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August 29, 2019

Labor Day 2019 Events

Join fellow MEA members as we celebrate Labor Day across Michigan! Don't forget to wear #RedForEd at these events in Detroit, Marquette County, Grand Rapids and Muskegon (or wherever your Labor Day plans take you!).

If you’re in Detroit, welcome new NEA Executive Director Kim Anderson to Michigan along with MEA Vice President Chandra Madafferi, Secretary-Treasurer Brett Smith, and Executive Director Mike Shoudy at the Detroit Labor Day Parade. MEA President Paula Herbart will be with members at the Marquette County 30th Annual Labor Day Festival.

Learn more and RSVP today!

Rochester Teachers Shop Free Union Store

First-year educator Stephanie Connell briefly paused and held her head in her hands to contain the overwhelm she felt while shopping in the New Teacher Store at Rochester Community Schools last Friday.

The high school English teacher and brand new MEA member was allowed to take whatever she wanted for free from a room crowded with materials donated by Rochester EA members, including books, games, manipulatives, art supplies, posters, office supplies, bulletin board materials, storage containers, and more.

“I don’t want to be wasteful,” she said. “I’m trying to stop and think and save things for other people, because I know how big this burden is.”

The New Teacher Store was started this year by Rochester Education Association Secretary Jenny Schneider as a way to welcome the district’s newly hired teachers into MEA and to help them see the union as a caring community.

“I want them to know the union is not just there for your legal rights or to fight for a good contract. They’re there to support you; it’s your support system.”

Continue reading . . .

‘Clear the Lists’ Movement Sweeps Across Michigan

MEA member Virginia Weichert would like to start using flexible seating in her St. Clair County special education classroom. Her students with cognitive impairments enjoy activities more when they are not confined to desks, she says.

But Weichert also has basic school supplies to purchase with her own money, and she can’t afford to buy all of the alternative seating choices she wants. So she made a wish list and shared it on social media as part of the trending #clearthelists #clearthelist #clearthelistMI and #clearthelistsmichigan movement.

“I would love to get yoga balls, video game chairs, bean bags, and other alternative seating, but no matter what I plan on making this a great year!” she said.

Third-year Texas teacher Courtney Jones started “Support a Teacher” on Facebook as a way for educators to share Amazon wish lists for gifting. The idea and multiple hashtags spread to Twitter and Instagram, joined by nearly a quarter-million educators across the country.

Read more . . .

Correction

A brief in the August-September issue of MEA Voice magazine incorrectly identified the school district where MEA member and Miss Michigan Mallory Rivard is employed. Rivard is a first-grade teacher in Bay City Public Schools.

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August 14, 2019

Lansing-Area Teacher Creates ‘Border Blooms’

Over the past 18 months, MEA member Nicole Haney has been heart-broken by images of immigrant children in detention – including those separated from their parents for no good reason – so she attended a rally at the state Capitol to make her voice heard.

A new mother and Lansing-area instructional coach, Haney was too busy to act beyond that protest and calling congressional offices—or so she thought until a former teaching colleague out west began posting on social media about simple ways to take action.

Haney has worked as a teacher and reading interventionist in Waverly Community Schools since 2013. Before moving back home to Michigan, she taught in Arizona at a school with a large immigrant population for eight years.

“All I could think was that these were my students. I mean, I’ve heard their stories; it could have been them.”

As more reports emerged this spring and summer of immigrant children continuing to be separated from their families and held in inhumane detention centers, Haney began to imagine the trauma of having her one-year-old son Liam taken away.

“It’s hard to even talk about,” she said. “You see these horrible things – just every story – and it’s hard to fathom. It’s gut-wrenching.”

At least 25 migrant people have died in U.S. custody over the past year, including eight children.

Ultimately Haney found the inspiration to act in her own front yard. Two years ago, she and husband Dustin bought a Lansing home previously owned by a gardener who planted varieties of perennial flowers that bloom from spring to summer.

As the blossoms emerged this year, Haney recalled a 10-year-old girl she follows on Instagram who sells flowers to buy Christmas gifts for children in need. “I looked around our yard, and thought, Maybe I could try selling some flowers on our porch and see what happens.”

Haney gathered up unused vases lying around the house and created some arrangements of cuttings from her yard which she advertised on a Facebook group of her westside neighbors. Those interested could take a vase of flowers and leave a donation.

She dubbed it Border Blooms, and soon she created a public Instagram account @borderbloomsmi to make sharing easier, and she started a PayPal account to allow for monetary donations. Since mid-July, she’s raised more than $700 selling more than 80 bouquets.

Continue reading...

Watch for August-September Voice

There is an extra boost of inspiration in the upcoming issue of MEA Voicemagazine—watch your mailbox for its arrival this week!

The August-September edition of the Voice is filled with the latest information on our June #RedForEd rallies and the state budget, alongside articles and editorials of encouragement and advice.

This month’s cover story is a moving portrait of an MEA member and world history teacher who has made it his life’s work to help young people discover and use their voices. Waverly High School teacher Robert Lurie inspires students and colleagues alike.

Read about a MEA-led literacy project that is bringing classroom libraries to disadvantaged schools, and meet Nicole Droscha – a third-grade teacher from Mason who will be writing a series all school year about her experience with the new reading law.

Get inspired by two MEA members chosen in the first two cohorts of the state’s new Innovative Educator Corps, a grant program encouraging innovators to spread their ideas. And learn about your colleagues who’ve been honored for great accomplishments.

All that – plus spotlight on a 22-year veteran paraeducator – awaits you in the latest issue of MEA Voice arriving soon!

Educator Code of Ethics Approved

An updated Michigan Code of Educational Ethics has been approved by the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) to guide local policy and decision-making beginning this school year.

Adapted from a model code developed by a national panel of practicing teachers and administrators, Michigan’s document covers a range of expectations such as integrity in instruction, maintaining professional relationships, and protecting student privacy which should be practiced by all individuals working with students.

The Code will be reflected on educators’ certificates in the Michigan Online Educator Certification System (MOECS) beginning this month. The document is divided into 5 sections:

Responsibility to the Profession
Responsibility for Professional Competence
Responsibility to Students
Responsibility to the School Community
Responsible and ethical use of technology

Continue reading...

ICYMI: Number of Long-term Subs Grows

In case you missed it… Last week Bridge magazine published a series of articles detailing one of the concerning consequences of our state's teaching shortage—uncertified substitute teachers filling long-term and permanent roles in our schools.

Please share this important information with friends, family members, and your community: Our students pay the price for failures of leadership on the issues of teacher retention and recruitment.

According to the analysis of state data from Bridge, last school year more than 2,500 Michigan classrooms were led by long-term substitutes who weren’t certified teachers – a stunning tenfold increase in just five years that threatens to hobble efforts to improve the state’s K-12 public education system.

Last year at one charter school in rural north central Michigan, 44 percent of its teachers were uncertified full-time substitutes — more than the region’s six traditional school districts combined, according to state data.

In this Q&A, the dean of University of Michigan’s School of Education argues the situation should concern everyone in the state.

July 30, 2019

SVSU Prof is National Higher Educator of the Year

How to reduce student attrition is a topic of great interest to college administrators, but Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU) Communication Professor Dr. David Schneider is on a mission to make it the concern of every instructor and professor as well.

A longtime member and leader of MEA’s higher education branch, Michigan Association for Higher Education (MAHE), Schneider is known for his research challenging common assumptions about why students leave their colleges and universities.

“There’s an old belief that students don’t do well in school so they bail out, and that may be true,” Schneider said, “but we’re also learning that they step out for reasons other than not being able to succeed academically.”

First-year college students need to develop a sense of “attachment” to their college or university, Schneider has found – and faculty are perfectly positioned to help. The key is for students to become “activated,” both socially and academically, he says.

“Faculty can identify the pathways where that will happen.”

Entering his 34th year at SVSU, Schneider not only puts his research into practice in his own classes. He delivers his message at national conferences and encourages colleagues to better engage students in ways that strengthen their sense of belonging.

For his student-centered approach to teaching and his union leadership at the local and state level, Schneider has been named NEA’s 2019 Higher Educator of the Year, a national honor he deemed a “humbling and moving experience.”

“I’m just awestruck that my colleagues would think to nominate me, and deeply moved to be selected for the honor,” he said.

Continue reading...

Six Members Win with Staples Discount Program – Now You Can Too!

Six lucky members who signed up for MEA’s new Staples discount program by the end of June have won a “classroom refresh” random prize drawing. The winners will receive approximately $250 in 3M products for their classrooms.

Have you signed up yet? From Aug. 1 through Oct. 29, members who order online through their StaplesAdvantage.com account will receive an additional 5 percent off of every purchase on top of already big savings.

When you order online through your StaplesAdvantage.com account, the 5 percent discount will automatically apply at check out. Thousands of registered MEA members already receive an average discount of 30 percent on their purchases every time they shop.

Two of the classroom refresh winners (April Switzenberg and Katherine Sibalwa, pictured above with MEA President Paula Herbart and Staples’ Joe Holton) were on-hand at the MEA Summer Conference in East Lansing this week. Here are the six lucky winners:

Amanda Feyen, teacher, Manistee
Erin Michalak, teacher, Clawson
Heather Skulan, teacher, Wakefield-Marenisco
Katherine Sibalwa, teacher, Byron Center
Betsy Spray-Comstock, teacher, Atherton
April Switzenberg, paraeducator, Mason

Innovative Educators Named

Nine MEA members have joined the state’s new Innovative Educator Corps, a grant program from the Michigan Department of Education recognizing educators who utilize an innovative program, methodology, or strategy to prepare students for future career success.

Each IEC member receives a $5,000 grant and $5,000 stipend to expand, replicate, and share their innovative practices with other educators. The grant and stipend can be renewed for up to an additional two years.

Watch for the August-September issue of MEA Voice magazine to read the first stories in a new series about innovation that MEA members bring to public education in Michigan.

Here are the newest MEA members of the IEC:

Rebecca Arbic, Sault Area Public Schools
Natalie Daversa, Oxford Community Schools
Amy Kuntz, Caro Community Schools
Erin Maturen, Montrose Community Schools
Lori Morningstar, Flushing Community Schools
Andrew Ratke, Grand Haven Area Public Schools
Randy Scott, Davison Community Schools
Benjamin Shoemaker, Mason Public Schools
Robert Thomson, Alpena Public Schools

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May 6, 2019

Today is Election Day

Tuesday, May 7, is Election Day! Many school districts have funding measures on the ballot. See if an election is scheduled in your area, and view a sample ballot at www.mi.gov/vote --- then make a plan to get to the polls!

Future Educators Give Service to Schools

Even though they haven’t yet started their teaching careers, the Aspiring Educators of MEA understand the importance of a nice staff lounge in bringing school employees together and combatting classroom isolation.

Future educators from AEM chapters at Ferris and Michigan State Universities spruced up dreary spaces to create comfortable and functional break rooms for employees of schools in the McBain and Lansing school districts.

“This is the teacher’s lounge I want to have when I’m a teacher,” said Melissa Birchmeier, a secondary education student at FSU majoring in biology and Spanish. “To be able to form that space for those teachers felt amazing.”

