By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor Big themes recur throughout the story of Grand Rapids art teacher Stephen Smith. Trauma. Grief. Hopelessness. Then creation, connection, community. Images and ideas return like motifs in Smith’s remarkable personal narrative. A 37-year-old San Francisco native, Smith is a multi-faceted and award-winning artist, innovative entrepreneur, emerging community leader—and a […]
Click to view online. In this issue: LETTER TO MEMBERS: Here for you in uncertain times NEWS & NOTES: Protect Public Education—Get Involved Call for submissions: 2025 MEA/MAEA Art Exhibition Michigan Senate sues House for withholding bills Nominations sought for ESP Caucus Board AEM/MiNE: Early career help: tough topics ISSUES & ADVOCACY: MEA members tell […]
Uncertain times can be trying for all of us. But by working together, we can and will overcome what uncertain times bring us — both through strength in numbers as a union and as a network of dedicated educators that can rely on each other in tough times. It’s times like these that are why [...]
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor In a passionate address before a capacity crowd at the MEA Winter Conference last week, Rep. Mai Xiong (D-Warren) recalled her mother walking her up to the yellow school bus as her earliest memory from youth. Born in Thailand, Xiong immigrated to the U.S. with family at age three in […]
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor UPDATE FEB. 3: Today the Democratic-led state Senate filed a lawsuit to compel Republican House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Twp.) to follow the state constitution and transmit House Bill 6058 and eight other bills held in limbo to Gov. Whitmer for a signature. Read more. MEA member Kim Sandefur normally teaches […]
MEA members across Michigan are finding new and innovative ways to address the pressing mental health needs of Michigan’s public school educators and their students. Two MEA members — one in West Bloomfield and another in the Upper Peninsula — are taking bold action to help address mental health concerns in the classroom and beyond. […]
The following statement can be attributed to Michigan Education Association President and CEO Chandra Madafferi, a teacher from Oakland County, in response to the state House’s passage of House Bill 6058 and the Senate’s approval of Senate Bills 1129 and 1130: “By taking swift action on this critical issue, the legislators have taken a critical […]
By Kandy Slack MSU-APA Membership Chair As membership chair of my local MEA unit at Michigan State University, I love talking with new employees about the value of belonging—and I make sure to include a benefit of membership that is sometimes overlooked: the MEA Scholarship. Since 1997 the MEA Scholarship Fund has distributed $955,000 in […]
When Ron Furgeson first joined Petoskey Schools as a custodian nearly 30 years ago, he subbed on nights for nearly a year before a longtime employee retired and he took that coveted permanent spot—allowing him to leave his factory job for a full-time role that felt more meaningful. At the time district custodians earned good […]
Ed-tech entrepreneur is veteran Utica elementary teacher This year MEA member Jonathan Marceau is watching the dream he shepherded to reality take on a life of its own out in the world. A veteran elementary teacher in Utica Community Schools, Marceau launched his award-winning app—Spelling Safari—in mid-August from an idea that has stayed with him [...]
