CMU PROF VERIFIES A METEORITE Page 26
A STORY OF UNION AND STRENGTH
Page 22
MESSA PULLOUT Inside
December 2018 | Vol. 96 | Issue 2 | mea.org
LETTER TO MEMBERS
Our Thanks in a Season of Joy They say many hands make light work, and you have proven that to be true. Thanks to the persistence of so many MEA members and leaders all year long, we celebrate a number of meaningful accomplishments in this season of joy.
In addition, MEA-recommended candidates seized dozens of victories across Michigan. We swept the statewide education boards, elected two justices to the Michigan Supreme Court, and saw 68 recommended candidates—from both parties—win legislative races.
It’s been a long road, but last month we helped to elect Gretchen Whitmer as governor. Following eight years of one-party rule in Michigan, our state’s top elected official will soon be one who supports public education and listens to school employees on the front lines.
In local and county elections for school board seats, millages, and bonds, our winning percentage was 79 percent.
Also beginning next month, five MEA members will join the state Legislature after winning seats in the House and Senate in November on the heels of the nationwide #RedForPublicEd movement.
MEA members like you make up our statewide and local Screening & Recommendation committees. Members from every job classification and region of the state diligently sought to know candidates and issues—gathering answers to questionnaires and holding interviews— to make recommendations to voters up and down ballots.
Across the country, more than 1,000 teachers, professors, education support professionals, and administrators from both major parties won state and local races—about twothirds of those who ran, according to NEA.
Paula J. Herbart President
2 DECEMBER 2018
Read more about election results on page 20 of this issue of MEA Voice. Then take a moment to savor the fruits of our collective labor.
Our Wear Red Wednesdays and Wednesday Walk-ins helped focus election attention on valu-
Chandra A. Madafferi Vice President
ing students, funding schools, and respecting educators. The voters of Michigan are with you. They want lawmakers to stop attacking and start investing in our vital public schools. But our struggle is far from done. We need you to stay engaged. In fact, all this month we will be monitoring the Legislature and issuing Calls to Action if necessary to prevent last-minute “lame duck” maneuvers that seek to harm educators, students, and schools before the new House and Senate are seated. Go to mea.org/lameduck to follow the latest news on the end of this legislative term. And sign up for MEA’s ongoing legislative email newsletter, Capitol Comments, at mea.org/signup. As we prepare to flip the calendar to another new year, MEA members and leaders can say they did the work in 2018. Now we must sustain our energy and momentum to make certain our voices are heard—and heeded—in 2019 and beyond.
Brett R. Smith Secretary-Treasurer
CONTENTS
4 Editor’s Notebook Difficult Choices 6 MEA Calendar MEA Winter Conference 7 News & Notes FFA Settlement 19 Strength in Union Thankful for MEA 20 Election 2018 Wins for Education On the Cover: Ann Arbor counselor Amy McLoughlin is featured in “Leading Change,” an ongoing Voice magazine series on MEA members who step up and show the way.
Executive Director ��������������������� Michael Shoudy Director of Public Affairs ������������������� Doug Pratt Editor ������������������������������������������������Brenda Ortega Staff Photographer ������������������������ Miriam Garcia Publications Specialist ���������������Shantell Crispin The MEA Voice ISSN 1077-4564 is an official publication of the Michigan Education Association, 1216 Kendale Blvd., East Lansing, MI 48823. Opinions stated in the MEA Voice do not necessarily reflect the official position of the MEA unless so identified. Published by Michigan Education Association, Box 2573, East Lansing, MI 48826-2573. Periodicals postage paid at East Lansing and additional mailing offices. Payment of the active membership fee entitles a member to receive the MEA Voice. Of each annual fee whether for active or affiliate membership, $12.93 is for a year’s subscription. Frequency of issue is September, December, February, April and August. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the MEA Voice, Box 2573, East Lansing, MI 48826-2573 or via email at webmaster@mea.org. Allow at least three weeks for change of address to take effect. MEA Voice telephone: 517-332-6551 or 800-292-1934. Circulation this issue: 111,935
15—ISSUES & ADVOCACY: Participants challenged their thinking at an MEA social justice conference.
16—STRENGTH IN UNION: MEA members are building our strength by leading and organizing.
13—COVER STORY: The focus of a new state law, restorative justice is more than a buzzword. In Ann Arbor, promoting healing and inclusion has reduced behavior referrals and improved school climate.
22—STRENGTH IN UNION: Romulus leaders share a story of solidarity that led to a new contract.
26—MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: CMU Professor Dr. Mona Sirbescu made news with a meteorite. MEA VOICE 3
NEWS & NOTES
Editor’s Notebook Producing this magazine means confronting the dilemma of “what to leave in, what to leave out,” to borrow a phrase from a favorite Bob Seger song. Every day I get to follow my curiosity through unfamiliar terrain with insights from fascinating guides, but then I have to decide what to cut when inevitably this space can’t contain it all. Take the story on page 14 about a social justice conference sponsored by MEA. More than 100 participants at the inaugural event were asked to shift their thinking in uncomfortable ways. Keynote speaker Dr. Chezare Warren said educators should seek to shine a light on oppression. Instead of asking why students of color are failing disproportionately to their white counterparts, the question should be what well-intentioned practices and policies have exacerbated racial disparities in disciplinary and academic outcomes? “Even the language of ‘grit’—if you work hard, stick to it, you should win—negates conversation around the racist structures within which they’re working and the impact of those structures on their capacity to work,” the Michigan State University faculty member said.
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Number of charter schools that have closed in Michigan since 1995, according to data from the Center for Educational Performance and Information. Charter closures in Michigan have disrupted the education of 24,943 students, 87 percent of whom were black, according to an article in The Detroit News, “Michigan Charter School Closures Fire up Education Debate.”
Cut. Then there is the Member Spotlight on page 26. Dr. Mona Sirbescu, a geology professor at Central Michigan University, helped to verify the sixth largest meteorite ever found in Michigan—a 22-pound metallic object that had been used as a farmer’s doorstop since the 1930s. The owner plans to sell the object, but for now it’s kept at CMU. A professor in the arts department recently took a 3-D scan of the meteorite to print heavy resin copies on a 3-D printer which look exactly like the original. Iron filings mixed in will even make the copies magnetic. “We plan to send these copies with a packet of activities to surrounding high schools to tap into the natural curiosity of students about earth sciences and about planetary science,” Sirbescu said. Chopped. And from the cover story, school counselor Amy McLoughlin discussed the resources needed to manage students’ increasing mental health issues. School counselors are asked to do that work in addition to class advising and college and career counseling, an unmanageable expectation. “We need general-ed social workers to help in those situations where students are suicidal, homicidal, or sexually assaulted,” she said. “Their job would be to do programming and create community partnerships where they help students and parents get what they need.” Slashed. Deciding which important material to toss feels like “running against the wind,” as Bob Seger says. But it shows what an incredible community I am fortunate to cover.