Teachers at McBain Rural Agricultural School, which houses K-12 students in different sections of the building, did not have a staff lounge since an old one flooded 10 years ago. The FSU students rehabbed an unused classroom for the role.

The new lounge features a custom-made counter top, conference table and chairs, two couches, and shelving in a closet.

“It was just amazing to see the transformation of the room,” Birchmeier said. “On the last day, we were all going to leave, and we turned the lights off and just kind of stood there and said, ‘Wow.’”

Continue reading . . .

Sign up for Staples Discounts -- and win a "Classroom Refresh"!

Have you signed up yet for MEA’s new discount program with Staples? Don’t wait—MEA member educators who sign up by June 30 will be automatically entered into a drawing for a classroom makeover.

The “Classroom Refresh” winners will receive approximately $250 in 3M products for their classrooms. There is no purchase necessary; just sign up for the Staples discount program. You must be a member in good standing to qualify.

Register now to enter the contest and start saving by logging into the MEA Members Only area at www.mea.org/members-only.

Members who previously signed up for the program are already entered into the drawing.

MEA will be selecting six winners, two from each of our three zones, for the early 2019-20 school year classroom refresh. Winners will be invited to the Summer Conference at the end of July.

Thanks to the collective purchasing power of MEA’s members, we’ve negotiated big discounts on the supplies you need for your home and classroom.

After signing up for the program, you can save on the hundreds of dollars per year you spend on supplies for students, either by shopping online or visiting your local Staples location.

MEA Voice Focuses on Evaluation

Be sure to take some time to read the current issue of MEA Voice magazine.

A package of stories in the current issue of MEA Voice magazine explores how changes to the teacher evaluation system in Michigan have raised fears and lowered morale without improving teaching and learning.

MEA members shared their evaluation stories in the April issue. One first-year teacher told Gov. Gretchen Whitmer at an event in Grand Rapids last month: “I think it deters a lot of new teachers from coming into the profession, and it also contributes to the high rate of younger teachers quitting.”

The cover package includes one 20-year veteran teacher’s experience of being laid off despite his “effective” rating because his evaluation score was less than one point lower than a newer, younger colleague.

Also in the April issue, get the details on MEA’s plan to organize at the local level around Gov. Whitmer’s budget proposal – and then get involved; read about an “incubator” class in Novi that encourages student entrepreneurs; learn more about National Board Certification; get inspired by educator award winners; and find out how Career Technical Education changes lives.

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April 18, 2019

Educators Rate Evaluation ‘Ineffective’

MEA President Paula Herbart addressed problems in the teacher evaluation system in her latest “Labor Voices” column in The Detroit News on Wednesday.

At the same time, MEA issued a press release calling on lawmakers in the state House to take swift action to pass Senate Bill 122, which would delay a drastic increase in the weight student test scores have on teachers’ evaluations.

In interviews and opinion surveys, MEA members have raised serious issues with the system overhaul by state lawmakers in 2011 and 2015. A “Hunger Games” atmosphere has emerged from the high-stakes system pitting educators against each other, Herbart says in her column.

Read the full “Labor Voices” column.

MEA Voice Focuses on Evaluation

A package of stories in the upcoming issue of MEA Voice magazine will explore how changes to the teacher evaluation system in Michigan have raised fears and lowered morale without improving teaching and learning.

MEA members share their evaluation stories in the April issue, which begins hitting homes over the next few days. One first-year teacher told Gov. Gretchen Whitmer at a meet-and-greet event in Grand Rapids last month: “I think it deters a lot of new teachers from coming into the profession, and it also contributes to the high rate of younger teachers quitting.”

The cover package includes one 20-year veteran teacher’s experience of being laid off despite his “effective” rating because his evaluation score was less than one point lower than a newer, younger colleague.

Watch your mailbox for the April issue of MEA Voice magazine for this important cover story about evaluations!

Apply to Governor’s Advisory Council by Monday, April 22

The deadline for applying to be a member of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s newly announced Educator Advisory Council was extended to this coming Monday, April 22, due to a website outage last weekend.

To apply, go to www.michigan.gov/appointments. Under Boards and Commissions, click Apply Now to start the application process. Be sure to choose Educator Advisory Council from the dropdown menu on the third page of the application.

The 15-member advisory council will make recommendations to Whitmer on education policies.

Read more about the council.

MEA Member Benefit of the Week

Over the past 15 years, MEA members have saved millions of dollars on discounts through the MEA Membership Card. From online shopping and major brands to discounts at local businesses you visit every day, MEA members save money through this national program, powered by Access. To start saving money today, just register your MEA membership card by visiting www.mea.org/members-only. Need a new membership card? You can request one there as well.

Nominate a Social Justice Activist

Every day educators take extraordinary action to show leadership on social justice issues in and out of the classroom, and each year NEA recognizes those efforts with its national Social Justice Activist Award.

MEA/NEA members have a long and proud history of social justice activism. Education advocacy and social justice advocacy go hand in hand, as an increasingly diverse kaleidoscope of students and educators must feel welcome in our public schools.

The 2019 Social Justice Activist Award will be presented to the exceptional effort that demonstrates the ability to lead, organize and engage educators, parents, and the community to advocate on social justice issues that impact the lives of students, fellow educators and the communities they serve.

Click here to nominate an educator through April 30!

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April 11, 2019

Whitmer Announces Educator Advisory Council

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer today followed through on her pledge to elevate the voices of educators in her administration with the announcement of a new 15-member Educator Advisory Council, which will begin taking applications immediately.

The Educator Advisory Council will be responsible for:

Identifying and analyzing issues impacting the effectiveness of Michigan’s public education system;
Identifying best practices in public education;
Recommending changes and improvements to our public education system; and
Reviewing and making recommendations regarding legislation relevant to our public education system.

To apply to be a part of the council, go to www.michigan.gov/appointmentsand select “Educator Advisory Council” from the dropdown menu in the "Boards and Commissions" application.

The makeup of the council will include a broad cross-section of Michigan educators, including teachers, administrators, counselors, specialists, and support staff.

“Michigan’s educators are on the front lines in classrooms every day working to make sure our kids can get a great public education,” said Whitmer. “By creating the Educator Advisory Council, we can finally give them a seat at the table so they can help develop public school policies that will help our students get the skills they need to compete for good-paying jobs and thrive right here in Michigan.”

MEA President Paula Herbart praised the new council in a press release issued today. “We supported Gov. Whitmer’s candidacy because she has championed public schools in her career as a legislator and because she promised to listen to the front-line experts in classrooms and buildings across the state. The creation of the Educator Advisory Council represents another ‘promise kept’ by our new governor.”

Teacher of the Year Finalists Announced

This year’s 10 Michigan Regional Teachers of the Year were announced last week by the Michigan Department of Education. From those regional finalists, the state’s top educator honoree – Michigan Teacher of the Year – will be revealed next month.

The regional teachers of the year were selected for their dedication to the profession, as evidenced by their commitment to their students and track record of service in the teaching profession, both in their school and throughout Michigan, the MDE said in a statement.

“Recognizing and tapping the skills and expertise of outstanding educators across Michigan helps improve all of our schools,” said Interim State Superintendent Sheila Alles. “We benefit greatly from the broad perspectives of teaching and learning taking place in our great state. Michigan is fortunate to have many talented educators.”

Nine of the 10 regional teachers of the year are MEA members, and the tenth finalist works in Detroit Public Schools Community District which is represented by AFT Michigan.

Continue reading . . .

Online Option for Mandated Reporters

For mandated reporters, it can be difficult to call and make a report of suspected abuse or neglect knowing it could take up to 30 minutes or more to complete the process by phone.

Thanks to a new online program, those reports can now be completed online. If you are a mandated reporter, please register at your earliest convenience. It doesn’t take long and will save you time later if you have to make a report. The website is available at all hours, every day.

When filing online, reporters have no obligation to file an additional written report (DHHS-3200) or to call the hotline. The hotline remains open for oral reports, especially emergencies. Online reporting is simply a second option.

To register for the Michigan Online Reporting System, click here.

Additional information for mandated reporters about the Michigan Online Reporting System or reporting suspected child abuse and neglect in Michigan is available here.

Member Benefit of the Week

MEA Financial Services is owned by the MEA and exists to benefit you, the members of the MEA.

MEA members can save money though exclusive auto and home insurance discounts, have access to competitive rate cash back reward credit cards, and prepare for retirement through a variety of programs that were designed with the MEA member in mind.

Learn more about how MEA Financial Services can save you money and help prepare you for retirement atwww.meafs.com.

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March 20, 2019

Michigan Educators Raise Concerns in Statewide Survey

Only 25 percent of all Michigan educators – and just 20 percent of teachers – would recommend a career in education to a young person they know, according to results released Wednesday from a statewide educator survey conducted last month.

Factors that most negatively affect Michigan educators’ professional satisfaction include lack of support from policymakers and politicians (72%) and lack of respect for the profession (66%), according to the survey of 16,878 educators conducted by Emma White Research LLC from Feb. 4-19.

The survey was fielded by Launch Michigan, a diverse alliance of education, labor, business and philanthropic organizations committed to establishing a shared agenda to ensure all Michigan students receive a best-in-class education.

MEA President Paula Herbart praised the effort to bring educators’ voices into the conversation about public education. The results show educators remain committed to their students but feel underappreciated, overworked, and unsupported.

“I hope that this survey will serve as a guidepost to an education agenda that drives innovation and success while respecting and honoring those who provide it,” Herbart said.

Continue reading . . .

Bus Driver has ‘Higher Purpose’

MEA member Marti Alvarez makes a distinction between her job at Traverse City Area Public Schools and her reason for being.

She is employed as a bus driver, but she is driven by a goal to help students be successful human beings – a message she spreads to colleagues doing every type of work in schools, whether it’s serving food, running an office, cleaning classrooms, or any other task.

“It’s about empathy and higher purpose,” the 18-year veteran school bus driver says.

Last weekend, Alvarez was presented with one of MEA’s highest honors for Education Support Professionals, the Leon A. Brunner Award, for her activism and leadership on behalf of kids and union members.

Alvarez is known for having a big heart and an active imagination. When she sees a problem, she wants to solve it.

Continue reading . . .

Message to ESP Conference: More than “Justa”

Yvonne Williams wants MEA’s Education Support Professionals to banish a word from their vocabulary: “Justa.”

“It would not be unusual to hear one of our colleagues say I am justa bus driver, I’m justa secretary or I’m justa custodian,” the recently retired MEA Northern Zone Director told attendees at the ESP Statewide Conference in Port Huron last week.

“Don’t let anyone tell you or imply that your position is any less than any other position or your employment is not valuable,” Williams said in the keynote address at the conference’s Friday night dinner. “Remember—you are more than a Justa!”

Williams began her career as a substitute bus aide, and she worked as a special education paraprofessional before earning a degree and credential to become a special education teacher. Her involvement in union leadership eventually led to professional and management roles at MEA.

“Do you know what kind of power you have as an ESP?” she asked the crowd. “Do you know that it would be virtually impossible for a school district to operate without you? Believe the work you do is imperative; it is necessary for the success of everyone involved.”

