Following up on President Herbart’s announcement about our #RedForEd education funding advocacy, we’ll be sharing these updates regularly about how every member can be engaged in our efforts. 1) Postcards to Lawmakers MEA and AFT Michigan are writing postcards to both chambers in support of the budget. We can ship out any number of cards […]
Michigan educators must organize opportunities to share their stories in their communities and shine a light on why public education needs increased education funding. Get the background you need to make your voice heard through a #RedForEd Reality Check, including background research, ideas for events, talking points and more. Most importantly, be sure to share […]
By Rick Joseph Michigan Teacher of the Year 2015-16 I recently had the honor of presenting at the Teach-In for Freedom in El Paso, Texas. As I gathered with teachers from around the country on President’s Day, I felt an immense sense of gratitude for the opportunity to share the realities of refugee youth who represent the […]
Join educators from across Michigan to support increasing funding for public education and our students! Tues., June 18, 2019 Tues., June 25, 2019 Michigan State Capitol Lawn Lansing, MI Questions? Contact MEA Public Affairs at (517) 337-5508 or AFT Michigan at (313) 393-2200.
By Jason Stidham Livingston County Resident Re-employed Washtenaw County Teacher Last year was set to be extra special for my family. It marked my 20th anniversary teaching at the same district, and after helping more than 1,500 students move toward graduation at my school, it was now MY daughter’s turn to graduate from the neighboring district […]
Stories by Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor MEA member Corey O’Bryan never planned to be a teacher. A self-proclaimed nerd in high school, he entered Western Michigan University to study engineering—until discovering he wanted to share his love of math and science more than he wished to pursue his childhood dream of designing robotics for military […]
Jason Stidham has lived every educator’s nightmare. A high school English teacher for 20 years, he was laid off last June—despite his “Effective” rating—when his Michigan district needed to make staffing cuts. His evaluation score was two-one-hundredths of a point lower than a newer, younger colleague, and suddenly, “My district was no longer obligated to honor the commitment […]
It’s not over yet, but a seven-year court battle by MEA over a tenured teacher’s termination has so far provided some clarity in what’s required of school districts before they make a layoff decision based on an educator’s evaluation. In March, the Michigan Supreme Court affirmed a lower court ruling that the case of Summer […]
MEA lobbyists have been pushing for changes to the state’s evaluation law for more than a year. As of press time, House Bill 4221 and Senate Bill 122 were under consideration in the state Legislature. The measures would return the percentage of an educator’s annual evaluation that is tied to student growth measures to 25 […]
Only 25 percent of all Michigan educators—and just 20 percent of teachers—would recommend a career in education to a young person they know, according to results from Launch Michigan’s 2019 Statewide Educator Survey. The top driver of dissatisfaction in their profession? Seventy-two percent say it’s “lack of support from policy-makers and politicians.” “Teaching is a […]
