Election 2022 Pullout SEE EDUCATORS RUN page 10 SCHOOLpageBOARDS22 October–November 2022 | Vol. 100 | Issue 1 | mea.org
Friends like Pamela Pugh and Mitchell Robinson for the State Board of Education, where they will fight against growing efforts to divide educators and parents by extremists and enemies of public education.
But19.she’s not alone in that work — there are great friends of education up and down the November ballot who deserve our support.
education — and that it takes a team to deliver for Michigan’s students.
It’s been wonderful these last four years to have a governor in Gretchen Whitmer who listens to educators of every stripe before setting priorities or determining policy. Learn more on page
like your profession depends on it
Chandra A. Madafferi Vice President
Share MEA’s recommendations with friends and family who want to preserve a cornerstone of democracy in our neighborhood public schools. Let them know what’s at stake — and that our members are standing with them statewide to elect champions for education.Allofsociety
of everyday MEA members from across the state who interview and recommend candidates for elected offices from Washington to Lansing to our local school boards.
2 OCT–NOV 2022
Our members identify these friends who deserve our support. MEA Screening & Recommendations committees are diverse groups
Friends like Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Attorney General Dana Nessel, who have used their roles to find new ways to engage students and educators while protecting the rights of every Michigan citizen.
OTE
When you’re ready to vote, whether it’s sitting at the kitchen table with a mail‑in ballot or heading to a local precinct on Election Day, pull out the handy four‑page voting guide at the center of this magazine. Go online to MEAVotes.org to find recommended candidates for your area.
benefits from having vibrant, well‑resourced neighborhood public schools staffed by committed professionals. It’s up to us to keep that institution strong with our votes and our hard work to win for public education on Nov. 8. v
LETTER TO MEMBERS
Paula J. PresidentHerbart
We all know it takes a village to raise a child, and as educators we value everyone within the school community who plays a role in it.
The school whatwhilemakingpsychologists —smoothly.taskstroubleshootersecretary/residentjugglesmultiplewhilekeepingsystemsrunningCafeteriaworkersrunatightkitchentoservehot,nutritiousfoodtohugenumbersofpeopleefficiently.Nurses,socialworkers,counselors,allplayaroleinsureourkidsarehealthyandreadytolearn.Custodialandmaintenancecrewskeepthingscleanandoperationalalwaysstandingreadytofixbreakdownsormopupaccidents.Parasdotheone‑on‑oneworkthatmakeschildrenfeelseen,andaidespickuptheslackinallkindsofrolesfromclassroomstoplaygrounds.Apartofthisinterdependentecosystem,teachersengagestudents’curiositywithlessonsandlearning.Nooneknowsbetterthanwedoittakestodeliveraqualitypublic
Brett R. Secretary‑TreasurerSmith
School children start every day greeted by a bus driver as they climb aboard. They arrive at school to a building full of folks ready to care for their physical, emotional and academic needs.
The future of our profession is on the ballot this November, and we need to vote like it is.
Friends like Richard Bernstein and Kyra Harris Bolden who will make sure the Michigan Supreme Court delivers justice for Michigan families, students and school employees.
But it’s your votes that send those candidates there — and make no mistake that the entire team needs your support this fall.
CTE Shortage, page 9.
34910 Interim Executive Director Earl Wiman Director of Public Affairs Doug Pratt Editor Brenda Ortega Staff Photographer Miriam Garcia Publications Specialist Shantell Crispin bonus content past
On the cover: In her first term, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has respected and supported educators. In her re‑election bid, she faces an opponent who promises to do the opposite. Read more, pages 19‑21.
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: 109,606.
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 October, December, February, April and August.
See Educators Run, page 10.
Deficit Thinking, page 34.
More inside: School board races, page 22. Dismissed president wins case, page 24. Region elections, page 26. Above and beyond in Hastings, page 32.
MEA VOICE 3 CONTENTS
MEA member Owen Bondono (second from right, back row) broke new ground as the first openly transgender Michigan Teacher of the Year. But the honor has not protected him from anti‑LGBTQ attacks spreading across the country. Read more on pages 14‑18. issues mea.org/voice
That’s how I think about all of our work because every day we are writing the beautiful, complicated, life‑saving, heartbreaking story of public education the world needs to hear.
Make sure to read the story on page 24 of Romulus Education Association President Sue Ziel, a veteran educator who became a target of the school board culture wars, found herself defending against a ridiculous tenure charge by her district, and won the case with help from MEA.Whata powerful and emotional two‑hour interview we had. I would say Sue is my hero, because she is, but that implies I only have one. In this issue of the magazine alone, there are too many to count on two hands.LastlyI’ll
Number of weeks of student teaching required under the new Initial Certification Pathway of the Michigan Alternative Route to Certification. In addition, candidates spend five months in online classes and must pass the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification before they can qualify for interim certification, which carries the same rights and responsibilities as a standard certificate, according to an article in Bridge Michigan, “Michigan fast‑tracks teaching as a second career, but questions about rigor.”