Her point was reinforced by another messenger—Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who said she traveled to Port Huron for the conference because she understands the importance of school support staff.

“Everyone who is a part of the school community is important to the education of our kids,” Whitmer said. “Everyone in this ecosystem makes a difference, but in Michigan we have for too long let leaders who don’t believe in public education set the agenda.”

Read more . . .

Winning Art a Tribute to Grandparents

This year’s winner of “Best in Show” at the 55^th Annual MEA/MAEA Art Acquisitions Purchase Exhibition is an artist and teacher who exemplifies the circle of life in education.

Josh Gove, a first-year elementary art teacher in St. Johns, says he credits skilled and encouraging educators from his youth for his love of art and desire to teach. “I owe a lot to my art teachers,” he said.

Drawing and painting has been a longtime hobby, along with world travel, he says. “Art is connected to everything I enjoy about life—travel, culture, language.”

Now he’s fostering his students’ creativity in the district where he grew up, after earning a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from Alma College and K-12 certification from Central Michigan University.

Gove’s piece, “Reliquia,” demonstrated “true mastery” of intaglio printmaking, according to juror Dr. Michelle Duran, an assistant professor of Art history in Ball State University’s School of Art.

Read more . . .

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February 28, 2019

A Clarion Call

MEA member Brian Taylor moved to Michigan with his wife 20 years ago having never visited the state, and he became a teacher in West Ottawa 16 years ago having never graduated from high school nor earned an equivalency degree.

As a teenager in Oregon, Taylor was “a non-conformist for no good reason” except he didn’t like rules – earning him a thick file of detention slips in school (which he still possesses). Now he lives on the other side of the student-teacher equation, years after dropping out of high school and driving in his car until he ran out of gas money in northern California.

“That’s why, if I get a student that I think is difficult—it’s karma,” he quipped. “I don’t complain. I say, ‘I will do my best. I understand; I deserve this.’”
Taylor’s students call his class entertaining and fun but also relevant and inspiring, because he ties current events to learning about government systems and history with a combination of humor and engaging lessons and activities.

“He pulls in modern-day information and connects it to the material we’re learning, and he puts us in the place of government so we have to figure things out for ourselves,” said senior Raven Shilander, who was motivated to take AP Government after enjoying Taylor’s required government class.

Taylor is among several history and government teachers featured in the February MEA Voice magazine. Learn the rest of his story, and see how these educators spark their students’ interest in learning about government and civic participation in a tumultuous age of political division.

And don’t miss our Special Report on student mental health in the latest issue of MEA Voice.

Stark Choices

Editor’s Note: MEA member Rick Joseph, Michigan’s 2015-16 Teacher of the Year, recently joined with dozens of educators from across the country to call attention to the U.S. government’s prolonged confinement of immigrant children in crowded detention facilities. MEA helped to sponsor Joseph’s participation in the event.

Here he reflects on the event’s meaning and importance.

By Rick Joseph

I recently had the honor of presenting at the Teach-In for Freedom in El Paso, Texas. As I gathered with teachers from around the country on President’s Day, I felt an immense sense of gratitude for the opportunity to share the realities of refugee youth who represent the more than 14,000 young people who have been detained in federal government facilities for the offense of exercising their right to seek asylum.

I deeply appreciate the support of the Michigan Education Association and every MEA member who made it possible for me to attend this event. I also felt the profound power and import of belonging to a teacher’s union. The spirit of solidarity and community permeated this event as both MEA and AFT affiliates from across the country came together to rally around the common cause of supporting children in our role as mandated reporters.

Continue reading . . .

Enter to Win a School Fitness Center

Three schools in Michigan will be given a $100,000 school fitness center in a contest aimed at ending childhood obesity.

Fitness icon Jake Steinfeld, chairman of the National Foundation for Governors’ Fitness Councils (NFGFC), has selected the State of Michigan for its 2019 DON’T QUIT! fitness campaign. The NFGFC will deliver a state-of-the-art DON’T QUIT! Fitness Center to three schools for demonstrating leadership in getting and keeping their students fit.

School nominations will be accepted through Friday, March 22. The nomination process is simple. All you need to do is fill out a short application and include a written essay or short video. Download the Michigan application at http://natgovfit.org/nominate-your-school/.

To be eligible, schools must serve students between 8-13 years old and have a pre-existing room on school property, between 900-1,500 square feet in size, available for equipment installation in summer of 2019.

TEACHING RESOURCES

FREE! Tonight (Feb. 28) at 7 p.m.— Teaching digital media literacy can be daunting. Join your peers and a Washington Post national political reporter for the first of a three-part PBS “Live Learning” experience: Empowering Young Media Consumers and Creators. Designed by educators, this virtual professional learning series will introduce a number of teaching models and strategies to enhance your practice.

Sign up for this free one-hour event.

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February 12, 2019

MEA Conference Hits High Notes

Just 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 the centerpiece of what we do,” she said in a Thursday speech before hundreds of MEA conference goers, “and when we get to the budget – where the rubber really hits the road – you will see a commitment to education like no one has made in a long time.”

Whitmer thanked MEA leaders and members who made phone calls, knocked doors, posted on social media, and talked to friends and family to help her win election. But she noted that was only the beginning of the work that must be done.

“When I introduce this budget, every one of us has to put our back into it,” she said.

Continue reading...

Inspiring Educators Win MEA Awards

One 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 Conference.

Continue reading -- Learn more about these two dedicated teachers -- and see highlights of their acceptance speeches.

Educator Survey Deadline Extended

Thousands of MEA members have already completed a survey of educators that will help guide policy decisions in our state. Have you taken the time to fill it out?
The deadline has been extended to complete the survey, which is being fielded by Launch Michigan, a diverse alliance of education, labor, business and philanthropic groups.

MEA represents the interests of school employees in the coalition. Survey responses – which are confidential – will be used by Launch Michigan to guide a set of policy recommendations it intends to propose to the Governor and state Legislature.

MEA K-12 members should have received several emails over the past week from “Launch Michigan” with an invitation to participate, including one Monday evening.

The survey will take about 15-20 minutes to complete – please take time by next Monday, Feb. 18, to make your voice heard. If you have not received the email invitation, write to info@ewhiteresearch.com and let them know you’re an educator (including where you work) and they will send a survey link.

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February 5, 2019

Top Michigan Educator to Join ‘Teach-in’

The commitment that MEA member Rick Joseph made when he became an educator does not stop when he exits his Birmingham classroom each day. This month, it will take him to Texas.

The 2015-16 Michigan Teacher of the Year will join other top educators from across the nation at a teach-in on Feb. 17 in El Paso to protest the U.S. government’s prolonged confinement of thousands of migrant children in crowded juvenile detention facilities.

“As a teacher who is a mandated reporter, I recoil at the thought that we’re warehousing children in situations that put them in harm’s way,” Joseph said. “As educators if we observe child abuse, if we observe child neglect, we are mandated by law to report it.””
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CALLING ALL Education Support Professionals!

We all know the world of difference that Education Support Professionals (ESP) make every day in the lives of students. Nominate an outstanding ESP member for the Leon Brunner Award, and sign up to attend the ESP Statewide Conference in March where the winner will be announced.

There would be no school without great para-educators, clerical staff, food service workers, custodians and maintenance workers, and transportation employees. Take some time to nominate an ESP member in good standing who has done outstanding work and is deserving of being recognized with the Brunner award.

ESP leaders and members who attend the March 15-16 conference at Blue Water Convention Center in Port Huron will network and train on topics such as legal issues, ESP certification, privatization, school violence, and member outreach and engagement. Register for the conference today!

The Brunner award is given at a special dinner and award ceremony on Friday night of the conference. Nominations for the award are due by close of business on Feb. 15.

Speak Up – Complete Launch Michigan Survey This Week

A survey is being conducted this week of educators in Michigan to help guide policy decisions. The online educator survey is being fielded by Launch Michigan, a diverse alliance of education, labor, business and philanthropic groups.MEA is a partner in Launch Michigan, representing the interests of school employees in the coalition.
MEA members should have received an email on Monday from Launch Michigan with an invitation to take the survey. MEA is encouraging all K-12 school employees to participate and make their voices heard about what is needed on the front-lines of public education to help every student succeed.
“We owe it to our students and our professional colleagues to take part in a survey like this,” said MEA President Paula Herbart, one of Launch Michigan’s co-chairs. “For years, educators have wished for policymakers to ask them – the experts – what’s needed to help students succeed. Launch Michigan is asking those questions, and I’m hoping every Michigan educator shares his or her views.”
The survey will take about 15-20 minutes to complete – please take time by this Sunday, Feb. 10, to make your voice heard.
Survey responses – which are confidential – will be used by Launch Michigan to guide a set of policy recommendations it intends to propose to the Governor and state Legislature.

MDE News: Computer Science Standards, Superintendent Search

Computer Science The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) is seeking public comment, both online and in-person, on proposed K-12 Computer Science (CS) academic standards for Michigan students.
Those who are interested in providing input on Michigan’s proposed new, first-ever CS Standards can view the proposed standards and take an online public comment survey They also may attend any of six statewide public information sessions February 2-13, which are listed at the same site.
State Superintendent The State Board of Education is accepting applications for a new state superintendent to replace Brian Whiston, who died last spring.
The state superintendent is responsible for the day-to-day management, supervision, and leadership of the Michigan Department of Education. The state board hired an executive search firm to conduct the search.
The deadline for submitting an application is March 11, after which time the board will determine finalists and conduct interviews.
Following last November’s election, the eight-member state board tilts toward Democratic control by a 6-2 margin.

January 19, 2019

Ann Arbor Teacher Wins National Award

MEA member Chad Downs almost left the field of education before he started.

During his pre-student teaching at Eastern Michigan University, Downs said he couldn’t find a school or program that fit with his beliefs about education and creativity. Then an EMU advisor intervened and introduced him to Ann Arbor Open School, and the rest is history.

“I fell in love with this place,” he said of the K-8 magnet school where he’s taught in a 3-4 multi-age classroom for 15 years (or 17 years if you count pre-student teaching, student teaching and long-term subbing).

Now Downs has been selected as one of 40 national winners of the 2018-19 Milken Educator Award, considered “the Oscars of teaching,” bestowed on early- to mid-career educators for their accomplishments and promise.

The 39-year-old father of two was awarded the prize at a surprise assembly in December attended by interim Michigan State Supt. Sheila Alles and representatives from the Milken Family Foundation.

“It was kind of unbelievable,” he said of the moment when he heard his name announced. “If it hadn’t been for one of the dads standing by the door who waved me up, I don’t know how long I would have just stood there in front of my chair.”

Asked about why he won, Downs spoke as much about Ann Arbor Open School (AAOS) – its progressive student-driven, child-centered philosophy and the social-emotional learning integrated into every day – as he did about himself.

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Union Dues No Longer Tax Deductible

Now is when MEA members typically ask where to find documentation of their 2018 union dues to include as a deductible expense on tax returns. Unfortunately, that deduction is gone, thanks to the tax overhaul passed by the Republican Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump more than a year ago.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 eliminated the ability of employees to deduct their annual dues amountbeginning with the 2018 tax year—yet another example of how elections matter.

