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Increased funding necessary for early childhood education

Posted on 05/17/13 at 3:56pm

Early childhood education has been underfunded in Michigan for years, and it is time that Michigan’s lawmakers increase our children’s education opportunities by expanding early childhood education programs.

​Gov. Rick Snyder is asking lawmakers to increase funding for early childhood education programs by $130 million over two years, beginning with a $65-million increase in 2013-2014 budget.

​Increasing funding for these programs would provide more opportunities for low-income preschoolers to enroll in early childhood education classes.  JUMP

There's currently $109 million allocated for the Great Start Readiness program, serving 32,000 of Michigan’s children. Another 29,000 children are eligible, but cannot be served.

​If the Michigan Legislature adopts Snyder’s plan, 16,000 more children could enter this program next year, and an additional 18,000 could enter a year later. This means 66,000 openings would be available for these children to enter preschool, more than doubling the current number of openings available.

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Budget surplus should go toward restoring education cuts

Posted on 05/17/13 at 4:07pm

Leaders from across Michigan are calling on Gov. Rick Snyder and state legislators to invest a newfound budget surplus into public schools, to help make up for  the massive cuts previously made to K-12 education.

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Snyder signs bill relaxing snow day penalties for current school year

Posted on 05/17/13 at 4:11pm

Gov. Rick Snyder signed a new law Thursday sparing school districts from losing state funding for missing too many days due to this past winter’s unusually poor weather.

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Snyder and Duncan shadowed by Progress Michigan’s ‘Pepe Le Voucher’

Posted on 05/13/13 at 2:44pm

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan visited Michigan on Monday to participate in several media events with Gov. Rick Snyder to promote the governor’s Education Achievement Authority experiment.

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Skunk Works gets a Facebook account

Posted on 05/17/13 at 4:12pm

Gov. Rick Snyder’s previously top-secret “Skunk Works” group now has a home on Facebook.

In an attempt to give the impression of being more transparent, the so-called “Education Technology Work Group” has launched a Facebook page to collect input from Michigan citizens on education policy, particularly with regard to technology expansion.

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MEA members get free and discounted life insurance

Posted on 05/15/13 at 3:30pm

It pays to plan ahead -- and MEA members don’t have to pay much to do just that.

Every MEA member is eligible for free life insurance through NEA Member Benefits, as well as deep discounts on group term and individual life insurance plans through MEA Financial Services.

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Southeast Michigan educators collaborate on parent summit

Posted on 05/10/13 at 4:16pm

The debate surrounding reforms to the education system has prompted several MEA locals in Southeast Michigan to put together a parent education summit in Novi on Monday, May 13.

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