An appeal for your activism What would it mean to have smaller class sizes in your school? Or to have additional counselors and social workers in your district to address students’ social-emotional and mental health needs? What about returning a certified librarian to every building? Equipping students with books, supplies and technology? Committing to the…
DetailsNew programs help schools address mental health, suicide crisis By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor Right down to the buzz haircut, MEA member Keith Garrison looks every bit the part he plays at West Bloomfield High School. A 25-year physical education and health teacher in the district, Garrison tries to list all of the sports…
DetailsBy Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor MEA member Tamara Reaume asked the fourth graders lying flat on exercise mats in front of her to sit on their hands with feet in the air. “Remember, your legs do not have to be straight, friends,” the Rockford paraeducator told about two dozen youngsters whose legs weaved skyward…
DetailsAcademic autonomy and professional respect were driving factors in a recent vote to unionize by faculty at Delta College near Bay City, which had been the only remaining non-union community college in the state. The win brings nearly 200 potential new members into the MEA family. After months of organizing work, 86 percent of participating…
DetailsBecause he’s a well-trained therapy dog for Brighton Area Schools, Duncan knows to go to his carpet or pillow when he enters a classroom. But one day the three-year-old yellow Labrador walked into the junior kindergarten class, spotted a little boy struggling with his emotions, and quietly settled next to the child who began petting…
DetailsIt’s being called a silent epidemic; a crisis. More and more young people from K-12 schools to college campuses are experiencing anxiety and depression, a problem accompanied by a dramatic growth in youth suicide. Rural and urban, large and small, rich and poor. No community is immune, and schools across the state are trying to…
DetailsBy Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor Gov. Gretchen Whitmer listed education funding along with fixing roads and other infrastructure as the top two priorities facing Michigan policymakers during her first State of the State address on Tuesday night. Everyone can see the terrible condition of the state’s roads, and the average motorist spends $562 per…
DetailsEAST LANSING – The following can be attributed to MEA President Paula Herbart regarding tonight’s State of the State address from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer:“It is a welcome change for Michigan’s school employees to hear from our governor about the need to respect and listen to educators on the front lines. Michigan teachers and education support…
DetailsOne teacher focuses on student engagement and empowerment through study of history and the U.S. Constitution. The other promotes acceptance of students’ social and cultural identities through multicultural learning and family outreach. Both educators – Ann Arbor’s Renea DiBella and Royal Oak’s Christy Osborne – were honored for their accomplishments during last week’s MEA Winter…
DetailsJust ahead of Tuesday night’s State of the State address, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer stopped by the MEA Winter Conference last week to give attendees a glimpse into a future that is possible if educators “re-up your commitment by staying engaged.” “The education of our kids and the work that you do every day will be…
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