Application Open Now for 2020 Global Learning Fellowship

Are you ready for immersive, exciting professional development with other educators from around the country? Are you interested in bringing 21st century skills to your classroom and helping your students become global citizens?

Learn more and apply for the NEA Foundation Global Learning Fellowship! The application is open now through February 4, 2019.

Fellows come together online and in person throughout the year to learn how to teach with a global perspective. The yearlong, fully-funded fellowship includes:

An online course in teaching global competence
A two-day professional development workshop in Washington, D.C. (Fall 2019)
Webinars discussing global issues
A nine-day international field study to Peru (Summer 2020)

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January 10, 2019

Therapy Dogs Build Special Bonds

Because 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. It’s better to bring the kids to the dog than the other way around.

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 the dog.

“That child’s sadness melted away, and Duncan was able to get him back on track,” said MEA member Karen Storey, the special education teacher responsible for bringing Duncan to the district.

Scenes like that are why Storey has spent 10 years building a program in Brighton considered to be a first in the nation. By this spring, every school in the district will have a trained therapy dog in service – and the high school will have three – completely funded by the community.

The “Pack of Dogs” program is one component of the district’s efforts to address increasing mental health needs of students over the past several years – a problem reported by districts of all sizes across Michigan.

“Kids are bringing so many issues to school—anxieties and fears that are different from even five years ago, issues our society as a whole is struggling with,” Storey said. “Our dogs help build relationships. Students see staff members with dogs as safe, caring, and approachable.”

[Watch for the February issue of MEA Voice magazine, featuring a special report on growing concerns about student mental health and the work that MEA members – like Karen Storey – are doing to respond.]

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Delta College Faculty Vote to Unionize

Autonomy and respect were the driving factors in a recent vote to unionize by faculty at Delta College near Bay City, bringing nearly 200 new members into the MEA family.

After months of organizing work, the faculty voted overwhelmingly in favor of joining MEA—145 to 24—in a high-turnout election certified by the Michigan Employment Relations Commission (MERC) last Friday.

The successful effort followed moves by the college’s administration to eliminate department chairpersons in college division leadership and replace them with management-led supervisors, according to MEA Organizer Jake Louks.

The change was made abruptly during an emergency meeting of the Delta College Board of Trustees, a closed-door process that further dismayed faculty members, Louks said. “The way this change was implemented disrespected decades of shared governance.”

When the organizing effort first became public last summer, nearly 100 future MEA members turned out for a meeting that revealed the emotions behind the scenes, Louks said, describing it as a highlight of his three-year tenure as an organizer.

“People were yelling and clapping and interrupting each other to cheer,” he said. “That was the moment they won, even if they hadn’t yet secured representation, because it changed the culture forever.”

FREE TEACHING RESOURCES

Civil War: Michigan Men in the War, a series of letters authored by Michigan soldiers during the Civil War, is now available online at the Library of Michigan’s digital repository, Governing Michigan. Compiled by Civil War enthusiast E. Elden Davis, the booklets of letters—with quirky titles such as “Brag is a good dog, but holdfast is better,” and ‘The boys call them Sharpfellers”— contain details about troop movements, camp conditions, and the general health and outlook of the soldiers.

Fifth-Grade Science/Art: Fifth graders statewide are eligible to enter a poster contest sponsored by the Michigan Arbor Day Alliance (MADA). This year’s theme is “Trees for Bees.” Educators are encouraged to share information about native trees that bees use for nesting and food. Entries must be received by mail no later than March 4. More information and an entry form is available through MADA. Prizes will be awarded.

Reading/Language/Literature: Books can be mirrors so kids of all ages can see themselves reflected in society. They can also be windows that give insight into other people’s experiences, teaching students empathy, tolerance, civility, and acceptance. But finding these books can be a challenge—not to mention creating fun, exciting, meaningful learning experiences around them. To help you bring age-appropriate, thought-provoking stories into your classroom, NEA has launched a new Read Across America 2018-19 online calendar. Each month features recommended titles and resources for elementary, middle grade, and teen readers to help you celebrate a diverse nation of readers year round.

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December 12, 2018

Empowering the Next Generation

An unsettling experience being trapped on an elevator in the Michigan Capitol morphed into a moment of inspiration for four Ypsilanti high school students touring the Capitol with classmates and their government teacher, a local MEA leader.

The Lincoln High School students were part of an all-female group observing the Legislature on Tuesday during the lame duck session. The Women’s Center of Southeast Michigan secured funding for the trip to encourage young women's interest in politics.

Stuck on the elevator, the young women were “freaking out a little bit,” as one put it, but they stayed calm by making small talk with a few others trapped with them. Several minutes later, the woman they were talking to revealed she had just been sworn in as a representative-elect.

“And she was a woman of color, so that was cool,” said Chantal Uzoma, a senior who said the all-day field trip made government feel more personal than simply reading about it in a textbook.

Newly elected Rep. Karen Whitsett took a selfie with the students and joked, “Could not have been trapped with a better group.” It was funny, said the Democrat elected to represent Dearborn and Detroit: “I had just gotten sworn into office and pinned. Then we got pinned in the elevator!”

The day’s other events followed the itinerary, allowing the girls to watch House action from the gallery and observe a room full of lobbyists awaiting a Senate Education Committee hearing. They met Rep. Ronnie Peterson (D-Ypsilanti) and shadowed a longtime female staffer for Sen. Rebekah Warren (D-Ann Arbor).

AP Government teacher Mike Weathers, who also serves as president of Lincoln Consolidated Education Association, said the trip was fully funded by donors to the Women’s Center who want to see a future in which the makeup of the Legislature reflects the state’s populace.
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New MEA Member Discount through Staples

The average educator spends more than $500 per year out of pocket for supplies for their students and classroom or worksite. Taking advantage of MEA’s bargaining power and collective strength, our new members-only partnership with Staples could save you an average of 30% on supply purchases. At that $500 average, that could mean an extra $150 back in your pocket – or millions of dollars saved when you multiply that across all of MEA’s members.

This new benefit of membership can save you money on purchases you need at work or at home – you can even save money on last minute holiday gifts! Learn more by logging in to MEA’s Members Only area or watching for the upcoming MEA Voicemagazine.

Ready to start saving today? You can sign up for the Staples Business Advantage program here.

(NOTE: Once you sign up for program, if you want to get the discount in-person at your local Staples, you need to register the credit card you’ll want to use there.)

Watch for the December Voice

We all know those students who are class clowns, out to grab classroom attention at the teacher’s expense, the underachievers with spotty attendance. MEA member Amy McLoughlin was that student—now she’s a high school counselor committed to bringing those kids into community.

Watch for McLoughlin’s story in the December MEA Voice magazine, hitting mailboxes next week, which also features coverage of an inaugural social justice conference which challenged participants to think outside of their comfort zone.

Learn about an MEA organizing initiative that is engaging members at a grassroots level, and hear from a local leadership team that emerged with a victory after working for one year without a contract.

Finally, discover an MEA member from Central Michigan University – geology professor Dr. Mona Cirbescu – who recently verified the sixth largest meteorite ever found in Michigan.

Don’t miss the latest edition of MEA Voice magazine!

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December 12, 2018

Empowering the Next Generation

New MEA Member Discount through Staples

Watch for the December Voice

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November 20, 2018

Winter Conference Registration Open Now

MEA’s biggest conference of the year is newly renamed and better than ever.

Register now for the Winter Conference, which runs Feb. 7-8 at Cobo Center in Detroit, featuring training in bargaining, organizing, member engagement, political advocacy, communications and more.

Harness the energy bubbling under the surface of your local association. Learn about the issues. Hone communication skills. Incorporate new bargaining techniques. Develop organizing strategies. Build legislative and political action.

Go to mea.org/winterconference for information.

Deadline Extended for Submitting Award Nomination

The deadline for nominating candidates for two prestigious MEA awards – honoring educational excellence and human rights advocacy – has been extended.

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Ferris Faculty Association Settles Contract

After nearly five months without a new contract, the Ferris Faculty Association (FFA) reached an agreement with the Ferris State University Board of Trustees.

The agreement was the result of a strong campaign of continuous pressure on the board and university president, which included a one-day strike on the first day of classes. Other actions by the FFA included informational picketing at various university events and sit-ins at the office of the university president.

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How to Help School Communities in California

School employees, students, and families have been devastated by recent wildfires in California, including in Paradise, where nearly the entire town was destroyed as bus drivers, teachers, and administrators drove students to safety through flames and debris for hours.

One teacher told a local TV news reporter: "I don't know if the bus drivers took it upon themselves or if they were asked to come by, but it was pretty awesome. They have family up there, homes - and they chose to come to the school and take those kids down."

There are many ways to help educators and students in the affected areas through the California Teachers Association, an NEA state affiliate. Find ways that you can help.

November 12, 2018

Nominating deadlines are near for two MEA awards and a new opportunity from the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) for innovative educators to receive a $5,000 annual stipend for up to three years to replicate, disseminate or expand an innovative program.

Two MEA Awards Accepting Nominees

MEA is accepting nominations for two prestigious awards to be presented at the MEA Winter Conference this February in Detroit. Fill out a nominating form by Nov. 16 for the following awards:

Educational Excellence

The nominee should have demonstrated commitment to educational excellence and a concern for the improvement of student-focused education.

Elizabeth Siddall Human Rights Award

This award recognizes MEA members who have developed and implemented programs that have enhanced international or intercultural awareness among educators and their students. As a classroom teacher, Elizabeth Siddall’s professional and personal commitment stand as an inspiration to students and colleagues. She dedicated her energies to the development of greater understanding between persons of all races, cultures, creeds and nations. Her life represented a commitment to international understanding.

If the nominee is an MEA member, the person needs to be in good standing. Please complete the form by supplying all requested information. Any optional supportive documentation must be included with the form as well.

The completed nominating form must be submitted by November 16, 2018 to MEA Vice President Chandra Madafferi (cmadafferi@mea.org). Incomplete forms will not be considered.

Awards will be presented at a ceremony during the MEA Winter Conference in Detroit on February 7, 2019.

New Innovative Educator Corps Accepting Applications

Applications are being accepted now through Nov. 16 for the Innovative Educator Corps, the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) announced.

The Innovative Educator Corps (IEC), authorized under the Marshall Plan for Talent (PA 227 of 2018), is a new recognition program for Michigan teachers who employ an innovative educational program, methodology, or strategy to help prepare their students for future career success.

“We encourage effective innovation in our drive to make Michigan a Top 10 education state in 10 years,” said Interim State Superintendent Sheila Alles. “Let’s share with educators across our state the instructional practices that make a real difference in teaching and learning.”

Each year, up to 100 educators who have implemented innovative learning practices and strategies in their classroom to help their students become career ready in high-demand fields will be named to the IEC.

The IEC awards each accepted educator a $5,000 stipend, paid annually for up to three total years, along with an additional $5,000 stipend, also renewable for up to three total years, to cover expenses related to the IEC member replicating, disseminating or expanding the innovative program.

Each local school district may nominate one teacher to apply to the IEC per application cycle. More information about the IEC and the application process can be found at: www.tinyurl.com/IEC2019. Only complete applications will be considered.