4 DECEMBER 2018
—Brenda Ortega, editor
QUOTABLES “Now the staff feels heard and successful. They believe there is light at the end of the tunnel and help is on the way.” Charlotte Education Association President Julie Davis, on results of her local’s participation in Wear Red Wednesdays last spring despite threats of disciplinary action. The School Board hired two specialists to help struggling students, an issue raised during Wednesday Walkins. Read the full story at mea.org/ charlotte-solidarity-accomplishes-wonderful-things.
NEWS & NOTES
ICYMI A new study finds that too many classroom decorations can actually hurt student performance on cognitive tasks. The study, published in the December 2018 Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, asked two groups of children to perform attention and memory tasks. For one group of children, the walls of the room were covered with numerous pictures of ordinary objects. The other children performed tasks in a room with bare walls. On every task, children in the highly decorated room performed worse than their counterparts in the room with bare walls.
Pictured are the actual two settings used in the study on classroom displays and student learning.
For tips on how to decorate without distracting, based on the research, read Edutopia’s “Dos and Don’ts of Classroom Decorations” at tinyurl.com/schooldecor.
QUOTABLES
Cleorah Scruggs-DeBose (right) poses with her mother, Deborah Scruggs (center), and Edith Prunty Spencer.
Above and Beyond Cleorah Scruggs-DeBose worries that civil rights progress has experienced “back-sliding, as they say in church.” But for this longtime activist and MEA-Retired member, that just means we have to be more determined: “You can’t beat the neighborly approach, whether it’s the person in your family, the person in your place of worship, or the person on the ball team: Each one, teach one.” The retired Flint Community Schools elementary teacher is nationally known as president of the National Multicultural Diversity Institute and founder of National Multicultural Diversity Day, which began in her classroom and was adopted by NEA in 1993 as the third Monday in October. The Institute recently held its 26th Annual Multicultural Diversity Celebration in Flint, a program that raises awareness and builds connectedness through workshops, displays, a cultural fashion show, food, and music. After so many years of working for multicultural appreciation, people ask her if she’s still active in the movement, and she replies, “No pun intended, but a teacher never loses her class!”
“It’s like we just won a championship and I’m ready to start planning and strategizing for next season.” MEA member Ken Ferguson, a teacher for visually impaired students in Grosse Pointe, who knocked on 500 doors and spent 1,000 hours phone calling to support MEA-recommended candidates in November’s general election. Read more about election wins for public education on page 20 of this issue.
MEA VOICE 5
NEWS & NOTES
UPCOMING EVENTS February 7-8 Winter Conference Cobo Center, Detroit Register now for MEA’s newly renamed Winter Conference, our biggest conference of the year, featuring training in bargaining, organizing, member engagement, political advocacy, communications and more. Go to mea.org/winterconference for information. February 21 MEA Scholarship Deadline The MEA Scholarship application is available at mea.org/ mea-scholarship. Dependents of an MEA member or MEA-Retired member in good standing are eligible to apply. March 1 Read Across America Nationwide Educators across the country will be “Celebrating a Nation of Diverse Readers.” Visit nea.org/readacross to order a free classroom calendar and access activities for all year long.
Nominations sought for ESP Caucus Executive Board Nominations are being accepted for several positions on the MEA ESP Caucus Executive Board. Elections to the ESP Board will take place at the MEA Spring RA in Lansing on May 11, 2019. One interim position is available for Director at Large for a term beginning immediately and ending Aug. 31, 2019. Openings for three-year terms on the Board, beginning Sept. 1, 2019 include: Director at Large (two positions) Director by Classification (one each for maintenance, custodial, food service) Director of Minority Concerns (one position) Any MEA ESP member may nominate candidates for these positions. All nominees, as well as their nominator, must be members in good standing in accordance with MEA rules and regulations. Information needed for each candidate includes: name, email address, home address, home and work telephone numbers, school district, name of nominee’s local ESP association and written consent of the candidate running for office. To have a candidate’s name printed on the ballot and in the RA delegate mailing, information must be received no later than March 13 and should be mailed to: Michele Israel, MEA ESP Department, PO Box 2573, East Lansing, MI 48826-2573.
ESP Statewide Conference
Nominations will also be accepted from the floor at the MEA ESP Caucus meeting on Friday, May 10, 2019 and candidates will be given five minutes to address delegates. A table will be provided outside the ESP Caucus meeting where candidates may place a brief biographical sketch for distribution before the meeting starts.
Blue Water Convention Center, Port Huron
Send questions to James Sparapani, ESP Caucus elections chairperson at jsparapani@att.net.
March 15-16
Education support professionals will gather to network and train on topics such as legal issues, ESP certification, privatization, school violence, and member outreach and engagement. The winner of the Leon A. Brunner Award will be honored. March 23 Aspiring Educators of MEA Conference MEA Headquarters, East Lansing University student members from across the state will gather for training sessions that cover the legal, professional and personal issues affecting education and education employees. 6 DECEMBER 2018
Recognize an Outstanding ESP Nominate an outstanding Education Support Professional who deserves some recognition for contributions to his or her profession, colleagues or union. Nominations are due Feb. 15, 2019, for the Leon A. Brunner Award, which recognizes Michigan’s ESP who have exhibited a high degree of commitment and dedication to their union while advocating for ESP member issues and promotion of ESP careers. Find more information and the nomination form at mea.org/ leon-brunner-award.
NEWS & NOTES
NEW Member Benefit!
Partnership with Staples to Save Members Money
GIVE THEM EVERY CHANCE TO SHINE.
MEA is partnering with Staples to provide a new member benefit.
Using the collective strength of our union, MEA has gained access to a pricing program that will bring significant discounts for our members, locals, school districts, our family of companies, and staff. Staples is a worldwide leader in supplies. The new program will allow members to save money on school and personal purchases at Staples, including school supplies, coffee, snacks, technology, office furniture, cleaning supplies, and more.
ing conditions, better pay, better benefits, and better rights for our members. The new partnership with Staples could save our members 10-80 percent depending on the item, with an average estimated savings of 30 percent. The average educator spends more than $500 per year out of pocket for supplies for their students and classrooms, which works out to $40 million out of our members’ pockets each year. This program could save our members more than $12 million per year.
The Michigan Education Association invites The MEA did extensive due dili-you to As a union, we use our collective gence and reviewed and strength to provide better with decades ofworkexperience serving K-12interviewed schools.
multiple supply companies before choosing Staples. Staples offered a better overall discount to members. This is based on a review of more than 1,300 individual items. The program is risk-free and there are no commitments on behalf of the member. All a member needs to do is sign up and begin saving. Members who wish to shop in a store will get the lower of the store price or the contract price. There is free shipping on all orders over $30. Go to mea.org/members-only to create a Staples discount account discover and start saving.the custom buying
pr From school supplies to techno personal purchases, Staples Business Advantage is here to help. So you can focu what matters most - your students.
