Statement from MEA President on passage of charter school money grab
EAST LANSING – The following statement can be attributed to MEA President Paula Herbart regarding State House passage of SB 574, which would allow charter schools to get a share…
Labor Voices: Rural schools serve vital role
January 17, 2018
By PAULA HERBART/President – Michigan Education Association
Nearly nine million students attend rural schools — more than the enrollments of New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago and the nation’s next 75 largest school districts combined. These students in Michigan and around the county face similar challenges, like limited access to advanced coursework, medical care, internet access and employment opportunities.
MEA Advocating for Fast, Accurate Return of 3 Percent
Right before the holiday break, the Office of Retirement Services (ORS) put out information regarding how refunds would be handled through local school districts for employees owed their 3 percent…
Michigan Supreme Court unanimously rules to return 3% to school employees
Today marks a major victory for Michigan school employees, as the Michigan Supreme Court unanimously ruled to return more than a half billion dollars illegally taken from school employees in the long-running 3 percent case.
Labor Voices: Employees, not test scores, make schools great
December 20, 2017
By PAULA HERBART/President – Michigan Education Association
Do scores on bubble tests define a great school district? Like all those “Whos” down in Whoville knew (and the Grinch learned), perhaps, just perhaps, it’s something much more.
Survey highlights Top 10 out-of-pocket expenses for Michigan school employees
MEA survey shows 96 percent of educators spend personal money on supplies while Congress debates eliminating $250 Educator Expense Tax Deduction
Expensive School Funding Change a Slippery Slope?
The state Senate this week passed most of the bills contained in a legislative package that would create an expensive new government bureaucracy to fund pay-to-play public school services and extracurricular fees through parent savings plans.
3% Update: Motion filed to keep new Supreme Court Justice from ruling on case
In advocating for the return of members’ money in the 3% case, lawyers from MEA and AFT Michigan have filed a motion to disqualify new Justice Elizabeth Clement from ruling on the case heard by the Michigan Supreme Court earlier this month. Until recently, Clement served as Gov. Rick Snyder’s chief legal counsel.
Michigan ESSA Plan Approved
Michigan has won approval from the U.S. Department of Education (USED) for the state’s plan to comply with the federal law known as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
Pontiac School Garden Feeds Students
Pontiac elementary students got a yummy lesson in garden-to-table nutrition recently when they harvested 500 pounds of potatoes from the school vegetable patch. The Kensington Church volunteers and food service staff used the bounty to whip up cheesy potatoes for everyone.