The application window for this cycle closes at midnight November 16, 2018.

October 24, 2018

Watch for Election Info in Latest Voice

With the Nov. 6 General Election right around the corner, keep an eye out for the latest MEA Voice magazine to arrive in your mailbox just in time to help you make informed choices at the ballot box.

The October 2018 issue of the Voice includes a pullout voter guide featuring recommendations from MEA screening and recommendation committees made up of members from all over the state for races up and down the ticket.

This month’s cover story shows how Michigan is part of a national trend toward educators running for state-level elected office. At least 10 MEA members are hoping to be the change they wish to see.

Then read about MEA’s recommended candidate for governor – Gretchen Whitmer – and the school shopping trip she took with a member. And compare Whitmer’s record and commitment to public education to her Republican opponent Bill Schuette, a steadfast Betsy DeVos ally who argued the state’s case in the 3 percent case appeals for six years as attorney general.

Get motivated to vote with an impassioned appeal from Kentwood second-grade teacher Julie Brill, who also serves as an MEA and NEA PAC fundraising captain. She knows you prefer to close your door and teach, but she makes a compelling case that educators cannot ignore politics.

You’ll see the start of a new series, “Leading Change,” with advice for becoming more involved in the political arena with local legislators. And you’ll learn about MEA organizing efforts, an inspiring summer science program in Hudsonville, and a member who raised her voice about educators’ classroom spending.

Watch for the latest issue of the Voice!

MEA Members Return from Violence Summit

Two Michigan educators watched in amazement last weekend as 100 students from across the country – including two from their school districts – hammered out a Student Bill of Rights for Safer Communities in Washington, D.C.

Grand Rapids math teacher Wendy Winston and Livonia art teacher Heidi Posh each accompanied one student to the Student Gun Violence Summit and acted as educator-advisors to the young activists assembled to address the issue.

“The summit was an incredibly powerful experience—terribly sad but uplifting at the same time,” said Posh, a 21-year veteran art teacher at Livonia’s Stevenson High School. “I am confident that positive steps were taken toward safer spaces for our young people.”

The 14-point bill of rights hammered out by the youth participants last Saturday and Sunday includes as many recommendations for mental health and other supports as for sensible gun control laws. Among other changes, the students want more counselors and mental health programming, in addition to universal background checks for gun purchases and an assault weapons ban.

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Register for Social Justice Conference

A social justice conference jointly sponsored by the Lansing Schools Education Association (LSEA) and MEA will focus on energizing people into action.

“The Power of You: Impacting Social Justice” Conference is open to everyone interested in attending, Nov. 2-3 at the MEA Headquarters in East Lansing. The cost is $49 for members and $74 for non-members. Register here.

The conference will bring together leading scholars and voices on the topics of gender, race, ethnicity and current event topics shaping our schools, communities and politics, said LSEA President Chuck Alberts.

“We don’t want participants to just sit and listen, we want them to be challenged,” Alberts said. “We hope that people are going to be willing to step outside their comfort zone to acknowledge that we all have different experiences, biases, values, and perceptions which impact our ability to accept and embrace other cultures.”

The conference runs from 5-8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 2, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 3. Childcare is available. Read more about the conference and register at www.teachingempowered.com.

October 17, 2018

Charlotte Solidarity Accomplishes ‘Wonderful Things’

Five months ago, MEA members in Charlotte faced disciplinary action for wearing “red-for-ed” shirts in coordination with each other. Scared but undeterred, they participated in a statewide “Wednesday Walk-in” last May despite the superintendent’s threats, and he eventually backed down.

Now their unity has paid off in big ways.

After the conflict over Wear Red Wednesdays last spring, Charlotte Education Association President Julie Davis was approached by three school board members wanting to schedule a talk with her, the local’s co-president, and Superintendent Mark Rosekrans.

“We sat down and talked a lot about morale, student support, and what students need,” Davis said. “They pledged to us if fall enrollments came in better than projected, they would put money back into student supports.”

And the board followed through, she said: Enrollment rose, and money for student supports followed. “This is what happens when we stand together. We can accomplish wonderful things.”

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Deadline Nears for Retirement Elections

New public school employees have limited time after their hire date for choosing a retirement plan, and recent changes from the state have added some confusion to the process this year.

The Michigan Office of Retirement Services (ORS) recently announced that school districts would no longer process employee elections on retirement plans. Instead, the ORS would directly communicate information to employees and collect their retirement election information.

As a result of the change, retirement choices made through a school district within the last three months may have been nullified by the state. Those school employees will need to take steps to again complete the election process through the state.

In June 2017, Republican leaders in the state Legislature passed controversial changes to the Michigan Public Employees Retirement System.

The law now requires newly hired public school employees to choose between a defined contribution plan – like a 401(k) – and the Pension Plus 2 hybrid plan that combines elements of a 401(k) with a traditional defined benefit system.

New employees are encouraged to view information from both the state and MEA regarding these two plans before making their election.

New employees have 75 calendar days from the end of their first payroll period to make a choice. The default plan for employees who fail to make a choice is the defined contribution plan.

If you are an MEA member with questions or concerns about retirement choices, contact your local MEA field office.

Science and Writing Resources

SCIENCE TEACHERS: If you’ve never listened to Public Radio International’s Science Friday program, you’re missing out on enlightening content—and the opportunity to be a Sci-Fri Educator Collaborator.

The award-winning program features conversations about cutting-edge science and technology with the world’s leading innovators. Companion resources are educator field-tested and free. Check out what’s available for STEM educators here.

Then apply to be an Educator Collaborator, which includes training and a $500 honorarium. Apply here through January 4, 2019.

WRITING TEACHERS: Looking for a free Michigan-only story writing contest with cool prizes to motivate students to put pen to paper? Sponsored by Schuler Books & Music and Kent District Library, the Write Michigan Short Story Contest awards prizes to winners and runners-up in popular-vote and judge-selected categories.

There is no entry fee for writers 17 and younger. For more information and to enter by Nov. 30, visit the contest site here.

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September 27, 2018

Ferris Faculty Continue Push for Fair Bargain

The first contract talks in nearly a month have been scheduled between the Ferris Faculty Association (FFA) and the Ferris State University administration amid a dispute that led to a one-day walkout, ongoing picketing, and sit-ins at the office of FSU President David Eisler.

The university’s 450 tenure-track faculty have been working without a contract since the end of June. The FFA held a vote this week on a resolution of no confidence in Eisler, but results have not been released.

Meanwhile, a recent FSU graduate has started an online petition in support of the faculty. Beth Sweney, who was named FSU’s Outstanding Graduate in Biology in 2016, has garnered nearly 600 signatures in 11 days with her detailed appeal to Eisler to “cease battle” against the FFA.

“Your faculty are truly exceptional, and FSU’s outstanding reputation is a direct result of their talent and hard work,” the opening to the 11-paragraph petition reads. “I have yet to meet teachers more dedicated to the holistic education of their students, or more invested in their students’ success. These amazing individuals set our University apart from others, and they are the reason I encourage potential students to pursue higher education at FSU.”

Sweney lives in Big Rapids and is now pursuing a Master's degree in Physician Assistant Studies at Grand Valley State University. She said she wanted to give students, alumni, community members, and other supporters of FSU the chance to weigh in on the issues, so faculty members know how much they are respected, valued, and admired.

“Throughout my four years at FSU, my teachers supported me, believed in me, and helped give me the confidence to reach for goals beyond my wildest expectations,” she said. “Some of them continue to mentor me even to this day. I hope this helps the administration hear our voice on the matter.”

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Grants Available to Start ‘Breakfast After the Bell’

Students can’t learn and be successful in school when they’re hungry.

That’s why the NEA Foundation is partnering with Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign on a new grant program to help educators bring more breakfast options to students.

Many students get breakfast through the School Breakfast Program, but only half of the eligible students actually take part in it. Some may not arrive at school in time to have the free or reduced-price breakfast; others may be embarrassed by the stigma of participation.
According to a No Kid Hungry campaign study, educators spend an average of $300 each year on snacks for their students.

The NEA Foundation, working with the No Kid Hungry campaign, will be awarding NEA members in K-12 schools grants for starting pilot “Breakfast After the Bell” initiatives that reach students who fall through the cracks.

“Breakfast in the Classroom,” in which meals can be delivered to a room, hallway, or other location, and “Grab and Go,” which allows children to easily grab breakfast from a cart or kiosk to eat in the classroom, are two strategies for dealing with this issue.

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Help Hurricane Relief

Our thoughts are with the communities affected by Hurricane Florence, which has ravaged communities in the Carolinas and Virginia with high winds, catastrophic flooding, and widespread power outages. Please visit NEA’s Hurricane Resources & Relief page where you can contribute to our disaster-relief fund for NEA members.

You can also check the NEA Member Benefits website for more information on how to contribute to recovery efforts.

For information about how to talk with students about hurricanes and assist them with any trauma they may be experiencing, check out the additional resources on the Hurricane Resources and Relief page.

Love TED Talks? Don’t Miss This ED Talk

Combine your love for TED Talks and public ed by watching a livestreamed storytelling symposium on Friday, Oct. 5, titled Keeping the Promise of Public Education, presented by the NEA Foundation.

The event features 16 storytellers from across the country and representing many facets of public education, including educators, artists, STEM experimenters, philanthropists, parents, and students.

Each storyteller will offer personal reflections on the promise of public education. In what ways are we keeping that promise? In what ways do we still need to grow? The livestream begins at 2:30 p.m.

The closing storytellers are sure to inspire and challenge: entrepreneur and founder of the KIND movement, Daniel Lubetzky, and acclaimed author and TED Talk star, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

August 28, 2018

Ferris Faculty Strike for Fairness

Holly Price was a student at Ferris State University the last time FSU faculty went on strike in 1997. Today she’s an associate professor in the math department and part of the Ferris Faculty Association (FFA) bargaining team who led a work stoppage Monday to “stand up to a bully.”

Nearly 300 faculty members picketed on the first day of the fall semester in protest of the university administration’s refusal to bargain in good faith. The faculty contract expired June 30, but the administration would not meet for talks in May or June.

“They really have not negotiated with us, and I’m on the bargaining team, so I can say that,” Price said. “It’s very frustrating; we want to be productive, and we want to be in the classroom, and we want to fix problems, but they’re just obstructing it.”

Now and 20 years ago, she said, “The faculty does not strike for frivolous reasons.”

As striking faculty walked a picket line and handed out flyers to students, university officials filed a legal complaint against the association. A circuit court judge issued a temporary restraining order requiring faculty members to return to work on Tuesday.

Faculty leaders vowed to continue informational picketing to pressure university administrators to return to the bargaining table with renewed commitment to negotiate a fair contract. Talks were scheduled to resume on Wednesday.

The strike garnered widespread media attention.

“It is extremely encouraging to see the turnout and the energy within our faculty, and the outpouring of student support was especially gratifying,” said FFA President Charles Bacon. “Not only that, but we have received a lot of emails and phone calls of support from faculty associations across the state.”

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Remember What Labor Day is All About

This week’s strike and picketing by the Ferris Faculty Association reminds us all what Labor Day means — so join MEA and AFT Michigan members as they come together all over Michigan on Monday in #RedForEd solidarity.