Contact Pam Hunt atReach Pam.Hunt@Staples.com or visit the MEA Members Only w Ferris Faculty Contract Settlement at www.mea.org/members-only to set up your personal account today. After nearly five months without a new contract, the Ferris Faculty Association (FFA) reached an agreement with the Ferris State University Board of Trustees in early November. The agreement was the result of a strong campaign of continuous pressure on the board and university president, which included a one-day strike on the first day of classes. FFA President Dr. Charles Bacon expressed his “profound appreciation to the faculty, staff, the MEA, and students for their unwavering support during this challenging negotiation process.” The five-year contract contained the bulk of the FFA Bargaining Team’s proposals and was overwhelmingly ratified— with 98 percent supporting—by the membership on Nov. 9. MEA VOICE 7
MEMBER WELLNESS
Rhonda on the road: Have MESSA wellness come to you
Rhonda Jones, MESSA Health Promotions Consultant
If you have MESSA health coverage and would like to arrange a wellness session at your workplace, contact Rhonda Jones, a registered nurse and MESSA’s health promotions consultant, at healthpromotions@ messa.org. Jones can visit your workplace and help create a worksite culture that supports and promotes healthy lifestyles. Upon request, and at no cost to you or your employer, Jones will come to your workplace and help: • Design or strengthen a worksite wellness program. 8 DECEMBER 2018
• Consult with new or existing wellness teams.
which was “a lot simpler than most people would think it is.”
• Craft customized activities such as physical activity challenges, healthy eating workshops, steps competitions, health education webinars, professional development presentations, stress management workshops, healthy lifestyle workshops, etc.
“We’re not asking people to run a marathon,” Lee points out. “It’s just simple things people can do to get healthier—small steps lead to bigger steps.”
• Provide wellness survey tools and follow-up analysis.
“A lot of students look up to us as role models,” Lee says. “If they see us [practicing healthy behaviors] every single day, it makes them want to do it, too, because they see how it’s benefitting us.”
Richard Lee, a teacher in Trenton Public Schools, says Jones recently helped him and his colleagues set up a local worksite wellness program,
Lee says Trenton’s wellness program doesn’t just help school employees— it also helps students.
COVER STORY
Leading Change Highlighting MEA members of every stripe who step up and lead the way.
MEA member Amy McLoughlin didn’t like school when she was young. Growing up in rural Ohio, she was “that kid in the back of the room interrupting the flow,” voted class clown, a bright girl disengaged, she says. In high school, she skipped a lot but showed up for soccer and socializing. “I didn’t like the typical classroom setting,” McLoughlin said. “I was always fighting back against this idea that I’m dumb because of a grade someone gave me. I think I always knew this ‘C’ or this ‘D’ doesn’t reflect who I am.” Her journey from difficult student to high school counselor led McLoughlin several years ago to adopt an authentic approach to “restorative justice”—based on Native American traditions of peacemaking—a cause that grew into a passion even before it became the focus of a state law enacted last year. Now the 46-year-old finds herself serving as a model for others at a time when the law newly requires Michigan school districts to seek alternatives to zero tolerance discipline policies and other punitive methods of addressing challenging student behaviors.
A Journey Toward Justice Stories by Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor
MEA VOICE 9
COVER STORY
How Circles Work Native American peacemaking traditions seek to resolve conflict by healing rather than punishing. The process asks who has been hurt, what are their needs, and whose obligation is it? Students in conflict are referred to restorative justice team for help. Referred students choose to participate in peer-led process or not. Participants place phones in a box and pledge confidentiality. Leaders ask questions; participants take turns speaking and listening. Meaningful reflection of participants during and after guides the process. Team members debrief to discuss what went well or could be improved.
“This work has reinvigorated me,” she said. “It’s been transformational for me to see I’d been working so hard when I could have been working smarter.” Student leadership is the secret ingredient in the program McLoughlin built at Skyline High School in Ann Arbor. Juniors and seniors chosen to be on the Skysquad restorative justice team mentor struggling freshmen and run conflict mediation circles without an adult in the room following extensive training and practice. “We have students in our schools that are really intelligent and savvy in understanding the culture and climate of a building,” she said. “It’s been magical at Skyline with Skysquad, because students are going to listen to other students.” Restorative justice in schools emerged in the 1990s as an alternative to punitive discipline methods, such as suspension and expulsion, which disproportionately affect students of color and have been correlated with increased high school dropout rates and the school-to-prison pipeline. The Restorative Justice Law, which passed in Michigan in 2016 and went into effect last fall, mandates that schools adopt Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and consider restorative justice as a firstline solution to behavior problems. This shift focuses on resolving conflicts, repairing harm, and healing relationships instead of merely punishing rules infractions. The approach has proven effective for schools with a variety of demographics and disciplinary problems, according to Bill Sower, a certified Michigan schools trainer in restorative practices. “Out-of-school suspension rewards misbehavior for students who don’t
10 DECEMBER 2018
want to be in school,” said Sower, who helped South Lyon Community Schools launch the first restorative practices program in Michigan in 2001. “In-school suspension promotes the growth of negative subcultures which disrupt the whole school climate. Restorative practices is a credible alternative.” School districts employ a variety of restorative practices, but for McLoughlin the keys to success include meaningful student involvement, relationship-building, and high-quality training—growing from belief in the underlying philosophy and awareness of local needs. “Like everything else, there’s so much pressure to do restorative justice, do literacy, do this and do that,” McLoughlin said. “Sometimes people want to look for a packaged program that will just give them an end result, but you have to keep the heart and the soul in it to do it well.” The “heart and soul” of Skysquad derives from Native American peacemaking traditions that have strengthened communities for generations, she says. Students who are trained to lead circles respect their place in a lineage that includes tribal nations and influential leaders such as former South African President Nelson Mandela. “If you help students understand that people can work together and care about each other even when they mess up, and we don’t have to kick them out, that’s a game changer,” McLoughlin said. “Then they see this person that has wronged them as still part of their tribe, that we can disagree, I can be terrible, I can say I’m sorry, I can own my behavior and move forward.” Ninth-grade mentoring works in tandem with conflict mediation circles to prevent problems and nurture a positive school climate. To make a
Restorative Justice Resources Dispute Resolution Centers exist in counties across Michigan, and they offer conflict mediation training for schools. Ann Arbor counselor Amy McLoughlin recommends it as the first step in exploring a restorative justice program. The Student Advocacy Center of Michigan offers an extensive list of resources for understanding Michigan’s new school discipline law and tapping into professional development at studentadvocacycenter.org/policy/rethink/. The Michigan Department of Education offers an Alternatives to Suspensions and Expulsions Toolkit and more informational resources at tinyurl.com/alternativestoolkit. Edutopia, an education website from the George Lucas Foundation, offers case studies and resources for implementing restorative justice in schools at edutopia.org/blog/restorative-justice-resourcesmatt-davis. The U-M TRAILS program offers free curricular materials for schools to use in helping students learn strategies for coping with anxiety and depression at trailstowellness.org. And watch for more information about mindfulness practices that address students’ mental and emotional well-being in the February issue of MEA Voice!
