Lack of confidence in Betsy DeVos unanimous among MEA delegates
Policymakers – like DeVos supporter Bill Schuette – must
Value Students, Respect Educators, and Fund Our Schools
MEA wins hard fought union election in Northern Michigan
EAST LANSING – The Michigan Education Association won a union representation election at North Central Michigan College (NCMC) in Petoskey on Thursday, April 19. In an on-site election conducted by the Michigan Employment Relations Commission (MERC) at the college, a majority of the 33 employees working as office/clerical professionals and custodial/maintenance workers voted to join the union.
MEA Members Deliver Petitions Against Guns in Schools to Capitol
Jon Fielbrandt is a high school chemistry and math teacher in Warren. He’s also a gun owner who thinks arming teachers is a bad idea, so he joined hundreds of MEA delegates to the spring Representative Assembly who delivered that message to state policymakers on Friday.
Labor Voices – Standardized tests dull learning
By PAULA HERBART/President – Michigan Education Association
Last week began the soul-crushing season of standardized test taking in Michigan schools. The overemphasis on “bubble tests” dulls the love of learning for both students and educators. And it’s about to get worse.
Flint Students, Educators Win in Legal Settlement
Flint schoolchildren will receive universal screening for effects of lead exposure related to the Flint water crisis, and educators will receive training on identifying children potentially harmed by lead poisoning, under a lawsuit settlement announced this week.
MDE Seeks “Partnership” with 40 More Schools
Two dozen Michigan schools from 21 districts will be newly offered a “Partnership Agreement” with the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) to improve academic performance over the next few years or face additional consequences.
The “partnership agreement” model of addressing schools with low test scores began one year ago to avoid the controversial move of closing down neighborhood schools. This year’s list includes 16 charter schools.
Labor Voices: School funding a wake-up call
March 21, 2018
By PAULA HERBART/President – Michigan Education Association
How much does it cost to provide a student with an adequate education?
The short answer: much more than we are currently spending. A report released last month should be a wake-up call for policymakers to fix Michigan’s education funding system. The study by a diverse group of business leaders and education experts pegged the base per-pupil cost to educate a K-12 student in Michigan at $9,590, an increase of 16 to 26 percent over current funding levels of $7,600 to $8,300 per pupil.
Bills Would Change Evaluation Law
The percentage of a Michigan teacher’s evaluation that is tied to student test scores would remain at 25 percent instead of jumping to 40 percent next fall, under legislation recently introduced at the recommendation of MEA.
Release Time Bills Appear Again
Bills that would eliminate paid release time for union officials have passed the Senate Education Committee in spite of opposition from numerous school superintendents.
Supporting efforts to stop gun violence in schools
MEA is committed to ongoing efforts to stop gun violence in our schools – see below for updates on how you can support the cause.