO In October, more than sixty teachers and academic leaders from across Michigan — representing every grade level and region — gathered for a dynamic discussion led by local presidents committed to reimagining […]
