March 10, 2021 By Paula Herbart/President – Michigan Education Association In sports, teamwork is valued by coaches, players and fans because we are stronger working together than alone. The same is true in education. During the pandemic, a strong team bond has formed between educators, students and families. Working together like never before, that team […]
February 10, 2021 By PAULA HERBART/President – Michigan Education Association If one positive thing comes out of the COVID-19 pandemic, it could be the crystallization for millions of Americans about what in our lives is truly important. For students and educators, standardized tests do not make the list. That’s why it was welcome news when […]
January 13, 2021 By PAULA HERBART/President – Michigan Education Association Since the beginning of the pandemic, educators have longed to safely return to the classroom for in-person learning. Virtual learning options — while vastly-improved thanks to the hard work of educators — are no match for the academic and overall benefits that come with face-to-face […]
By PAULA HERBART/President – Michigan Education Association This public health crisis has also driven home what many have known for some time: There is a direct correlation between education, income and the jobs we perform. So it should come as no surprise that we at the Michigan Education Association were gratified when Gov. Gretchen Whitmer […]
By PAULA HERBART/President – Michigan Education Association The COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us how connected we are to the world around us. Nowhere has this been more evident than in our reliance on essential, frontline workers who staff our hospitals, keep our communities running and, yes, educate our students. This public health crisis has also […]
By PAULA HERBART/President – Michigan Education Association In this election, our democracy is on the ballot. Our nation has a strong history of conducting free and fair elections, even in the most difficult times. During the Civil War, the fate of our nation — whether we would remain the “United” States — was in doubt, […]
September 16, 2020 By PAULA HERBART/President – Michigan Education Association For decades, we’ve all heard the refrain: “This is the most important election in our lifetime.” More than ever, this statement is ringing true for voters with more than 190,000 American lives — and counting — lost to the pandemic, a crumbling economy that has devastated […]
By PAULA HERBART/President – Michigan Education Association As we approach the start of a school year like no other, teachers and education support professionals are feeling scared and angry. Scared because of unknown consequences of returning to classrooms without clear answers about COVID-19 health and safety — because, frankly, the experts don’t have those answers […]
July 15, 2020 By PAULA HERBART/President – Michigan Education Association A lawsuit filed last week against U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos created a case name that captures a long-standing feeling among educators and friends of public education. Michigan v. DeVos. After years of Betsy DeVos and her family pushing an extreme, anti-public education agenda across our state […]
June 17, 2020 By PAULA HERBART/President – Michigan Education Association One of the most important decisions our state will make in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic is when and how to safely reopen our public schools. MEA recently completed a landmark survey on COVID-19’s impact on public education, with more than 15,000 responses from […]
