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42 outstanding public school students awarded 2023 MEA Scholarship
EAST LANSING — The Michigan Education Association announced Friday the recipients of the 2023 MEA Scholarships, honoring exemplary public school students from across the state who will be attending a Michigan public university this fall. Among the 422 applications submitted for scholarship awards this year, the MEA Scholarship Fund Trustees chose 23 new award recipients who will each receive $1,400.…

MEA members forge family partnerships, help improve literacy in rural communities
CHARLEVOIX, Mich. — What started as a pilot program to engage families and communities in reading has created new bonds among students, parents and educators in rural communities across Northern Michigan. Through the Family Literacy Projects, MEA members identified families in rural areas with higher rates of poverty to encourage students to read, and parents to read with their younger…

MEA settles frivolous lawsuit filed by right-wing ‘think tank’
EAST LANSING — Today, a federal seal was lifted and a settlement announced regarding a frivolous, politically-motivated lawsuit brought against MEA by a right-wing “think tank” with a decades-long record of attacking public school educators and their unions. In April 2020, at the outset of the pandemic, MEA applied for and received a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan – a…

Labor Voices: This time, there’s a will to act to protect students from gun violence
Hana St. Juliana. Tate Myre. Madisyn Baldwin. Justin Shilling. Arielle Anderson. Brian Fraser. Alexandria Verner. I could spend the 600 words of this column just printing the names of young people killed by gun violence in our schools, starting with these seven murdered at Oxford High School and Michigan State University. Because, frankly, I’m running out of ways to ask…

From MEA and MSU Administrative Professionals Association Presidents on Monday’s tragic shooting on MSU campus
EAST LANSING — Educators everywhere are reeling this morning after yet another tragic school shooting, this time on the campus of Michigan State University. “Our hearts go out to the victims’ loved ones, as well as to the students, faculty and staff at MSU – many of whom are MEA administrative professional members and aspiring student educators,” said MEA President…

MEA praises Gov. Whitmer’s education budget proposal and continued commitment to students
EAST LANSING — The following statement can be attributed to Michigan Education Association President Paula Herbart, in reaction to the unveiling of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s latest education budget proposal: “Gov. Whitmer’s budget proposal will help Michigan turn the corner as we work to move forward from the pandemic and create a brighter future for every student, from PreK through post-graduate.…

Labor Voices: Lawmakers should act quickly to implement Whitmer’s tutoring plan
The pandemic’s impact on our children’s learning is well documented – now state leaders must make academic recovery a top priority and focus resources on school-based tutoring to get students the help they need. Between COVID, remote learning, mental health, school violence and more, Michigan students have struggled with unprecedented challenges these past few years. With all the stress and…

MEA statement responding to Whitmer State of the State address
EAST LANSING — The following can be attributed to MEA President Paula Herbart in response to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s State of the State address on Wednesday evening: “Gov. Whitmer showed again tonight what being a pro-education governor looks like – and now, with allies in the Legislature, Michigan students and educators can count on desperately needed support to come their…

Survey: Michigan voters want lawmakers to prioritize public schools
Voters across the political spectrum want greater investment in school safety, higher pay for educators and expanded access to mental health services EAST LANSING – Michigan voters say public education should be a key priority for state lawmakers, according to a new survey of registered voters released Tuesday by the Michigan Education Association. Michigan voters across the political spectrum say…

DeVos-backed voucher scheme petitions withdrawn
On Monday, the Secretary of State’s office announced that the DeVos-backed voucher initiative, “Let My Kids Learn,” withdrew their petitions from consideration. The multi-million dollar attempt by DeVos and Co. to implement a school voucher scheme in Michigan has officially failed! DeVos’ attempt to circumvent the will of the public by initiating a law with only legislative approval backfired after months of…
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