MEA Member Benefit – MEA lobbies for you and your students

MEA is the strongest professional labor union for public school employees in Michigan thanks to the collective power of its 140,000 members and the talents of experienced lobbyists and political action professionals. This combination has helped us secure legislation that benefits both members and students.

Thanks to members who expressed their concerns that the new M-STEP took too much time away from teaching and was plagued with technical problems, the time taken up with M-STEP will be reduced next year.

Our MEA lobbyists worked tirelessly to ensure legislation establishing a statewide teacher and administrator evaluation system finally passed. Their efforts greatly improved the final bill that reduced the percentage of student growth used in teacher evaluations and provides training for teachers and administrators in the evaluation process. While bargaining over evaluations would be ideal, the final bill–due to be signed shortly– is a much better alternative to what was originally proposed. Read more about the bill at www.mea.org.

Lobbyists continue to work with legislators to improve the third grade reading bill so that struggling students receive the resources and remediation they need to be successful, and not be held back because they aren’t proficient in reading.

MEA has also not given up the fight to win back the 3 percent of your pay you contributed to fund retiree health care benefits. The money remains in an escrow account while the case is still under appeal.

MEA continues to monitor legislation that would allow guns on school grounds,
loosen rules regarding alternative certification, and further attack your retirement.

It’s the collective power of school employees being engaged that gives MEA the ability to be the state’s foremost advocate for public education, public school employees and students. Stay informed on legislative and political news by signing up for Capitol Comments at www.mea.org/signup. This weekly email for MEA members only will keep you updated on education issues facing all members across the state.