Legislation

Track bills with ease using MEA’s new legislative tracker MEA has launched a new legislative tracking system designed to make it easier for you to follow the latest happenings at the state Capitol, particularly when it comes to legislation affecting our schools, our students and our families. Visit mea.org/legislation to stay up-to-date on the latest from Lansing, including active and…

Ask legislators to support bill fixing teacher evaluations Teacher evaluations are broken — and it’s time to fix them. The state Legislature is expected to take up legislation this fall to do just that by making teacher evaluations more fair and constructive. Senate Bill 395, introduced by state Sen. Dayna Polehanki (an MEA member and former teacher), is expected to…

By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor NEA President Becky Pringle and MEA President Chandra Madafferi serve free breakfast to students at Dublin Elementary in Walled Lake, the first stop of a two-day, four-district tour. NEA President Becky Pringle visited four school districts in Michigan last week to see what change looks like when a governor and state Legislature prioritize public…

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's team convened a conversation in July with food service professionals and MEA members from across the state to begin discussing the logistics around the universal free school meal program included in the recent state education budget. Veteran food service professionals, who nurture deep bonds with students, voiced their excitement about ensuring no kid goes hungry in Michigan…

  On Wednesday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation restoring collective bargaining rights lost by educators over a decade ago – making good on pro-educator lawmakers’ promise to respect the profession as a way to recruit and retain the best and brightest for our students. Building on the record-breaking education budget signed last week, these new laws – which will go…

Celebration and interconnection. MEA President Chandra Madafferi addresses attendees at the opening session of the MEA Summer Conference. Those were the predominant themes that ran through the speakers and sessions at the MEA Summer Conference last week at Saginaw Valley State University. “All of us have experienced so much in the past few years, but when I think about the…

By Brenda Ortega and Zach Crim MEA Public Affairs Rep. Matt Koleszar UPDATE 7/27 – Gov. Whitmer has signed HBs 4044, 4233 and 4354 into law, along with several other bills designed to recruit and retain educators.  These new laws will take effect in early 2024.  HB 4356 will be sent to Gov. Whitmer for her consideration soon – please…

The Michigan Legislature passed a bipartisan education budget for next school year on Wednesday evening, allocating a record amount of funding to help Michigan students succeed. The $24.3 billion education budget prioritizes investments in Michigan’s K-12 schools, starting with the largest ever per-pupil allocation at $9,608 a student (an additional $458 per student).  Similarly, higher education funding is increasing, with…

EAST LANSING —Michigan Education Association President Paula Herbart released the following statement Wednesday regarding legislative action on a record-setting School Aid budget: “Thanks to the hard work of Gov. Whitmer and leaders in the state House and Senate, our local schools will continue to make progress in attracting and retaining qualified educators who can help our students succeed. It’s critical…

EAST LANSING — The following statement can be attributed to Michigan Education Association President Paula Herbart in response to Wednesday’s state Senate passage of legislation restoring workplace rights to school employees: “This is a great day for educators, students, parents and local schools across Michigan. Frontline educators deserve to have a voice in the workplace, so they can advocate for…