— Brenda Ortega, editor
I used to share with those students of mine who thought they didn’t have anything interesting to say that anyone would want to read. Not true. Guaranteed. And 100% of the time we sat and talked and found something deeply meaningful they wanted to write about.
mention the stories on pages 14‑18 about increasing attacks on LGBTQ people, including students and educators. These interviews were so affecting that I decided — rather than writing a single long issue piece — I would try to convey that one larger story by telling five individual ones.
MEA member Brittany Perreault, a first‑year teacher in Farmington and former president of MEA’s Aspiring Educators of Michigan, on the game‑changing $9,600‑per‑semester stipend for student teachers included in the historic education budget signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in July, which includes other money for Future Teacher Fellowships and Grow‑Your‑Own programs.
“I know people who had to regularly choose between buying a meal and buying gas, and others who left the program because working without pay simply wasn’t an option.”
At MEA conferences I co‑present a session on storytelling to help members and leaders understand the significance of telling their stories as trusted voices in their communities. Every time I walk away moved by whatEveryI hear.one of you reading this magazine has a valuable story to tell of the history and experiences you’ve lived and the insights you’ve taken away.It’sa message
The only thing I like more than telling stories is reading, watching and hearing them. It remains such an incredible privilege to do this job where I get to ask a lot of questions and have people invite me into their lives for a time.Some of the stories that members courageously share in this issue of the magazine are particularly poignant. All are important. Together they weave a narrative that is urgent.
Our election coverage follows another cycle in which educators are running for office in huge numbers and sharing their “why” — along with their “what” they will do if elected — in an inspiring story that starts on page 10.We’ve all heard about the incredibly vitriolic scenes that have taken over school board meetings in way too many communities across Michigan and the U.S. Our members are doing vital work to elect strong candidates in these local races which have so much significance, especially this year. Learn more on page 22.
On pages 9 and 34, we have members — Corban Van Dam of West Ottawa and Shana Saddler of Farmington — stepping up to advocate in first‑person for issues they’re passionate about.
Editor’s Notebook
4 OCT–NOV 2022 NEWS & NOTES
QUOTABLES
QUOTABLES
Andrew Stewart, a social worker in Lincoln Park Public Schools, speaking in a new MEA video highlighting our members’ efforts to address an explosion of mental health needs among students.
From key findings:
Another fall ad campaign features higher education members sharing stories about why unions matter and how they work together to raise the voice of faculty and staff for their students and careers. Check it out at mea.org/higheredunion
“It’s nice that we as a faculty can say, ‘This is the faculty view of what’s happening in the classroom,’” says Delta College’s Chris Curtis in sharing his colleagues’ decision to unionize at the community college serving Saginaw, Midland and Bay counties.
The Economic Policy Institute has been tracking teacher compensation for 18 years, and their latest findings point to what researchers call “increasingly alarming trends.” The report issued in August concludes, “Simply put, teachers are paid less (in weekly wages and total compensation) than their non‑teacher college‑educated counterparts, and the situation has worsened considerably over time.”
Part of MEA’s back‑to‑school ad campaign, the video features several member mental health professionals discussing the vital work these educators do to help young people get back on track. Watch it and a second video in the series at mea.org/mentalhealth.
ICYMI
“The relative teacher wage penalty grew to a record high in 2021. It was 23.5% in 2021, up from 6.1% in 1996. The penalty for men rose from 15.1% to 35.2% over that period. Women had a negligible wage penalty of 0.1% in 1996 but faced a wage penalty of 17.1% in 2021.”
MEA VOICE 5
“Our students’ mental health is just as important as them learning to read and write.”
NEWS & NOTES
Log in to your existing account OR create a new Clickaccounton
Upcoming Events
MEA Headquarters, East Lansing
Aspiring and early career educators will gather to network and train on topics such as classroom management, high‑leverage best practices, legal issues, work‑life balance, and union involvement.
6 OCT–NOV 2022 NEWS & NOTES
Choose LOG IN/HOME from the MEMBERS ONLY menu
Verify your enteredinformationcontacttobeinthedrawing. logging contact the MEA Help Center at (866‑632‑4357)866‑MEA‑HELPorhelp@mea.org
For more information or help
March 1‑3
Marriott Renaissance Center, Detroit
WIN UP TO $500! BY VISITING THE MEA MEMBER PORTAL BEFORE NOV. 30, 2022 15 MEMBERS WIN $100 GIFT CARDS GRAND PRIZE: $500 GIFT CARD
MEA Winter Conference
March 25
in,
MEA Conference for Aspiring and Early Career Educators
At MEA’s biggest conference of the year, members and leaders network and attend training sessions in bargaining, organizing, member advocacy, political action, communications, classroom best practices, and more.
