Public Schools Work
MEA is committed to serving our members and sharing their triumphs and stories of dedication to their students and communities. Amazing educators are doing extraordinary things in the classroom and beyond – and we want to ensure communities know it!
Have a positive story about Michigan public education to share? Let us know at publicaffairs@mea.org (include any pictures or links when you email us).
Learn more about MEA’s efforts to spread the good news about public education at WeLovePublicEd.org.
Updates
Special educator chosen as Michigan Teacher of the Year
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor Erik Meerschaert, a special education teacher at Lake Orion High School, was named 2026-27 Michigan Teacher of the Year on Wednesday. MEA member Erik Meerschaert, a special education teacher at Lake Orion High School known for his positivity and leadership in providing inclusive opportunities for all students, was named the 2026-27 Michigan Teacher of…
As Artemis II heads to moon, a small town Michigan teacher is headed to NASA
From the Lansing State Journal: https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/news/local/education/2026/04/06/as-artemis-ii-heads-to-moon-a-small-town-michigan-teacher-is-headed-to-nasa/89401671007/ Dee Smith In a few months, Dee Smith will make her way from Ashley - a small village of about 500 people located north of Lansing, traveling some 1,300 miles south to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Texas. Smith will be part of NASA's LiftOff Summer institute, which provides teachers with information and experiences…
Longtime champion for LGBTQ+ rights wins MEA award
Frank Burger A longtime advocate for the rights and safety of LGBTQ+ staff and students, Frank Burger became the first recipient of MEA’s new Gerry Crane Human and Civil Rights Award, named after a west Michigan teacher whose tragic story inspired others to action. A 28-year educator in the Flint-area Carman-Ainsworth Community Schools, Burger advises the high school’s Prism Club,…
Grand Rapids math teacher wins MEA gender equity award
Wendy Winston As a union leader in Grand Rapids, when she discovered male and female teachers with identical resumes being paid differently, Wendy Winston worked to resolve the disparity. She cites the example for why the intersectional fight for gender equity and human rights must go on. In accepting MEA’s 2026 Maurine Wyatt Feminist and Gender Equity Award, Winston called…
Retired educator wins MEA human rights award for lifelong commitment
Kathy Kosobud Initially Kathy Kosobud set out toward a career in theater design, but she shifted to education after college and applied her manual arts skills to pre-vocational settings for children with disabilities, spending many years as a special education teacher in Ann Arbor. Following a long career advocating for fairness and creating access to opportunities for marginalized children, after…
Creative history teacher wins MEA Educational Excellence award
Daniel Clason Daniel Clason drew inspiration from a Mississippi blues museum for the centerpiece of his project-based approach in Clarkston: traveling trunks filled with American Revolution artifacts created by eighth graders as hands-on learning tools for fifth graders. Clason is the recipient of the 2026 MEA Educational Excellence Award for his instructional leadership and creativity as an eighth and ninth-grade…
Rural educator wins elite award
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor Stephanie Johnson is pictured with daughter Mason after winning the Milken Educator Award at a surprise ceremony at Pine River Middle School in Osceola County. It wasn’t until her last year of high school that MEA member Stephanie Johnson figured out what career to pursue. She found her path in senior English class. Johnson…
Chemistry Teacher By Day, Olympic Hockey Referee at Night
From NEA: https://www.nea.org/nea-today/all-news-articles/chemistry-teacher-day-olympic-hockey-referee-night When Jake Davis stepped onto Olympic ice in Milan, he was not just a chemistry teacher from Michigan anymore. Davis was now one of the few officials in the world who would referee the 2026 Olympic men’s hockey. “Stepping on the ice was surreal,” said Davis. “Just being on the ice with the best hockey players in the world and the international stage was a…
Michigan Educator Honored with “Oscar of Teaching” for Creativity in the Classroom
A tearful Stephanie Johnson makes her way to the front of the gymnasium to accept her Award as colleagues, students, dignitaries and media cheer her on. From Michigan Department of Education: https://www.michigan.gov/mde/news-and-information/press-releases/2026/02/26/mi-teacher-honored-with-milken-educator-award What started with a special visit from Michigan Chief Deputy Superintendent Dr. Sue Carnell turned into an exciting announcement Pine River Middle School teacher Stephanie Johnson will never forget:…
Students in alternative school learn skills, build community
Brian Prill Marquette Alternative High School (MAHS) teacher Brian Prill has helped make the school a statewide leader in environmental sustainability, Career and Technical Education, and in redefining the role of the alternative high school. Prill, who teaches social studies, Spanish and a construction and work readiness course, provides a world view for his students, having completed Fulbright scholarships in…