By Chandra Madafferi, Michigan Education Association President Uncertainty and fear. In recent conversations with educators across Michigan, I keep hearing those words that lead to a common refrain: “I’m trying to keep it together for my students.” What’s happening with immigration enforcement in Michigan and across the country is causing trauma for many of our […]
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor On the final exam in government class each semester, MEA member and social studies teacher Chloe Root asks students to explain how the federal system of checks and balances works to prevent abuses of power. This year some of her students at Community High School in Ann Arbor chose […]
By Chandra Madafferi, President and CEO of the Michigan Education Association From public school educators and police officers to firefighters and those serving in our military, it’s important that we honor these hardworking public servants and their dedication to improving the lives of others. Public school teachers, school support staff and other educators devote their […]
By Amy Urbanowski-Nowak Birch Run Education Association When I was a young child, I often dreamt of being a teacher… and a horse trainer, but that’s a story for another day. I would ask my sisters to play the role of the student or set up my stuffed animals if my sisters grew tired of […]
PART I: School Performance By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor MEA Labor Economist Tanner Delpier tells stories with data. The tale he tells of public education in Michigan runs counter to the message heard far too often in sound bites on the news. We continually hear that public schools are “failing,” despite “record” state funding, […]
When Jim McCloughan retired from teaching in South Haven Public Schools in 2008, MEA helped him fight a battle he hadn’t seen coming. While the school district credited McCloughan for 40 years of service, the Michigan Public School Employees’ Retirement System (MPSERS) denied two years of time he spent serving in the military as a […]
Former high school teacher and Congressional Medal of Honor recipient James McCloughan has some words of wisdom for educators going through their own “Vietnam,” facing challenges that feel overwhelming. FOR TEACHERS: Concentrate on what matters > students, colleagues, parents and community. Bring forward what you love > engaging content, student interests, connection. Create joy on […]
One of the missions that MEA-Retired member James McCloughan enjoys the most these days is serving as chairman of the Medal of Honor Character Development Program. The program provides free training and curriculum for educators in grades K-5 and 6-12 to teach students core values. Lessons are designed by educators and built around the stories […]
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 […]
