Newsroom

Turmoil Over Book Bans Affects Educators: ‘This is the hill I’m willing to die on’
Part 2 of our 5-part “Freedom to Read” series By Brenda Ortega, MEA Voice Editor Michigan Education Association MEA member Elizabeth Gates has had to organize against efforts to ban books in Greenville Public Schools, a rural district 30 miles northeast of Grand Rapids where she serves as an instructional coach and local union president. Elizabeth Gates She looks…

Federal funding providing critical tutoring support for students
Providing additional academic support for students recovering from the pandemic has become a key use of federal school rescue funds in local districts across Michigan. Many school leaders are spending these resources on tutoring for students who struggled to adjust to learning from home and are now working to catch up. More than 200 school districts throughout the state signaled…

Educators and Parents Battle Book Bans: ‘That is not who we are, and our children deserve better’
Part 1 of our 5-part “Freedom to Read” series By Brenda Ortega, MEA Voice Editor Michigan Education Association Four years after wrapping up a distinguished teaching career, MEA-Retired member Gayle Martin stepped up to the podium to speak at a recent school board meeting in Rochester, where she has lived and taught for more than three decades. Martin had never…

MEA announces initial candidate recommendations for Congressional races
EAST LANSING – The Michigan Education Association is pleased to announce the following recommendations of candidates for Michigan Congressional districts: 3rd District – Hillary Scholten 6th District – Debbie Dingell 7th District – Elissa Slotkin 8th District – Dan Kildee 10th District – Carl Marlinga 12th District – Rashida Tlaib “Local educators interviewed candidates in their congressional districts and are…

MEA calls for immediate state House action on Oxford relief legislation
EAST LANSING — The Michigan Education Association is calling on the state House to immediately take action on legislation providing bureaucratic relief to students and educators affected by last fall’s Oxford school shooting. The state Senate on March 24 unanimously approved Senate Bills 940 and 941, sponsored by Sen. Rosemary Bayer, D-Keego Harbor. These bills would provide relief from days…

49 outstanding public school students awarded 2022 MEA Scholarship
EAST LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan Education Association today announced the recipients of the 2022 MEA Scholarships, honoring exemplary public school students from across the state who will be attending a Michigan university next fall. Among the 426 applications submitted for scholarship awards this year, the MEA Scholarship Fund Trustees chose 22 new award recipients who will each receive $1,600.…

MI Educator talks with U.S. Ed Secretary, White House Advisors: ‘I am hopeful about public education’
Theresann Pyrett, president of the West Ottawa Education Association, traveled to Washington D.C. in late April to speak with the Biden Administration about the positive impact federal school rescue funds have had on her school district and ways in which Michigan educators need continued support. Pyrett is among a handful of educators from across the country who briefed U.S. Education…
Champion an Educator for Teacher Appreciation Week
This Teacher Appreciation Week, MEA is asking everyone – parents, students, community members – to Champion An Educator by stepping up to the microphones in their lives and sharing the positive influence of Michigan’s hardworking educators. One way to communicate your appreciation for the educators in your life is to share social media posts on Facebook and Twitter, and encourage others to let educators know…

Escanaba MEA member named Michigan Teacher of the Year
Nanette Hanson Congratulations to MEA member Nanette Hanson, a first-grade teacher in Escanaba Area Public Schools, for being named Wednesday as Michigan Teacher of the Year for 2022-23. Hanson teaches at Lemmer Elementary School and will be entering her 26th year of teaching this fall. “Nanette is a life-changing educator who has been serving her community for 26 years and…

Labor Voices: Let Michigan’s educators know you stand with them
This is Teacher Appreciation Week – but many who work in public education aren’t feeling particularly appreciated. Educators find themselves under relentless attack by a small-but-loud minority of political extremists who are polluting the public sphere with rage and disinformation. We need everyday Michiganders to stand up for educators and make their voices heard, because our children’s future is on…