few mentors available when issues arise throughout the day, Skysquad was given space in the counseling office and assigned class credit. “I say whoever is effective, let them do the work,” McLoughlin said. “Ninth graders don’t have a sense of connectedness yet. They’re having trouble finding a peer group and figuring out where they fit in. They don’t feel smart; they don’t feel like they can do the work. “All of those things can easily, easily be repaired with a mentor with the right training, so my work now isn’t the direct line to all of those ninth graders; my work becomes this cohort of students that is the frontlines.” In its first five years of operation, Skysquad conducted more than 260 circles with a 96 percent resolution rate. The most common topics of conflict involve friendship misunderstandings; classroom tensions;
racism, sexism and homophobia; and miscommunication. “Especially in our national climate now, the things that this addresses like nothing else are racism, homophobia, sexism,” said McLoughlin, who is openly gay and legally married to her wife since 2015. One sophomore boy participated in a circle after posting a picture of a burning swastika from the satirical television show South Park on the computer screens in his classroom one day—never thinking that his friend in class was Jewish. The boys worked it out with Skysquad’s help. Afterward, he stopped to talk with McLoughlin who had been standing outside the door—not privy to the student-led circle. “He started crying, and he said, ‘I hope you don’t think that’s who I am. That is not who I want to be. It will never happen again. I am changed because of this moment.’
“That’s how he talked. I’m not putting that in adult words. He was forever changed, because instead of punishing and ostracizing that 14-year-old who did something really dumb, we brought him back into his community, gave him a chance to be better. And honestly, I can tell you hundreds of stories like that.” McLoughlin started the program in 2013 with the support of Skyline Principal Cory McElmeel and circles training from the county’s Dispute Resolution Center. At first she juggled Skysquad with a full counseling load, but the improved building climate and reduced behavior referrals eventually led McElmeel to turn the program into her half-time role. She supplemented the program as needs arose. Increasing numbers of students struggling with depression and anxiety led her to a University of Michigan program—TRAILS— which is building a statewide netMEA VOICE 11
COVER STORY
work of coaches trained in cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness.
And you can’t do it. You feel like a failure all day long.”
Counselors at all Ann Arbor schools received training and resources from TRAILS to help students learn strategies for coping with depression and anxiety.
Now she additionally serves with a cohort of teachers and counselors in a group known as Justice Leaders, run through the Washtenaw Intermediate School District, which helps educators examine their biases and how they manifest in the classroom.
Before launching Skysquad, McLoughlin had begun to question how long she could maintain the pace. “I used to walk into my job and think, All right. Here’s my 300 kids, and I’ve got to make sure they’re all OK.
The Justice Leaders are looking at ways to help educators across the county extend that work to students. McLoughlin will pilot a program to
teach students how to do bias and cultural competency training with other students in her brand new role in Ann Arbor Public Schools. This fall she made a tough decision to transfer within the district to an open counseling position at Community High School, drawn by the non-traditional aspects of the small, diverse alternative school nestled in the city’s downtown. She is continuing to facilitate Skysquad through the transition this
Skysquad: ‘We promote understanding’ Several students from Ann Arbor’s Skyline High School recently demonstrated a grasp on how to resolve conflict that many adults could learn from. In fact, the teenagers did teach their elders in October when four representatives from Skysquad—a student-led restorative justice team—presented at an international conference in Detroit attended by professionals from all over the world. “We focus on building relationships and making sure everyone’s voice is heard, because that is the community we want at Skyline,” said senior Omar Hassan, a soccer player who says the humbling experience of being part of the team has awakened his passion for helping others. About 20 students participate in Skysquad each year since the program started in 2013, mentoring struggling freshmen and mediating conflicts in “circles” 12 DECEMBER 2018
based on Native American peacemaking traditions—without an adult in the room. A counselor is stationed just outside in case participants reveal abuse or thoughts of harming self or others. Strict confidentiality is enforced. The students receive extensive training and practice to draw out all sides of a conflict and help people see different perspectives, said senior Arik Rorie, a football player and self-described jokester who said his experience on the team has broadened his view of the world. “Sometimes because we’re angry we can’t see the other side of a situation, and we think we are right,” Arik said. “In Skysquad we promote understanding of other perspectives because if you don’t know somebody else’s truth, then you’ll never get to a solution.” To do that work, a broad variety of students are selected for Sky-
squad, including some who have found themselves in trouble in the past, said senior Rollie Caswell, a football player who said he has developed more empathy from participating in the program. Skysquad members interview and select candidates and help train incoming members. “It’s not about having all straight-A students on the team,” Rollie said. “You want to have a representative group of students because that is how we’re able to be a go-between, between our student body and our principals.” School administrators historically have focused on punishing bad behavior, but Skysquad pursues root causes to repair relationships and help students make better choices going forward. Some circles take 10 minutes, and others require two hours, students said. “One thing I’ve learned doing this work is the problem that started the argument is almost never the
COVER STORY
school year, while starting to build a restorative justice program in her new building. “This can be replicated in almost every school if you have students that you trust and you give them the skills they need,” she said, noting that restorative practices work well at all grade levels, with students taking on more leadership as they get older. Recently she accompanied four Skysquad students who presented about
their work at a conference of the International Institute for Restorative Practices in Detroit—attended by professionals from all over the world.
All of the adults she encountered were dismissive, she says, and she thought to herself, If I was in that job—I would get it.
No matter where she goes, McLoughlin still feels connected to her younger self and a turning point in tenth grade that would ultimately lead to her career—when she walked out of English class to the dean’s office to protest a lack of female poets in the curriculum.
“I always remember that with my students, that they’re coming out of their class for a reason, and a lot of times they’re just angry about something. How do we take that passion and that fire and do something cool with it?”
real problem,” Arik said. “There’s always something deeper.” The five-year-old program has led to a change in culture and climate at the school, the students said. Fights in the hallways and cafeteria that happened routinely four years ago are rare nowadays, they agreed. More people speak up when they hear insensitive jokes or comments. “I had a great thing happen last year—this girl came to me and said, ‘Arik. I’m about to fight someone. Please take me to the office.’” Mentoring freshmen in need helps on the front-end, said senior Zain Smith, a state champion diver who says she loves people and hugs. “We get to know them, check in with grades and things at home; we spend time earning trust, and that prevents problems from arising.” Skysquad members do not force anyone to take part in a circle, nor do they tell people what to
Omar, Zain, Rollie and Arik—members of Ann Arbor Skyline High School’s Skysquad team—presented at the World Conference of the International Institute for Restorative Practices in October. think. “We’re not telling the students this other person is hurt; you should feel this way,” Rollie said. “You have to let them figure it out for themselves, and that’s why circles are so powerful.” The teammates learn to model openness and honesty, which is
key to success, he added. “If I can be vulnerable in front of a student, then he will be vulnerable in front of the person he’s having an issue with—and that is because I created an environment where it’s OK to be vulnerable.”
