EAST LANSING – The Michigan Education Association is sad to announce the death of former President Steven Cook, who passed away Tuesday after battling a non-COVID-19 illness. The longest-serving officer of any NEA state affiliate, Cook was the first education support professional to serve as president of the Michigan’s largest school employee union, serving in…
The State Board of Education approved a resolution on Tuesday calling on Michigan’s state and national lawmakers to push for legislation preserving “educational services to Michigan school children that have been threatened as a result of this pandemic.” The resolution – which MEA formally supported during meeting – comes as Congress begins to ramp up…
EAST LANSING — The Michigan Education Association today announced 51 recipients of the 2020 MEA Scholarships, honoring exemplary public school students from across the state who plan to attend a Michigan public university next fall. Among the 401 applications submitted for scholarship awards this year, the MEA Scholarship Fund Trustees chose 29 new award recipients…
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor Some MEA members – like the three featured below – are positioned at the crossroads of the current public health crisis, working both in education and health care. They offer a unique perspective on teaching, learning, and appreciation for front-line caregivers in the age of COVID-19. Patrick Lothrop –…
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer joined NEA President Lily Eskelsen García on a webinar on Wednesday night where members of the nation’s largest union – our education association – were urged to press Congress to send money to states for public education needs. The global pandemic has wreaked havoc on state budgets across the country, Whitmer noted.…
Following on the heels of major wins for local school funding in March, this past Tuesday’s local elections saw nearly all funding measures pass amidst huge absentee voter turnout. Of 36 local school millage and bond votes on the ballot Tuesday, only two lost. The biggest win of the day was the overwhelming renewal the…
EAST LANSING – Otsego Public Schools food service workers on Monday provided their 100,000th meal to local families since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The West Michigan school district’s experience is indicative of other districts statewide that are continuing to serve meals to students in need. “We knew it was going to come at…
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor As a self-described “Harry Potter nerd,” MEA member Ashley Calhoun has brought a bit of magic to her hometown of Homer, where she is now finishing her fourth year of teaching fourth grade. When the global COVID-19 pandemic forced school buildings in Michigan to close in March, Calhoun was…
It’s that time of year when we celebrate educators! The first full week of May has been National Teacher Appreciation Week for decades. But this year, with students not in school buildings as a result of the COVID-19 crisis and educators working in new ways to teach from a distance, deliver meals, and more, the…
A national survey released last week shows parents support teachers and school support staff in overwhelming numbers – more than their governor or local government. The National Education Association survey found 88% of parents approve of how their children’s teachers are handling the coronavirus pandemic. They also overwhelmingly (81 percent) approve of school support staff…
