Teachers & K-12 Certified Educators
From improving professional practice to protecting employment rights, MEA is proud to serve Michigan’s teachers and other K-12 education staff such as counselors, social workers, therapists and librarians.
Teacher News
At inaugural Ed Rising conference MEA partners to inspire next generation
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…
Mother & daughter learn labor lessons together
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…
Veteran educator: AI ‘democratizes education’
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…
Get ready—AI is transformative: ‘We have to focus on the speed of change’
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…
SVSU profs: AI can boost creativity
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…
CMU prof on AI: ‘We can do this. We have to.’
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. >…
In daily time crunch, AI is a time machine
Early career educator Allison O’Connell sees hope in time-saving advantages of AI to help educators do great work and sustain careers. Fourth-year teacher Allison O’Connell challenges herself every day to engage a wide variety of fifth graders in her Kent City classroom and help them grow – whether they are performing at, below or above grade level, English Language learners…
Supporting MEA’s Strategic Direction
MEA staff and members are advancing racial and social justice in education as part of the MEA Strategic Plan. For future events, watch your email inbox for the Center for Leadership & Learning’s new monthly newsletter: AT THE CENTER. GOAL: HELP RECRUIT, ENGAGE, AND RETAIN A DIVERSE POPULATION OF EDUCATORS THAT ARE REFLECTIVE OF THE STUDENTS WE SERVE. Educators Rising…
Rural Michigan students travel the world and solar system in immersive room
By Heather Palo MEA ARP Organizer Last year MEA member Marissa Rodriguez took ninth graders on a tour of World War I trenches, and she transported sixth graders to countries where certain products began the manufacturing process – then brought them across the globe to watch those consumer items journey to store shelves. A social studies teacher in Scottville’s Mason…
Saginaw teacher honored as community leader
This fall MEA member Arshen Baldwin was honored by the NAACP Saginaw Branch with its 2023 Young Professionals Award for playing multiple roles to improve her community – nearly 20 years after she took one of the hardest routes toward becoming a teacher. Baldwin started out as an untrained substitute in a classroom where her predecessor walked away, unable to…