MEA member Mallory Rivard emerged the winner in a preliminary round of this year’s Miss America pageant, earning a $1,500 scholarship award for her top score in the overall interview round. A first-grade teacher in Bay City, Rivard was crowned Miss Michigan in June. She is the first winner in Miss Michigan pageant history to […]
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor When MEA member Bob Thomson goes to a conference to present data from his “place-based” teaching approach in Alpena Community Schools, educators in attendance tend to doubt they could follow in his footsteps. “If all I do is share the size of this, what it looks like and all the partners […]
Why I wanted to participate: My mother was a bus driver. My aunt’s a teacher. My grandmother’s a bus driver. They were all part of unions, so I’m from a union family. I believe in the strength in numbers, and I believe in advocacy. When I was a first-year teacher, I had some issues where the Minority Affairs Committee came in and helped me by […]
We have a big problem in Michigan schools, folks, and it has nothing to do with test scores or differentiated instruction. It has everything to do with treating teachers like professionals and human beings. Most recently, this came to the forefront for me as a union president assisting an employee who had requested additional time to express […]
Three MEA members who launched an innovative “Incubator” class last year at Novi High School achieved their “moon shot” this week—they paid it forward by donating $5,000 in profits from product sales to help start a similar class at Dearborn’s Fordson High School. Macy’s matched their gift. Novi’s incubator class is all about students taking […]
Six members who signed up for MEA’s new Staples discount program this summer were randomly drawn to win a “classroom refresh” featuring $250 in 3M products: Betsy Spray-Comstock, teacher, Atherton Amanda Feyen, teacher, Manistee Erin Michalak, teacher, Clawson Heather Skulan, teacher, Wakefield-Marenisco Katherine Sibalwa, teacher, Byron Center April Switzenberg, paraeducator, Mason Winner Amanda Feyen (pictured) […]
By Brenda Ortega Editor Something was missing from opening day in Grand Blanc Community Schools this year. For the first time in more than a half century, MEA member Vickie Weiss was not in attendance. In June she completed an astounding 55th year teaching elementary school in the district, and in August she passed away […]
MEA member Matthew Cottone has traveled to six countries for (almost) free as he aims to help his students better experience the world. Now he wants to share how other educators can follow in his footsteps. The Rochester World Studies teacher will be presenting at a Global Ed Conference at Oakland University on Oct. 19. The […]
Join fellow MEA members as we celebrate Labor Day across Michigan! Don’t forget to wear #RedForEd at these events in Detroit, Marquette County, Grand Rapids and Muskegon (or wherever your Labor Day plans take you!). If you’re in Detroit, join MEA Vice President Chandra Madafferi, Secretary-Treasurer Brett Smith, and Executive Director Mike Shoudy at the […]
First-year educator Stephanie Connell briefly paused and held her head in her hands to contain the overwhelm she felt while shopping in the New Teacher Store at Rochester Community Schools last Friday. The high school English teacher and brand new MEA member was allowed to take whatever she wanted for free from a room crowded […]