MEA VOICE 13
ISSUES & ADVOCACY
Social Justice: ‘Do Your Part However You Can’ Dr. Dorinda Carter Andrews, assistant dean of Equity Outreach Initiatives for the College of Education at Michigan State University, discusses the differences between equality, equity, and justice at an inaugural social justice conference co-sponsored by MEA and a local association.
There is no neutral ground when it comes to issues of systemic racism and oppression—everyone must take a stance, according to Dr. Chezare Warren, a former teacher and administrator in Chicago Public Schools, now a faculty member at Michigan State University. Social justice, diversity, inclusion. “They’re not just pretty buzzwords,” Warren told a crowd of more than 100 participants at an inaugural conference held last month at MEA headquarters, co-sponsored by Lansing Schools Education Association (LSEA) and MEA. “Life and death consequences are associated with our capacity to hold space, love, care for, and think about being in community with those who are marginalized for lots of different reasons,” the author and researcher said. “To be neutral is to provide tacit agreement with issues of injustice as they continue to proliferate in our country.” “We have to call a thing a thing,” Warren said in his opening keynote address, quoting author and spiritual advisor Iyanla Vanzant in a turn of 14 DECEMBER 2018
phrase that became a mantra echoing through the conference. Local MEA leaders and staff from several units in the Capital-area region organized The Power of You: Impacting Social Justice conference to encourage honest dialogue that leads to action and change, said LSEA President Chuck Alberts. Participants came from all over Michigan. “This is much more than a conference,” Alberts told the crowd. “The issues of social justice impact all of us regardless of race, religion, culture, ethnicity, and gender or any other subtitle assigned to our being. Through the power of you, and you, and you, and you, we have the power of us.” To be effective in encouraging children to learn and grow, educators must seek to understand and honor students’ experiences and perspectives, said conference presenter Shon Hart, a Flint author, speaker, and director of a non-profit dedicated to empowering African-American fathers.
In his breakout session, “Why Broken Boys Become Broken Men,” Hart likened educators’ cross-cultural work of understanding students from different backgrounds to football players watching video of games to be more conscious of split-second mistakes they’re making. “Before we can help students, we have to watch our own film, our own biases, our own issues that we bring into the classroom and that we bring from the classroom and take back home,” Hart said. “To be an effective educator, you have to see every angle—you have to cross over.” Broken boys might appear at school as withdrawn and unmotivated, or they could act out and challenge authority, Hart said in a riveting talk that occasionally sparked spontaneous cheers and applause. “Speak to his potential,” Hart said. “Listen and give him value. Speak to the king in him, and he will rise.” Lansing educator Jami Brown attended the conference as part of a one-year administrator apprenticeship program she is involved in this
“We have to call a thing a thing,” says Dr. Chezare Warren, a researcher and faculty member at MSU, who asked conference participants to stand up to systemic racism and oppression. year. She chose sessions carefully, because there were many speakers she wanted to hear from, she said. “As the mother of three African-American sons myself, I want to know how I can prepare them for the future ahead, as well as students and educators—how can we bring forward the idea of being culturally sensitive and responsive?” Breakout sessions covered a wide range of important topics, from trauma, to LGBTQ victimization, poverty, micro-aggression, and bias incident response. Cari Cravotta, an elementary music teacher in East Lansing, said she couldn’t wait to report back from the conference to faculty at her school. Cravotta belongs to her building’s equity team developing means and methods for creating an open, accepting, inclusive community. “These are the things that people don’t want to talk about that we need to be talking about,” Cravotta said. “Equity is so important. I think
all teachers need to learn more about it.” There is a difference between equality and equity, noted Dr. Dorinda Carter Andrews, assistant dean of Equity Outreach Initiatives for the College of Education and associate professor in the Department of Teacher Education at Michigan State University. Carter Andrews delivered the event’s closing keynote address and also presented a session on culturally responsive teaching that acknowledged the terms have become ill-defined buzzwords. Equality works if need is the same, she said. Equity ensures access to opportunity. However, she added, “Justice is liberatory; it is freedom. Justice is an ongoing struggle. As long as we live in a world where injustice and inequality exist—and privilege and disadvantage—we will be working for justice.” Schools should not be asked to solve these issues alone, she said. All of society’s institutions should be working together, but change can
begin with individual awareness and reflection. Discussing issues and making curricula more inclusive are good places to start. “Don’t facilitate a dialogue you don’t feel comfortable facilitating, but it doesn’t take much to let a child know I love you and you are safe here. Do your part however you can do it, but don’t do nothing.” Several non-profit organizations operated vendor booths at the conference to connect participants to resources. The conference was eight months in the making, and organizers hope to continue the work with future events and further coalition-building. “It’s a good start, but it’s just that—a start,” said Ron Parkinson, a Capital-area UniServ director among many who pitched in to plan the conference with grant money from NEA and MEA, adding that organizers hope the event will continue to broaden its reach going forward.
MEA VOICE 15
STRENGTH IN UNION
Members Organize to Build Grassroots Strength By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor
Paraeducator Jason Heemstra, who works with young adults who have autism, recently took on leadership and organizing roles in his local association.
Grand Rapids paraeducator Jason Heemstra used to be the sort of union member who questioned and complained without getting involved. Maybe that’s why he’s such an effective advocate for MEA today. Two years ago, Heemstra quit grousing and stepped up to act in his ESP unit. He ran for building representative and won, then got appointed temporary treasurer after a resignation left the position open. 16 DECEMBER 2018
He found he liked it, he says. “It’s nice hearing what people’s wishes are and trying to push forward and get things done.”
“There’s strength in numbers, and trying to get more people motivated and involved is something that I enjoy doing,” Heemstra said.
This year he went a step further and joined 14 teachers and education support professionals as paid fellows in an organizing effort—Ed Summer—now in its second year, funded in part with a grant from NEA. The goal is to better connect MEA with new hires and non-members.
The Ed Summer fellows worked 20 hours per week over seven weeks in July and August reaching out to newly hired employees and potential members in their own schools and neighboring districts in 11 areas of the state.
