MEA President statement on latest GOP in-person learning demands for pandemic funds

MEA launches MiSchoolRelief.com to lookup federal funds pending by school district, contact lawmakers urging immediate distribution EAST LANSING — The following statement can be attributed to MEA President Paula Herbart on the House Republican proposal in this morning’s Appropriations Committee meeting to tie further COVID relief funds to a demand for 20 hours per week [...]

Labor Voices: COVID surge makes classroom too dangerous for students

April 14, 2021 By PAULA HERBART/President – Michigan Education Association The return to in-person learning in most districts means increased vigilance around safety measures is imperative. Michigan’s recent surge in COVID-19 cases is a danger to our students, families and communities.   Case numbers for kids 10-19 years old have skyrocketed. School outbreaks rose 47% over the last week […]

MDE Responds to Fed’s Denial of Waiver for State Assessments

The Michigan Department of Education has informed school districts that during the COVID-19 pandemic, it does not support requiring otherwise remote or virtual students to be brought into school solely for the purpose of state assessment. That policy guidance was issued in light of the U.S. Department of Education’s denial of Michigan’s request to waive mandated […]

Four State Board Members Decry Political Withholding of School Safety Funds

Republican lawmakers’ politically motivated withholding of federal funds for safe reopening of schools is an immoral – and legally questionable – stance amid a COVID-19 surge in Michigan that is among the highest in the nation, four State School Board members said this week. The situation is especially stark in traditionally marginalized communities of color, […]

MEA President statement on one-year anniversary of Michigan pandemic

EAST LANSING — The following statement can be attributed to MEA President Paula Herbart marking the anniversary of the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Michigan: “As we mark this solemn anniversary, educators across Michigan first and foremost want to thank the medical professionals, first responders, scientists, public health officials and every other worker who […]