Labor Day events are planned across the state. Visit our Action Network page to find an event near you and RSVP to attend.

MEA and AFT Michigan members will assemble for parades and other festivities in Detroit, Ishpeming, Muskegon, Ann Arbor, and (just added) Grand Rapids.

Let’s demonstrate our unity and celebrate labor rights — Sign up to attend an event today!

August 24, 2018

Get Involved in a Labor Day Event Near You

Labor Day is around the corner! Join MEA and AFT Michigan members as they come together all over Michigan in #RedForEd solidarity with other unions and activists to celebrate!

Visit our Action Network page to find a map of events, locate detailed information and RSVP.

MEA and AFT Michigan members will assemble for parades and other festivities in Detroit, Ishpeming, Muskegon, and Ann Arbor.
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Let’s demonstrate our unity—Sign up to attend an event today!

Local Leaders Grow New Educator Outreach

Bailey Rothe graduated from Northern Michigan University in 2017 with certification to teach English and social studies. Now she has a job—and a union family.

Rothe accepted a position with Lansing Public Schools in March and joined MEA for the member benefits, job protections and sense of community it provides, she says. “Lansing is such a big district, it’s nice to have a good support system. I know help is there if I need it.”

Rothe took part in a recent back-to-school event that brought together 300 members and their families representing local associations from St. John to Holt, Okemos and Lansing for food and fun. “It’s really nice seeing all these teachers with their families outside of the classroom,” she said.

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NEA Grant Application Open Now

Educators can apply for grants from the NEA Center for Great Public Schools to fund projects that will improve career practice and support the role of the union/educators in leadership.

Key funding areas include:

Family/Community Partnerships
Leading the Education Professions
Actionable Research, Policy, and Practice for Great Public Schools
Using Research to Inform Advocacy and Practice

The application period opens on August 1, 2018, with the deadline to submit all grant applications on September 15, 2018.

Learn more about the grant program here, including the 2018-19 Grant Guidelines that describe the funding topics in more detail. Typically, funded grant requests range from $3,000 to $25,000 over a 1-year period.

To go directly to the online grant application, please use this link.

August 2, 2018

Latest 3% Victory Means More Interest for School Employees – If State Doesn’t Appeal

Last week, Judge Stephen Borrello of the Court of Claims ruled in favor of school employees seeking a higher interest rate for the 3% of their earnings illegally withheld by the state. That could mean an extra check for school employees who had more than $550 million held during the seven-year legal case – if the state chooses not to appeal Borrello’s ruling in the next few weeks.

Learn more about the ruling and how much additional interest might be headed your way.

Today, MEA President Paula Hebart joined other union leaders urging the state to not appeal the decision, saying, "Gov. Snyder and Attorney General Schuette shouldn’t even contemplate appealing this ruling and must expedite payment of money owed to the hard-working school employees of our state." Check out the press release.

MEA will continue to update members about new developments in the case via email and the MEA Facebook page.

NEA Foundation Names Laura Chang as Recipient of National Award

The NEA Foundation recently announced that Laura Chang, a second grade teacher at Sunset Lake Elementary in Vicksburg is one of 46 public school educators nationwide to receive the California Casualty Award for Teaching Excellence. This is the second major award for Chang this year. In May, Chang was named the 2018-19 Michigan Teacher of the Year.

In nominating Ms. Chang for this prestigious award, MEA President Paula Herbart called Laura “a model for what excellence in education looks like.” Vicksburg superintendent, Charles Glaes described Laura as “that rare classroom teacher who principals rely upon, parents lobby for, colleagues admire and enjoy working with, and students love.”

Read more about Chang and the NEA Foundation award.

Last Chance for Absentee Ballots Ahead of Tuesday's Primary

Will you be able to vote in person at your polling place for Tuesday's primary election?

If you're not sure, be sure to request an absentee ballot by going to your local clerk's office as soon as possible. For the application and to find the location of your clerk's office, visit www.mi.gov/vote.

Need a map to your polling place and a list of MEA recommended candidates for your area? Check out our online voter guide at MEA.YourVoter.Guide!

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July 10, 2018

An Uplifting Achievement

Students in a Kenowa Hills STEM program literally watched their ideas soar into the atmosphere at the end of the school year.

The freshmen and sophomores in the two-year-old program highlighting applications of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) competed to design a payload for a weather balloon. The winning teammates saw their plans launched 85,000 feet into the sky in June.

The goal of the Capstone project was two-fold: to load a weather balloon with gear light enough to travel very high but sophisticated enough to capture images under challenging conditions, and then to recover it. Students calculated the flight based on weight and wind speed.

Federal Aviation Administration regulations cap the weight for such a flight at four pounds. Students also had to figure out how to position materials in the payload to optimize the ability to capture images.

“As students get older, you need big projects that get them engaged and thinking big picture and getting away from some of the content focus to really dig in,” said Lance Jones, the math teacher who helps to run the district’s K-10 STEM program along with science teacher Jeremy Cusick.

Read more and view pictures.

One Week Left to Register for Summer Leadership

Next Wednesday, July 18, is the deadline to register for MEA’s Summer Leadership Conference (July 31 to August 2 at Saginaw Valley State University).

“People, Purpose & Passion: The Pathway to Success” is the theme of this year’s conference, with sessions covering topics like organizing, professional development, political campaigns, bargaining and social justice.

MEA local presidents (or their designee) can each receive one prepaid registration for the Summer Leadership Conference. And there’s discounted registration of just $110 for New Members/Emerging Leaders in the first six years of employment in the education profession or involvement in the association and who have not previously attended the Summer Leadership Conference. See the conference announcement for registration and session details.

How to Help Union Members in Hawaii

Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano is still erupting and spewing lava and ash onto Hawaii’s Big Island, and our union brothers and sisters in the Hawaii State Teachers Association have been affected.

Crowd funding efforts are under way to help five teachers’ families who have lost their homes so far and one whose home is surrounded by lava.

Links are below to the five GoFundMe efforts on behalf of these educators, which include before and after pictures of the homes and pictures of the families in happier times.

This family’s home of 27 years was destroyed. Both parents are educators.

A woman who spent ten years teaching at Pahoa High and Intermediate built herself a modest home. Now it’s gone.

This family’s inn was destroyed, and their home is surrounded by lava.

One victim is the mother of two children and a recent widow.

This husband and wife teaching duomoved to Hawaii from the St. Louis area just two years ago.

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July 2, 2018

NEA President, Parkland Survivor Inspire at National RA

NEA President Lily Eskelsen Garcìa’s passionate opening remarks brought forth waves of cheers and tears at the NEA Representative Assembly, which continues throughout the week in Minneapolis.

From the attacks on workers by billionaire special interests, to the national #RedForEd movement, to the activism shown by students to end gun violence, Eskelsen Garcìa’s remarks captured the unique moment we’re in – and closed with a call to keep perspective on what we’re fighting for.

“I don’t want to turn into what I’m fighting. I don’t want to use fear and hate to win,” Eskelsen Garcìa told the delegation of more than 6,000. “I heard a quote: ‘You don’t win by destroying what you hate. You win by saving what you love.’”

In an RA first, Eskelsen Garcìa yielded her time to recent Marjory Stoneman Douglas graduate David Hogg, who spoke to delegates about the survivors’ inspiring work to end gun violence in the wake of the Feb. 14 shooting at their school in Florida.

Read more about the speeches – or watch them on Facebook Live (Part I and Part II).

You can stay up to date on the happenings at the RA – where more than 230 Michigan Education Association members are serving as delegates to the top decision making body of the NEA – at www.nea.org/ra.

Higher Ed Members Encourage Informed Decisions about College Choices

MEA and MEA-Higher Education Board member Eva Menefee has been advising college students for more than three decades. She and others want union members and their families interested in signing up for MEA’s new free college program to be fully informed about their choices.

Don’t let the word “free” lure you in too quickly, Menefee says. Consider alternatives before jumping into any college opportunity. That means educating yourself, she says.

“I always tell people to read the fine print, but sometimes it’s written in invisible ink,” the Lansing Community College (LCC) lead academic advisor said. “Down the road you could be paying a bigger price than you need to.”

Menefee and others worry about issues that could trip up uninformed MEA members who sign up for the new member benefit – including credit transferability, financial aid limits, and online course and degree completion rates. At its April meeting, the MEA Representative Assembly passed New Business Items calling for MEA to communicate about these issues with members.

Continue reading...

State Teacher Leaders form advocacy group to bring educators to policy conversations

Michigan’s Teachers of the Year will gather together in Lansing on July 5 to celebrate their formation of a new statewide organization dedicated to cultivating teacher leadership.

The Michigan State Teacher of the Year Network is comprised of state Teachers of the Year and finalists for the award who seek to influence education policy decisions at the federal, state and local levels.

“It is imperative that the voices of classroom teachers and those with years of classroom teaching experience be represented and heard at the policy table,” notes Rick Joseph, MTOY 2016 from Birmingham. “The MI-STOY Network will enable proven teacher leaders to leverage their voices in ways that has not happened in the past and inform the discussions and decisions that impact public education across Michigan.”

The MI-STOY Network will also welcome their newest member, Laura Chang, a second grade teacher from Vicksburg. Laura will serve as the Michigan Teacher of the Year 2019. Laura brings 18 years of teaching experience from early elementary to the college level to the distinguished group of teacher leaders.

Continue reading...

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June 5, 2018

Professionals Go ‘Over and Above and Beyond’

With the school year winding down, we’re gearing up – to inspire you with stories of public education greatness. In today’s Voice Online, you will find a few folks doing “a little bit extra” to improve their schools and communities.

Like always, in coming weeks we’ll keep sharing stories of MEA members’ innovation, creativity, and commitment that continue to make public schools the bedrock of our communities.

Later this summer, watch for MEA Voice magazine in your mailbox to help you “Be Inspired” in our work together to preserve and promote the power of quality public education today and for the future.

Marquette Custodian a “Pillar” of his School

When Steve Croschere heard that some attention-challenged students at Bothwell Middle School in Marquette needed standing desks to help them learn, he quietly set about making some.

The school had been turned down for grant money to buy the expensive pieces of furniture, so the head custodian dug through old student desks cast off in various corners of district storage areas, rebuilt broken parts, and welded on leg extensions.

“They’re not the most beautiful things, but they’re super effective, and they give our kids exactly what they needed,” said Lesley Addison, a guidance counselor at the school. “Now we have upwards of 15 standing desks, and it’s because Steve took it upon himself to cobble something together for us.”

For his skillful and caring dedication to his work and his local union, Croschere has been honored with MEA’s top award for Education Support Professionals (ESP).

Addison nominated him for the Leon A. Brunner Award, which recognizes support professionals who exhibit commitment to their union and advocacy for members and ESP careers.

Continue reading...

Waterford Leader Joins Hall of Fame

Induction into the Hall of Fame for any profession implies a long list of achievements by the honoree.

That’s certainly true of Drew Campbell, a Waterford custodian and union leader recently named to the MEA ESP Hall of Fame. But Campbell is more than his resume of accomplishments, according to Jim Sparapani, who heads MEA’s awards committee for Education Support Professionals.

