Legislation

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.…

By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor Gov. Gretchen Whitmer energized the MEA Winter Conference in Detroit on Friday with a heartening message to a capacity crowd that she described as “the fiercest warriors there are, the people that make a difference in so many lives every single day, who are too often under-thanked and under-appreciated: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer “Well, we…

Editor’s note: Please get in touch with your state senator and representative and urge them to vote to repeal third-grade reading retention and support meaningful reading interventions to help our kids grow and thrive. The controversial retention portion of Michigan’s third-grade reading law is one step closer to being repealed after the state Senate Education Committee voted Tuesday to advance legislation…

Issues important to Michigan educators took centerstage Wednesday evening as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer delivered her annual State of the State address at the State Capitol. Among several major announcements, Whitmer called on the Legislature to provide funding — before spring break — for her “MI Kids Back on Track” tutoring proposal, which would provide extra school-based support to students who…

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…

State Senator and Senate Education Committee Chair Dayna Polehanki (D-Livonia) and State Rep. Nate Shannon (D-Sterling Heights) – both longtime educators currently serving in the state Legislature – have introduced legislation to eliminate the retention requirement from Michigan’s third-grade reading law. Passed in 2016, this law requires third-graders to be held back if they score below grade level on a high-stakes standardized…

Since Michigan became a so-called “right-to-work” state in December 2012, there has been an important U.S. Supreme Court decision that made agency shop provisions illegal for all public-sector contracts across the country. In 2018, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in the Janus v. AFSCME case that government employees who are represented by a union but do not belong to that…

Editor’s note: Lawmakers need to hear from you! Please take a few minutes to contact your state senator and representative and urge them to support Gov. Whitmer's proposal to repeal the unfair tax on retired educators' pensions. After a long 11 years, retired educators may soon experience relief from the unfair retirement tax imposedon them by former lawmakers, Gov. Gretchen…

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…

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…