Category: Uncategorized
Whitmer Urges ‘Bold Investment’ with Budget Proposal
Michigan’s K-12 public schools would receive a $120-180 per-pupil boost in funding, plus additional aid to support the costlier needs of at-risk, special education, and career/technical students, under Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s first state budget proposal released today. The governor’s spending blueprint follows the recommendations of several recent studies which examined Michigan’s school funding system and […]
Unlikely Path Leads to Teaching
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor MEA member Brian Taylor moved to Michigan with his wife 20 years ago having never visited the state, and he became a teacher in West Ottawa 16 years ago having never graduated from high school nor earned an equivalency degree. As a teenager in Oregon, Taylor was “a non-conformist […]
MEA Voice Magazine – February 2019
In this issue: SPECIAL REPORT: Putting a Spotlight on Student Mental Health Above and Beyond Members Bring Mindfulness to Schools Breaking the Silence Delta College Faculty Unionize How to Build School Funding A Clarion Call Retirees Lead on National Level Member Spotlight: Chad Downs
Anthony Coggins
What does political interest/involvement among students look like where you are? I have seen many of our students volunteer time working on local, state, and national political campaigns. Recently, one of my students was on the campaign for newly elected U.S. Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin. Also our students work the voting stations for each election in […]
SPECIAL REPORT: Putting a Spotlight on Student Mental Health
It’s being called a silent epidemic; a crisis. More and more young people from K-12 schools to college campuses are experiencing anxiety and depression, a problem accompanied by a dramatic growth in youth suicide. Rural and urban, large and small, rich and poor. No community is immune, and schools across the state are trying to […]
Inspiring Educators Win MEA Awards
One teacher focuses on student engagement and empowerment through study of history and the U.S. Constitution. The other promotes acceptance of students’ social and cultural identities through multicultural learning and family outreach. Both educators – Ann Arbor’s Renea DiBella and Royal Oak’s Christy Osborne – were honored for their accomplishments during last week’s MEA Winter […]
CALLING ALL Education Support Professionals!
We all know the world of difference that Education Support Professionals (ESP) make every day in the lives of students. Nominate an outstanding ESP member for the Leon Brunner Award, and sign up to attend the ESP Statewide Conference in March where the winner will be announced. There would be no school without great para-educators, […]
Ann Arbor Teacher Wins National Award
MEA member Chad Downs almost left the field of education before he started. During his pre-student teaching at Eastern Michigan University, Downs said he couldn’t find a school or program that fit with his beliefs about education and creativity. Then an EMU advisor intervened and introduced him to Ann Arbor Open School, and the rest […]
ESP Statewide Conference
Please come back to this page for details on the 2020 ESP Conference.