Campbell is known for his extensive anti-privatization work across Michigan and the U.S., but his guiding philosophy is what sets him apart: Members come first.

“He’s the type of person who goes over and above what anyone would normally do,” Sparapani said. “If they called Drew tomorrow and said, ‘We need you in Ironwood,’ Drew would be there. Drew would drop whatever he was doing and do whatever he could.”

Campbell says he learned union values from his grandfather, a crane operator, and his father, a steamfitter. “I remember the union values they taught me—these are your brothers and sisters; they need help, you drop what you’re doing and go.”

And go he did.

Continue reading...

Aspiring Educators “Cap” Successful Service Project

Aspiring educators from several universities got a taste of the transformative power of their future careers this spring.

Student leaders from MEA college chapters around the state joined forces to help students at a rural elementary school in northwest Michigan turn ordinary bottle caps into a lovely sitting bench for their school campus.

Aspiring Educators of MEA led students at Baldwin Elementary School in collecting more than 260 pounds of plastic bottle caps for the college students’ service project. That’s approximately 54,000 caps.

“I look at bottle caps differently now,” said Rachel Evans, vice president of the Ferris State University chapter of AEM, who accumulated a large array of boxes and bags of donations in her apartment for a while – thanks to understanding roommates.

Students at the year-round elementary school in Baldwin got their first look at the caps’ new incarnation as a yellow bench with black legs during an assembly last Friday morning, where they also learned which class earned a pizza party for collecting the most donations.

“They were so proud of what they did—it was very heartwarming,” Evans said.

Continue reading...

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May 31, 2018

MEA Member Marks 30 Years Honoring Veterans

For many years Richard Hale never spoke to his family about his combat experiences as a Marine Corps infantryman in the Vietnam War. He didn’t visit the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C., until last October – nearly 50 years after his return home.

Hale carried the weight of those memories alone, speaking of them only occasionally with other veterans of the conflict, until his daughter’s high school history teacher – MEA member John Moran – changed everything 13 years ago.

In 2006 Hale’s daughter convinced him to participate in a unique “roundtable” event organized by Moran that brings Vietnam veterans together with Charlotte High School (CHS) students for face-to-face talks about what it was like to serve in the war. He’s been returning ever since.

“That first roundtable I came to was the first time, other than my immediate family, that anybody shook my hand and said, ‘Thank you; welcome home,’” Hale said. “Coming here has helped me to open up and talk about what happened—to not be as guarded about it.”

Extending a homecoming to troops who fought one of America’s most controversial and difficult wars was the purpose of the first roundtable Moran organized in 1989. “I felt they were treated badly when they came back, and I was going to do something about it,” the history teacher said.

This year’s program, including a taco dinner at the Charlotte VFW hall on the Friday before Memorial Day, marked the 30th anniversary of the Vietnam Veterans Roundtable. “It’s been a good run,” Moran said.

The earliest roundtable events happened in Moran’s classroom. As word spread and student interest grew, the program was moved to the school’s library for many years. Three years ago, it landed at the hall that houses the local Veterans of Foreign Wars post.

Along with open conversation, a new elective class at the high school grew out of the roundtable events. For the past 20 years, Moran – referred to by students and veterans alike as “Johnny Mo” – has taught a popular course on the Vietnam War and its historical and cultural underpinnings.

Continue reading...

Walk-ins, #WearRed Rally Support

Rhonda Drumm estimates she spends close to $1,000 a year on classroom supplies and extras to support her students and keep her Biology and Advanced Placement classes running smoothly at Northwest High School.

It’s also why the Jackson County science teacher joined a Wednesday Walk-in at her school – meeting up with other MEA members to #WearRedForPublicEd and enter the building together in solidarity.

Continue reading . . .

Family Day Shows Member Appreciation

As local leaders in Warren and Fitzgerald see it, union members who play together, stay together.

The two local associations joined forces this year for an end-of-year Family Day earlier this month that drew nearly 400 members and their families. The free event for local MEA members featured t-shirts, food and drinks, music, games, face painting, and a photo booth.

“Teachers give and give to other people’s kids and sometimes it comes at a cost to their own children at home,” said Warren Education Association Vice President Lisa Sikoski. “This day is for teachers and their kids – to say thank you for doing what they do on a daily basis.”

Participants enjoyed petting and feeding farm animals and strolling through a bird exhibit, in addition to munching on cotton candy and custard served out of a fire truck. The event was made possible in part by a grant from MEA’s Building Full Capacity Locals initiative.

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May 22, 2018

Charlotte Union Members Push for Right to Wear Red

Teachers and staff in Charlotte Public Schools will join educators across Michigan wearing red shirts to show support for public education on Wednesday – two weeks after being threatened with disciplinary action for participating in the statewide show of solidarity.

The Charlotte Education Association (CEA) also will take part in a “walk-in” that day – meeting outside before school, wearing red, and walking into school together to promote the message that lawmakers should “value students, respect educators and fund our schools.”

School employees at hundreds of buildings across Michigan have held similar events on Wednesdays this May – often joined by their district’s principals, superintendents and school board members who are also concerned about our state’s broken school funding system.

“This is about a lot more than red shirts,” said CEA President Julie Davis. “This is for the kids, who deserve to receive the funding and the services they need.”

Early this month, local union leaders told Superintendent Mark Rosekrans about plans to wear red shirts during Wednesdays in May – inviting administrators to participate – and he told Davis those wearing a red shirt would get a written warning in their personnel file.

When CEA members went ahead with plans to wear red on Wednesday, May 9, building administrators took pictures of teachers wearing the shirts, some with lettering that read, “Support Charlotte teachers as we support your students,” according to MEA UniServ Director Yvonne Briley-Wilson.

In addition, that day at least two local leaders experienced unannounced classroom observations while wearing the shirts.

By the end of the day, Rosekrans issued a staff memorandum announcing that “political action and/or protest (including wearing certain T-shirts in support of a cause) is not allowed while at work, and the failure to ignore this rule could result in discipline.”

Continue reading...

ICYMI: Herbart Shares ‘Why’ Behind #WearRedForPublicEd

In case you missed MEA President Paula Herbart’s “Labor Voices” column in The Detroit News last week, now is a fitting time to revisit her message as another #WearRedForPublicEd Wednesday rolls around.

Herbart discussed the reasons why educators in Michigan are standing up for their profession.

“Every educator donning red today has a myriad of reasons to stand up and make their voices heard,” she wrote. “Crippling student debt. The worsening teacher shortage. Declining compensation that makes it harder for educators to support a family. Outsourcing of education support professional jobs, like transportation and food service workers. The lack of front-line input from educators to help schools improve.

“None of these are revolutionary issues to address – and they shouldn’t be politically divisive ones. For the sake of their students, educators need a seat at the table and a voice in their profession.”

Read Herbart’s full “Labor Voices” column.

New Michigan Teacher of the Year Focuses on “Big Things”

Michigan’s newest Teacher of the Year keeps “big rocks” glued to the back of her cell phone.

Not those kind of rocks. The three typed reminders stuck on her phone represent her top priorities as an educator – their metaphorical name taken from the work of author Stephen Covey, known for his best-selling self-help book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.

Laura Chang, a second grade teacher at Sunset Lake Elementary School in Vicksburg, was honored last Friday as the 2018-19 Michigan Teacher of the Year at a surprise assembly attended by officials from the Michigan Department of Education (MDE), family members, and cheering students and staff at her school.

“I was shocked,” Chang said, wiping away tears at a cake and punch reception following the ceremony. “I’m just a second grade teacher, like everyone else in the building who’s working hard and passionately for kids.”

Chang is described as a classroom teacher who principals rely upon, parents lobby for, colleagues admire, and students love. She serves as a mentor teacher in her district and also teaches pre-service educators part-time at Western Michigan University.

Continue reading . . .

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May 16, 2018

Another Wednesday, Another Walk-in

You couldn’t miss Gina Sartor participating in a Wednesday Walk-in at Walnut Creek Middle School in West Bloomfield. She was the one wearing a student-made plastic sculpture on her head that spouted red-and-gray curls like a water fountain.

Sartor was one of a couple dozen school employees who gathered on the sidewalk in front of the school in an early-morning show of solidarity – part of a statewide #WearRedForPublicEd campaign during Wednesdays in May.

“I’m out here to make a difference,” the 18-year design and technology teacher said.

Her headdress was part of a larger sculpture project created by her middle school students during a unit on plastics and their role in the waste stream. The sculpture was modeled after the ground-breaking work of glass artist Dale Chihuly using plastic gathered by students, she said.

“People need to understand that public education is where it’s at,” said French and World Languages teacher Lois Griffin, Walnut’s teacher of the year and the Walled Lake district’s middle school teacher of the year, who organized the Walnut walk-in. “We are professionals in our field. The majority of us have post-graduate degrees. We impact young people.”

One of Griffin’s students agreed. Eighth grader Nick Farriter stopped on his trek from the bus to the school entrance to lend his support to the walk-in. “Our schools should get better funding, because frankly our teachers do a lot. They shape our lives.”

Continue reading...

Teacher Shaves Head for Student Battling Illness

Fifth-grade teacher Ryan Oleson could relate when he heard about a student at Brandywine Elementary who felt self-conscious about losing his hair from chemotherapy treatments—hair loss that would reveal a surgical scar on the back of his head.

So Oleson, an 11-year teaching veteran at the school in Niles, let the boy shave his full head of hair in the school hallway with classmates looking on.

“A friend of mine and I decided we would do this in solidarity with the little guy,” the MEA member said.

Afterward, Oleson and 11-year-old Colton Hubbard compared notes—Oleson also had a scar on his head from having a benign brain tumor removed when he was a child.

Continue reading . . .

Join the NEA Alumni Ambassador Program

This year 15,898 graduates from Schools of Education throughout the U.S. were members of the NEA Student program – and statistics show these soon-to-be first-year educators are more than TWICE as likely to join their local union if a colleague speaks to them over the summer.

Now you can help by reaching out to alumni from the college where you graduated.

Sign up to serve as an NEA Alumni Ambassador to reach out to recent graduates from your alma mater and welcome them to the profession. NEA will provide some additional training, a call script, and information for tracking your conversations.

Sign up here to let us know which university you graduated from – and become an Alumni Ambassador!

May 3, 2018

Aspiring Educators Complete Inspiring Project

An inconvenient rain delay became a bright spot for aspiring educators from Michigan State University completing a service project at a Lansing elementary school.

The drenched weather on a recent Saturday prevented about 30 volunteers from MEA’s Aspiring Educators of Michigan (AEM) program from completing the outside portion of an indoor-outdoor spruce-up of Willow Elementary School.

Rescheduling material deliveries and volunteers for a different day wasn’t easy, but the shift to a Friday afternoon from a weekend meant young students from Willow’s classrooms could help complete the project – which brightened the brighteners’ day.

“I’m glad it worked out this way, because it was so nice to have the kids working with us,” said Mary Vergara, the group’s Outreach Coordinator. “It feels so rewarding.”

Continue reading...