STRENGTH IN UNION
The program aims to build membership through one-on-one conversations, presentations at new hire orientations, and social connection at welcome events. The fellows conducted all three types of outreach, said MEA Associate Executive Director Marcy Felegy. “We know there is no better opportunity to engage and advance the cause of protecting public education than member-to-member conversation,” Felegy said. A 14-year paraeducator who works with young adults who have autism, Heemstra was selected for the program because he had demonstrated success in building up his own unit—increasing membership by 14 percent simply by talking to people about what the union offers. He doesn’t pressure anyone to join but simply speaks, listens, and answers questions, he said. He starts with pocketbook issues: legal services, free education and life insurance, big discounts on a huge number of goods and services, such as restaurants, travel, new cars and electronics. He listens to people’s concerns and shares how the union allows school employees to work together to raise issues, address concerns, and solve problems—that members joining together can speak more forcefully by getting active in local, state, and national issues. He’s noticed that younger hires are more likely to seek him out to join the union. This year, Heemstra was part of the bargaining team that negotiated 5 to 7 percent increases for
Jason Heemstra, paraeducator, Grand Rapids Public Schools:
“I tell them we are your voice; we are your protection; we are a team.” all ESP members in the unit. “I tell them we are your voice; we are your protection; we are a team.” He doesn’t worry if he encounters someone who does not want to join, because he is less interested in changing minds than building relationships, he says. “It’s about getting them more involved and active.” “I consider it a success when members and new potential members thank me for my work,” Heemstra said. “Even if they are not members and they recognize what we do for them, I can work off of that!” The biggest complaint he hears about unions is the misconception that they protect bad employees. In truth, he explains, “We are not there to pass judgment. We are there to enforce the contract and make sure our member is treated fairly—innocent until proven guilty.”
The 15 fellows in the program were given goals to reach, and they have accomplished those and more, Felegy said. They exceeded the target of 1,500 one-on-one conversations, identified natural leaders in their buildings, and signed up 260 new members—125 percent of the goal. “Members connecting with members is how we bring together people’s personal reasons for why they do the work they do with the bigger picture—of making sure public education not only survives but turns the corner and starts thriving,” Felegy said. The Ed Summer program has offered the additional benefit of developing the next generation of leaders, Felegy noted. Claire Scislowicz became a fellow this summer after her second year of teaching Spanish and Language Arts at Rochester High School. She said MEA VOICE 17
STRENGTH IN UNION
“Actively engaging our early-career educators empowers them and provides them a sense of belonging within the organization that allows them an opportunity to succeed,” Hill said.
Claire Scislowicz, Language Arts/Spanish teacher, Rochester Community Schools:
“I’m in this to help people stay in the profession for the long run.” it was a “no-brainer” for her to participate, because she is passionate about teaching and aware of MEA’s importance. “I’m not going to lie; it was definitely intimidating at first. I didn’t want to seem like I had all the answers, because I don’t. But after a couple of one-on-one conversations, I realized we’re all teachers. We all have the same goals; we all are supporting public education and students.” Her father, Fran Scislowicz, was a Rochester teacher, coach, and MEA member for more than 30 years. “Dad always talked about the union and feeling supported by everyone there,” she said. In addition to her family history, Scislowicz is an MEA building representative who understands the ins and outs of what the union offers. 18 DECEMBER 2018
“I was excited to learn more about our contract and how change is advocated for and initiated,” she said. Talking with her colleagues about their frustrations and concerns helped her get to know them better by walking a mile in their shoes, she said. That was especially true with new hires just starting their careers. “The one thing I love is giving back, so now that I’m in my third year— not that I’m super experienced—but I feel like I can offer some good advice to the new hires because I was just in their position,” she said. All local associations should be promoting more involvement of younger members, said Rochester Education Association President Doug Hill. Connecting early career educators with each other is powerful because of their shared experience, he said.
The experience has been “amazing,” Scislowicz said. At staff meetings in her building and district, newly hired teachers feel comfortable approaching her to ask for help about “random things,” such as how to use the copy machine. “I’m so much more approachable because they saw my face from the summer, and they know who I am, and they know they can talk to me,” she said. As part of her fellowship, Scislowicz gave a presentation about the union at the district’s new hire orientation. “A bunch of new people signed up, because they saw it was something they wanted to be a part of,” she said. Scislowicz also helped to organize a fall social event at a local restaurant. “We just wanted to connect with new members about how the start of school had been going and ask them, ‘Do you need anything?’” She values the culture at Rochester High School, where “Everyone bonds together, even if they’re not in the same content area, whether they’re 54 or 24.” But Scislowicz worries about the growing teacher shortage and increasing demands on educators just starting out. “I’m in this to help people stay in the profession for the long run.”
STRENGTH IN UNION
Early Career Educator Thankful for Union Lindsey Nader loves helping her K-5 students in Troy—who have emotional impairments or autism— to learn social skills and access the general education curriculum. She planned to be a general education teacher after earning a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. But she continued on to get a master’s degree in special education because she knew it would help her reach a greater number of children. “I wanted to be able to help all the students in my classroom, not just
the ones who were identified (for special education),” she said. “I love knowing I have an impact in helping them become better citizens and contributing members of their communities.” She always knew she would value MEA; her father belonged to the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, so she heard about the importance of unions growing up. But her appreciation grew after an incident with a parent in her third year on the job.
The situation was stressful, but she never felt alone with the support of MEA colleagues and staff. “As high a priority as this situation felt to me, it was the same priority for my MEA rep,” she said. “I didn’t miss a beat in teaching.” Now she serves as a building representative in her Troy Education Association. “I felt confident handling the situation because of all the support I had in place from MEA. I really can’t attest any higher to how valuable I think being in a union is.”
