Teachers & K-12 Certified Educators

Jeremy Schnotala- Wyoming Education-Association President In Wyoming Public Schools, union leaders and district officials found a way to spend federal COVID-relief dollars that altogether honors the expertise of local educators, promises dynamic instruction for students, and offers a foothold in the profession to early career educators for years to come. The Kent County district used a portion of its federal…

MEA member Matt Hamilton believes his willingness to take risks spurs great teaching, so the fact it also generates occasional failures doesn’t stop him. “I’m just a regular teacher who’s trying new things, so it’s not perfect every day by any means,” he says. It was a leap of faith 16 years ago – just five years into his middle…

John Kusku uses a special smartboard to teach math at the Oakland Technical Campus Southwest. MEA member John Kusku has faced extra challenges throughout his 39 years, but he learned a key philosophy from his mother who told him as a little boy: Goals might be harder for you to achieve, but you can still do anything you want. “That’s…

By Chandra Madafferi MEA President Chandra Madafferi addresses young aspiring educators at the inaugural Educators Rising conference at Wayne State University Ever since I could stand, I knew I wanted to be a teacher. My dad bought a few desks and an old chalkboard and put them in our basement. I even have funny memories of creating “lesson plans” for…

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer met a group of aspiring and early career educators before her remarks at the inaugural Educators Rising Conference at Wayne State University on March 13. “Thinking about the teacher who inspired you… it will be your responsibility to be that teacher for a student you work with. You get to inspire future generations. You get to be…

Deborah Robertson and Kiarra Whitelow together earned certificates from Wayne State University’s Labor School last year. The mother-daughter duo are presidents of the teacher and support staff unions at Harper Woods School District in Wayne County. Deborah Robertson had a tough go in her first year as president of the Harper Woods Education Association in 2021. She had only been…

MEA member Kecia Waddell began her career in the analog world, moved into digital, and will finish in the artificial intelligence age. A 30-year special education teacher in Utica, she couldn’t be more excited. “I’ve always integrated technology for transformative teaching and learning experiences for my  students, but I’m so, so, so excited to have lived this long – 56…

Jackson College professors Mark Ott (left) and Steve Tuckey say acknowledging AI is a must; we can’t stick our heads in the sand or dismiss it as a passing fancy. By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor Artificial Intelligence (AI) is unlike any technological tool that has come along in the history of higher education, and educators and institutions must immediately…

J. Blake Johnson (left) and Phillip Hanson, art professors at Saginaw Valley State University, say AI holds great potential for good. Faculty at SVSU are seeking a National Science Foundation grant to advance AI integration and study its impact on student learning outcomes. Phillip Hanson had “a bit of an existential crisis” when a new AI image generator emerged 18…

In her work with aspiring educators at CMU, Gabrielle Likavec explores teaching practices that remove easy opportunities for cheating with AI. Gabrielle Likavec keeps up with research to guide her instruction as a teaching and learning consultant working with aspiring educators at Central Michigan University. The MEA member notes a few key points from early data emerging on AI. >…