Get Involved in Planning Wednesday Worksite Walk-Ins

Just glancing at Facebook pictures yesterday showed the huge number of Michigan educators who participated in #WearRedForPublicEd. Those numbers are sure to grow next Wednesday – and every Wednesday through the end of the school year – as MEA members are asked to wear red to show solidarity for their profession and their students.

And starting next Wednesday, members are being asked to gather at the start of the workday to participate in walk-ins designed to communicate to lawmakers that they need to Value Students, Respect Educators and Fund Our Schools. Learn more about the effort and how you can help as this school year winds down.

MI Teachers Lighting Up the Game Shows

MEA members are getting strong representation in the game show circuit this week and next.

Five Michigan sisters, all math teachers from the Grand Rapids area, appeared on the syndicated Family Feud program on Tuesday and Wednesday this week – an experience one sister described as “a blast.”

And Mary Alice Korth, a choir teacher at Dowagiac Union High School and Dowagiac Middle School will appear on the Jeopardy! Teachers’ Tournament that begins next week.

ICYMI: Michigan Teacher-Retirees on National Public Radio

Last weekend, two married former teachers from Michigan were interviewed on National Public Radio’s Weekend Edition show discussing why they discouraged their son from pursuing a career in education.
MEA-Retired member Rick Shahin told NPR’s Lulu Garcia-Navarro that he and his wife Martha Moore Shahin loved teaching. He taught social studies in Midland for 36 years. But too much has changed for the worse.

“We hear stories from the universities that this is just not a field students want to go into - I mean, the beating that teachers have taken,” he said. “Why would somebody go into this?”

The Shahins’ son Nick expressed an interest in following in their footsteps while contemplating a course of study in college a few years ago. But his parents said, “No.” Nick graduated from University of Michigan last weekend and has accepted a job at Ford Motor Co.

Listen to the interview.

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April 24, 2018

This Thursday #WearRedForPublicEd

Our union sisters and brothers in Arizona are asking for school employees across the country to #WearRedForPublicEd on Thursday to show support as they embark on a statewide walkout to protest cuts to education funding over the past decade.

MEA is calling on members to wear red this Thursday. Plans for additional action in Michigan are in the works, so stay tuned for updates.

MEA Spring RA Sends Message to DeVos

More than 400 delegates to the MEA Spring Representative Assembly voted unanimously to send a Vote of No Confidence to U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos from educators in her home state.

“Betsy DeVos is antithetical to everything we as educators stand for,” said Michael Adamisin, the Oak Park EA president who submitted the new business item for consideration. He previously worked at a for-profit Detroit-area charter school with greater than 50 percent annual staff turnover.During the vote, delegates stood cheering and waving sheets of yellow paper containing the rationale for a no-confidence vote.

“Despite occupying her position for a year, recent public statements made by Mrs. DeVos have reaffirmed her gross incompetence… as well as her continued ignorance over the performance of public schools (typically strong yet underfunded) and charter or private schools (erratic with reduced accountability),” the statement said.

In other action, delegates marched anti-gun petitions to policymakers at the Capitol, passed the 2018-19 budget, eliminated the Fall RA in a cost-saving move, and consolidated a number of committees into four streamlined panels: Social Justice, Awards, Conference Planning, and Professional Development.

Continue reading . . .

MEA Members Deliver Anti-Gun Petitions 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.

“What’s at issue is the safety of students, and no matter what they offer – the training we would receive would not be near what the professionals receive to handle an active shooter,” Fielbrandt said.

This year’s spring RA fell on the 19^thanniversary of the horrific Columbine school massacre, so during a break more than 400 delegates marched to the Capitol building and House and Senate offices to deliver petitions opposing guns in schools to all lawmakers and Gov. Rick Snyder.

“They’ve got to know something needs to be done for our students,” said Wendy Nitzorski, a math teacher in New Boston.

Continue reading. . .

MEA Wins Hard-fought Union Election

The Michigan Education Association won a union representation election at North Central Michigan College (NCMC) in Petoskey last week.

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.

The level of opposition from the college, particularly the president, was surprising to the support staff, given that MEA has represented the faculty at the college for nearly 40 years. “There was an attempt to paint MEA as an outsider, which rang untrue, given our long-time representation of the faculty at the college. In addition, we have a local office in Petoskey and have represented Petoskey public school employees for decades,” said Louks.

Read the full press release.

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April 24, 2018

This Thursday #WearRedForPublicEd

MEA is calling on members to wear red this Thursday. Plans for additional action in Michigan are in the works, so stay tuned for updates.

MEA Spring RA Sends Message to DeVos

MEA Members Deliver Anti-Gun Petitions to Capitol

“They’ve got to know something needs to be done for our students,” said Wendy Nitzorski, a math teacher in New Boston.Continue reading. . .

MEA Wins Hard-fought Union Election

The Michigan Education Association won a union representation election at North Central Michigan College (NCMC) in Petoskey last week.

Read the full press release.

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April 12, 2018

April Voice Magazine Arriving Soon

April’s MEA Voice magazine is brimming with news and features that will inspire and inform you. This issue arrives in mailboxes over the next few days—Take some time to read the many stories and columns about what’s happening in our schools and our union.

This month’s cover story details problems our members are reporting in the implementation of a new Seclusion and Restraint law – including class evacuations and disruptions.
We sit down with MEA’s recommended gubernatorial candidate, Gretchen Whitmer, for a one-on-one talk about her education-related priorities.
Local leaders share their experiences using new MEA-created bargaining tools to negotiate contracts more effectively in a shifting fiscal environment.
You’ll read about two “Members at Work” – Colby Sharp from Jackson County, nationally known for his work in literacy and student-centered teaching practices; and Kevin Bell, a Negaunee High School teacher who has built a unique four-year CAD program and national dynasty in model bridge building.
“Lobbying Insider” looks at proposed bills that have grown out of member feedback on the new teacher evaluation system.
Read the satisfying final installment in our year-long series following two new educators through the challenges of one school year.
And learn more about a vaping device that is invading schools across the country.

All that and more—watch your mailbox for the April MEA Voice!

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.

United Teachers of Flint President Karen Christian said help for kids and school employees is desperately needed. “I’m really excited, because we’ve been going through this struggle for four years now, and finally somebody has recognized we need resources in Flint.”

Christian was scheduled to testify on behalf of Flint schoolchildren in the lawsuit brought by Education Law Center (ELC), ACLU of Michigan, and White & Case LLP. Over the past four years, teachers report increased hyperactivity and behavioral difficulties among the youngest students.

“I was prepared to testify to the fact that we as teachers and staff have not received anything to address this crisis, and we still don’t have clean water,” Christian said.

The Flint Water Crisis began in 2014 when a state emergency manager switched the city’s water supply to the Flint River without undertaking basic precautions to prevent pipe corrosion and leaching of lead into drinking water.

Under the settlement announced earlier this week, a new screening and assessment program will be organized and run by Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, the pediatrician credited with bringing the poisoning to light after she noticed elevated blood lead levels in her patients.

Continue reading...

Order Materials for Teacher Day/School Family Day

Each year schools and communities observe Teacher Day/School Family Day with local celebrations that pay tribute to the contributions school employees make to our communities and to society in general.

This year’s Teacher Day/School Family Day is Tuesday, May 8.

To help you celebrate, MEA has developed a packet with ideas for planning messaging and events around the day. Find the packet here.

You can order ready-made materials, including notepads and bookmarks, at a minimal cost. Complimentary posters are also available. Go to www.mea.org/merchandise to order by April 23.

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**In the MEA Voice Magazine\ April 2018 issue:**

Gretchen Whitmer Talks Life and Education
Negaunee Teacher Creates Bridge Building Dynasty
MEA Launches Free College Benefit
Teacher Lives the Dream he Sparks in Students
New Seclusion and Restraint Law Creates Challenges
MEA Tools + Improving Finances = Better Contracts
Start of a Journey: Part Four
Vape Device Invades Schools

Pages

MEA Voice Newest

Labor Day 2019 Events

Rochester Teachers Shop Free Union Store

‘Clear the Lists’ Movement Sweeps Across Michigan

Correction

Lansing-Area Teacher Creates ‘Border Blooms’

Watch for August-September Voice

Educator Code of Ethics Approved

ICYMI: Number of Long-term Subs Grows

SVSU Prof is National Higher Educator of the Year

Six Members Win with Staples Discount Program – Now You Can Too!

Innovative Educators Named

Today is Election Day

Future Educators Give Service to Schools

Sign up for Staples Discounts -- and win a "Classroom Refresh"!

MEA Voice Focuses on Evaluation

Educators Rate Evaluation ‘Ineffective’

MEA Voice Focuses on Evaluation

Apply to Governor’s Advisory Council by Monday, April 22

MEA Member Benefit of the Week

Nominate a Social Justice Activist

Whitmer Announces Educator Advisory Council

Teacher of the Year Finalists Announced

Online Option for Mandated Reporters

Member Benefit of the Week

Michigan Educators Raise Concerns in Statewide Survey

Bus Driver has ‘Higher Purpose’

Message to ESP Conference: More than “Justa”

Winning Art a Tribute to Grandparents

A Clarion Call

Stark Choices

Enter to Win a School Fitness Center

TEACHING RESOURCES

MEA Conference Hits High Notes

Inspiring Educators Win MEA Awards

Educator Survey Deadline Extended

Top Michigan Educator to Join ‘Teach-in’

CALLING ALL Education Support Professionals!

Speak Up – Complete Launch Michigan Survey This Week

MDE News: Computer Science Standards, Superintendent Search

Ann Arbor Teacher Wins National Award

Union Dues No Longer Tax Deductible

Application Open Now for 2020 Global Learning Fellowship

Therapy Dogs Build Special Bonds

Delta College Faculty Vote to Unionize

FREE TEACHING RESOURCES

Empowering the Next Generation

New MEA Member Discount through Staples

Watch for the December Voice

Empowering the Next Generation

New MEA Member Discount through Staples

Watch for the December Voice

Winter Conference Registration Open Now

Deadline Extended for Submitting Award Nomination

Ferris Faculty Association Settles Contract

How to Help School Communities in California

Two MEA Awards Accepting Nominees

New Innovative Educator Corps Accepting Applications

Watch for Election Info in Latest Voice

MEA Members Return from Violence Summit

Register for Social Justice Conference

Charlotte Solidarity Accomplishes ‘Wonderful Things’

Deadline Nears for Retirement Elections

Science and Writing Resources

Ferris Faculty Continue Push for Fair Bargain

Grants Available to Start ‘Breakfast After the Bell’

Help Hurricane Relief

Love TED Talks? Don’t Miss This ED Talk

Ferris Faculty Strike for Fairness

Remember What Labor Day is All About

Get Involved in a Labor Day Event Near You

Local Leaders Grow New Educator Outreach

NEA Grant Application Open Now

Latest 3% Victory Means More Interest for School Employees – If State Doesn’t Appeal

NEA Foundation Names Laura Chang as Recipient of National Award

Last Chance for Absentee Ballots Ahead of Tuesday's Primary

An Uplifting Achievement

One Week Left to Register for Summer Leadership

How to Help Union Members in Hawaii

**In the MEA Voice Magazine\ April 2018 issue:**