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MEA VOICE 19
ELECTION 2018
Election a Win for Students, Educators Last month’s midterm election drew the highest turnout in Michigan in nearly 60 years, and MEA members helped bring change across the state—volunteering for local and state candidates, making phone calls, writing postcards, knocking doors and donating to MEA-PAC, MEA President Paula Herbart said. “From volunteering to voting, everyone made a difference for our students and our profession, and we should be proud of what we accomplished together,” she said. Wins for a slew of MEA-recommended candidates, highlighted by Gretchen Whitmer’s victory as governor, represent a “course correction” for Michigan and public education, Herbart said. Now the real work begins, according to the governor-elect. “Voters rejected agendas that don’t put our kids’ education first,” Whitmer said at a post-election news conference. “I’m determined to work with everyone who wants to make sure that is the future of our state.” Five MEA members won election to state-level office on the heels of the nationwide #RedForEd movement, including two in northwestern Wayne County who flipped seats from red to blue in tightly contested races: New Haven teacher Dayna Polehanki won Senate District 7, and Airport teacher Matt Koleszar will represent House District 20. Polehanki said her win was a victory for anyone tired of the status quo. “This election was about bringing a 20 DECEMBER 2018
new approach to Lansing—an approach that puts people over special interests to deliver clean water, better schools, and safe roads for every Michigan family.” Koleszar noted he will be working in a chamber now more evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats. “With our governor being a Democrat and with the party divide being smaller in the House, this is an opportunity for bipartisan cooperation so we can get things done.” Voters narrowed the Republican majority to six in both the state House (58-52) and Senate (22-16); chose all eight MEA-recommended candidates for statewide education boards; and for the first time picked women for all three of the state’s top elected posts. In addition to Whitmer, Jocelyn Benson won secretary of state and Dana Nessel was elected attorney general. All three women were recommended by the MEA Statewide Screening & Recommendations Committee. U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow won re-election with a continuing recommendation from MEA. MEA member Nate Shannon, a L’Anse Creuse economics and history teacher, won a 54-46 victory in a swing district. With his message of fixing the broken school funding system, Shannon found bipartisan support that was key to his victory. Lori Stone, a fourth-grade teacher in Warren’s Fitzgerald Public Schools, had a decisive win in the general election in her second bid
Governor-Elect Gretchen Whitmer
for House District 28. She knocked off an incumbent Democrat in the August primary. “I’m excited about what I’m going to do next,” Stone said. “I’m looking forward to working in the Legislature to help improve educational policy.” MEA-Retired member Sheryl Kennedy, a principal in Walled Lake, won her House District 48 seat by 10 points after vanquishing two opponents in the primary with 73 percent of the vote. The governor-elect has a track record of working across the partisan aisle, and that gives Kennedy hope that problems can get solved. “I have nothing but confidence in Gretchen Whitmer as our leader,” she said. All of MEA’s recommended candidates won races for governing boards at University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and Wayne State University. Wins for MEA-recommended candidates for the state Board of Education changed the party split from 4-4 to 6-2.
Join the Cause: MEA Retirees Mentor Future Educators Nancy Nelson retired from her job teaching high school math in Williamston, but she continues to play a vital role in the education world. Through her membership in MEA-Retired, Nelson signed up to mentor a student teacher at a Michigan university who wanted extra support. “I was reading about teacher attrition rates, and I thought this was a way I could help,” Nelson said. “We need good teachers who will stay.” Now in its second year, the MEA-Retired Mentoring program is expanding its influence by signing up more mentors and mentees, says Peg Schroder, a retired Waterford teacher who chairs the mentoring committee. The veterans offer a variety of help: teaching ideas, solutions to classroom problems, and a place to vent that is safe and disconnected from the mentees’ university evaluations. Experienced educators connect with future teachers via email and communications tools such as Skype. “Mentoring is the carrying on of professional responsibilities,” said MEA-Retired member Dean Parling, who taught math and science in Ithaca for 38 years and credits his career success to many educators and MEA members who mentored him over time. Student teachers praised the program in surveys evaluating the first year, Schroder said. Some examples of their feedback: “She offered to be there for me when I was struggling to find my ground in the beginning.”
MEA-Retired members practice using video chat tools for conferencing with student teachers they are mentoring through a volunteer program now in its second year. “He is encouraging, enthusiastic, passionate, and gives great advice.” “My mentor has been such a good person to work things out with. Anything I am struggling with, he gives advice and encourages me to keep trying and failing so that I can learn more.” Student teachers who would like to be assigned a retiree-mentor should contact Rebbecca Ernst at RErnst@mea.org. Members of MEA-Retired who wish to become a mentor can contact Lisa Andros at LAndros@mea.org. You can become a lifetime member of MEA-Retired for a one-time fee or contact the MEA Help Center to set up easy payments at 866-MEA-HELP (866-632-4357). Join the fight for our future while continuing to enjoy the MEA/NEA savings and benefits you’ve come to love. Nearly 40,000 retired Michigan school employees stand together as members of MEA-Retired, working to protect retirement rights and benefits.
ranging from home, auto, and life insurance to travel and leisure. Members also have access to NEA insurance plans (life insurance, death enefits, and liability insurance if you return to the classroom in any way), publications such as MEA Voice, This Active Life, and the Michigan Retirement Report. MEA-Retired members regularly join in lobbying efforts at the state Capitol, meeting with lawmakers in support of public education. Chapters meet locally to advocate for issues important to retirees. Members may run for a delegate position in the MEA Representative Assembly (RA), NEA RA, and the NEA RA Retired Annual meeting. You may already be a member of MEA-Retired if you paid into the All-Inclusive membership Program (AIM) during your active teaching years. Contact Lisa Andros at LAndros@mea.org for more information.
Membership in MEA-Retired offers discounts on products and services MEA VOICE 21
STRENGTH IN UNION
Our Story of Unionism: Romulus Education Association Sarah Carter, REA President Julie Hirchert, REA Vice President
Almost 365 days passed before Romulus teachers realized what teamwork and unity could really accomplish. Led by a strong executive board and committed crisis team, with unwavering support from neighboring locals in Wayne County Multi Association Bargaining Organization (WC-MABO), the Romulus Education Association finally reached an agreement with the school board. In November 2017, Romulus’s collective bargaining agreement expired and negotiations began. Two meetings later, the REA requested mediation as it became evident that it would be difficult to reach a 22 DECEMBER 2018
fair and equitable agreement for all. A crisis committee was in place and immediately began moving forward with plans to unite the staff and gain community support. To show solidarity, the crisis committee coordinated teachers wearing black on Mondays, orange (our chosen crisis color) on Wednesdays, and REA-created buttons every day with messages such as “RESTORE RESPECT,” “MAKE US WHOLE” and “PAY TEACHERS, NOT LAWYERS.” Multiple methods of communication, such as Instagram, private and public Facebook pages, personal e-mails, and text messages were employed to communicate with REA members and other stakeholders.
All Facebook profile photos were changed to the orange REA logo, and orange decorations were present at conferences and school-wide events. Signs sporting the same slogans and colors were created by teachers and displayed in cars during picketing and at school board meetings. REA members were asked to write and deliver speeches at school board meetings addressing our top concerns. All school board meetings were broadcast live on the public REA Facebook page. The Romulus teachers continued their fight throughout the remainder of the 2017-18 school year as their negotiating team met with district
representatives 19 times with no resolution in sight. Beginning the 2018-19 school year without a contract, the teachers again prepared for battle. The REA made a decision to interview and endorse school board candidates as four open seats on the school board were open in the November elections. Teachers continued to picket, attend and speak at school board meetings, and show their solidarity by sitting in silence at the welcomeback-to-school meeting led by the superintendent. Early in September, a concerned parent contacted Channel 4 News, and REA President Sarah Carter was interviewed to verify the facts. This story aired on all evening and morning newscasts and was shared via the REA public Facebook page, eventually being shared more than 550 times and having over 45,000 views. Within a week of the news story, the school board president resigned and the superintendent had no choice but to apologize to the community for her lack of leadership. With momentum in their favor, the REA moved forward with a vote of no confidence for the superintendent. The vote was held in October with the support of the WC-MABO, a group of local associations that bond together to support one another in efforts to bargain fair contracts.
Romulus Education Association leaders (L-R) Vice President Julie Hirchert, President Sarah Carter, and Secretary Treasurer Julia Salerno say persistent collective action resolved stalled contract talks. In a show of solidarity, members from many other WC-MABO districts picketed and attended the next RCS school board meeting and Joe Ligaj, WC-MABO Chief Negotiator, spoke on our behalf. One week after the vote, the new acting school board president set up a meeting with the REA president and WC-MABO Executive Director. After two sessions and a total of
ten hours of discussion, a tentative agreement was signed. As Thomas Edison once said, “When you have exhausted all possibilities, remember this: you haven’t.” The Romulus Education Association is a great example of how unionism, perseverance, and taking risks can overcome adversity. The fight continues.
MEA VOICE 23
New MESSA feature: online access to mental health help As an education employee, you likely face extraordinary pressure on the job. This extra stress can leave you feeling overwhelmed and negatively affect your work and family life. Every MESSA health plan includes coverage for a variety of mental health services, both through traditional visits with a counselor and through your smartphone or the web. Recognizing that our members often can’t fit additional office visits into their already busy schedules, we’ve recently rolled out a convenient feature that allows you to use your smartphone, tablet or computer to talk with a licensed therapist, psychologist or psychiatrist.
the Blue Cross Online Visits mobile app and enter your health plan information from your insurance card. You and your covered dependents can choose from a roster of certified therapists, counselors, psychologists and psychiatrists. You can then schedule a 45-minute appointment between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m., any day of the week, to talk through challenges you may be facing. Just like traditional office visits, your copayment, deductible and/or coinsurance applies. Please note that online service does not provide therapy for substance abuse disorders. For that, you’ll need a traditional, in-person visit.
By Ross Wilson, MESSA Executive Director
The online service is provided through MESSA’s partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. To get started, go to messa.org/ messaonlinevisits or download
If you’re feeling stressed and need to talk, help is just a few clicks away.
Detroit Pistons Discount
Calling ArtistMembers
CLASSIFIEDS
MEA Members can enjoy a discount on Detroit Pistons tickets to see the team play in Little Caesars Arena for the 2018-19 schedule! Simply find a game you want to attend and purchase tickets using the promo code “MEA.” Go to mea.org/ members-only, and look for the link under “Detroit Pistons Discount” to search the team schedule for game opponents and dates, in addition to available seats. Please use Google Chrome to purchase your tickets.
MEA members in good standing can submit artwork beginning in February for an annual art exhibition and sale that results in some pieces being purchased for display at MEA headquarters or regional offices. For more information and an entry form, go to mea.org/Art.
Our ad policy, rates and schedule can be found online at mea.org/voice. The classifieds deadline for the February 2019 issue is Jan. 18.
24 DECEMBER 2018
Entries to the 55th Annual MEA/ Michigan Art Education Association (MAEA) Art Acquisitions Purchase Exhibition will be accepted from Feb. 18 – March 1, 2019. Works will be accepted from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on weekdays and from 10 a.m.-noon on Saturday, March 2.
Visit the Homesites of Laura Ingalls Wilder. 2019 brochure available. Phone 810-633-9973. Email lhsitetours@email.com. Visit our website lhsitetours.homestead.com
Coverage you can depend on for the ones you love.
As an eligible NEA member,* you’ve got the protection of NEA Complimentary Life Insurance, issued by The Prudential Insurance Company of America — but you should name a beneficiary to make sure your loved ones are covered. Then visit neamb.com/life to learn about all the solutions available to help meet your insurance needs.
Go to neamb.com/free-tote and register your beneficiary to get this FREE tote. Or call 1-855-NEA-LIFE (632-5433) and mention offer code: TOTEBAG
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DT250918
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
MEA member Dr. Mona Sirbescu, a geology professor at Central Michigan University, helped verify a 22-pound meteorite used for decades as a farmer’s barn doorstop—the sixth largest of 12 meteorites ever found in Michigan.
Who was the man who brought you the rock for analysis? His name is David Mazurek, and he got to me through one of my former students who works as a geologist in Grand Rapids. David sent me a very interesting photograph. We talked on the phone and then he traveled from Grand Rapids, and he brought this pretty heavy specimen to me. What did he say when you met? He purchased a farm close to Edmore, Michigan, and he saw this rock holding the barn door. He was told this rock fell from the sky with a big boom. The old gentleman who sold him the farm remembered as a child seeing the ball of fire, and his relatives dug it out from the crater, still warm. But this is like a myth. We don’t have this older gentleman to discuss the record. We don’t see a clear crater in that area. Because of that, this meteorite is classified as a find, not as a fall. What does this rock look like? The whole meteorite is basically a metallic object. It has a very irregular shape. It has the typical little indentations like thumb prints which are caused by partial melting as the meteorite burns. What is the process used to verify? The process started with me sending a photograph to the curator of meteorites at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. The next step of the process was for me to get a tiny slice, with permission from the owner, and send it to the Smithsonian. 26 DECEMBER 2018
Just before I did that, we used an x-ray fluorescence instrument—or XRF—to connect the chemical composition, and that fell right in the field where it belongs to in terms of concentration of iron and nickel. Separately, Dr. Cari Corrigan at the Smithsonian conducted other microscopy, and she confirmed without a doubt that it is iron meteorite. It has a specific pattern called widmanstätten—it’s a German name— and that pattern is revealed on the fresh surface that I cut after adding a bit of acid with a certain concentration. That pattern is unique. You cannot reproduce it on Earth. It cannot be faked.
What was your reaction when you realized what you were looking at? I was ecstatic. This is quite unique. People bring meteorite suspects all the time, but it turns out they’re not meteorites; they are meteor-wrongs for the most part. How much attention has this discovery received in the media? Well, the university communications writer who wrote the first article here at CMU said the news about the Edmore meteorite was clicked on through the internet by over 1.5 billion people. Billion with a B? With a B. It was first talked about on CNN, and then it was picked up by Time, BBC, Weather Channel, everything. And it went to all sorts of news organizations, even the national news in Romania—and I’m from Romania. I received a post from France and from many countries. Why do you think the world was so interested? Of course, in a time when most of the news is the depressing kind, this came as a neutral, scientific discovery. I believe it touched the child-like curiosity in people. Everybody wants to hear this story. And then they want to know, “Maybe is my rock also a meteorite?” I’m getting inquiries from all over the world, Venezuela, Poland, Czech Republic, Tunisia, all continents really. Nobody would have foreseen what happened to this story.
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