MEA Member Portal
Go to mea.org
Connect with soundcloudConnectfacebook.com/aspiringedofmichigantwitter.com/AspiringEdOfMIinstagram.com/aspiringedofmichiganAEM:withMiNE:instagram.com/mineweducatorstwitter.com/mineweducatorsfacebook.com/mineweducators
Chosen from more than 200 applications, the students from 29 high schools in Michigan and Illinois stayed in a dormitory on the Wayne State University campus as they participated in three workshop series and several field trips, made possible by an NEA Great Public Schools grant.
A highlight of the week was a trip to Brenda Scott Academy, part of the
A diverse group of 37 high school students spent two weeks of their summer break at Wayne State University’s Next Gen Teachers program, a partnership with MEA that introduced the young people to a potential career in education.
The Next Gen participants engaged in campus tours and a student panel discussion led by the Wayne State University Aspiring Educators of Michigan (AEM) Chapter.
The students completed three workshop series on the topics of cultural competency, college readiness, and teacher preparation. They also experienced Detroit through visits to the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Detroit Historical Museum, Belle Isle, a cruise on the Detroit River, and a Detroit Tigers game.
MEA VOICE 7 MINE/AEM
A partnership between MEA and Wayne State University prepared high school students to pursue education careers in a summer program.
Next Gen participants presented their takeaways from the experience at a celebratory ceremony, which included their families and culminated in Wayne State University offering assured acceptance to the 22 rising seniors.
“Next Gen was an amazing program that gave students the opportunity to dig deeper into what being a teacher really is,” said Abriana White, an elementary education major at Wayne State who is this year’s statewide AEM vice president and a Next Gen leader.
THE FUTURE IS NOW
Detroit Public Schools Community District, where participants were able to put their new skills to work by teaching a lesson they developed to students.“TheNext Gen participants were exhilarated by this experience and the Brenda Scott students were enthralled with their guest teachers,” said Annette Christiansen, MEA’s AEM organizer.
MEA and Wayne State University Welcome Our Next Gen Teachers
“Every single participant was different and special in their own way; I learned something new every day and not just from workshops but from my peers,” said participant Alysa Brown, a senior at Utica Stevenson High School.
The NEA grant provides funding for two additional years of the Next Gen program, and MEA is excited to continue partnering with Wayne State as part of its work to support public education and ensure students have access to great teachers who reflect the diversity of the state, Christiansen said.“Whatstartedas a dream two years ago to engage high school students interested in pursuing careers in education culminated in an amazing program with excellent results,” she added. “Based on what I’ve seen, the future of public education in Michigan looks bright.” v
“I want people to be persistent and to advocate for themselves,” said High, 50, a chemistry teacher at Delton‑Kellogg High School in Delton. “If they know something is not right in their own body, keep telling a medical professional until someone takes you seriously and looks into it for you.”
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time to shine light on the second most common cancer among American women. In 2019, there were more than 264,000 new cases of breast cancer reported among women in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That same year, 42,280 women died from breast cancer.Ifdiscovered early, the survival rate for breast cancer is 99%. Early detection includes performing monthly breast self‑exams, and scheduling regular clinical breast exams and mammograms. All MESSA plans cover free cancer screenings including mammograms if members go to an in‑network provider. Health experts say that mammograms are the best way to detect breast cancer early.
The following fall, after her persistence, High had the cyst removed during a visit with her gynecologist. Lab tests showed that it was cancerous. The good news: It was detected early.
8 OCT–NOV 2022
During her fight, High had three surgeries. She then endured five weeks
v
MESSA member’s persistence proved to be life‑saving
It was a typical cold winter day in 2015 when Connie High noticed an odd lump near the surface of her breast that hadn’t been there before. An ultrasound revealed that it was a cyst and probably nothing to worry about.Butthecyst grew bigger, as did High’s concerns that it may be something more.
of radiation treatment. High drove 30 minutes one way for treatment every day arriving at 7 a.m. She then headed out the door at 7:15 a.m., drove 30 minutes to school and arrived before the first bell rang at 8 a.m. The last week of treatment was particularly grueling because she underwent intense radiation exposure that made her tired and caused painful skin burns. High was declared cancer free in 2021. MESSA covered all of her treatments.“Icouldnothave afforded treatment on my own,” High said. “It would have bankrupted me. It is great to know that MESSA backs its members and looks out for people. I was treated like a respected educator and not a number.”
There are other ways to obtain the knowledge to instruct career‑specific courses — specifically from field experience. However, while skills are often transferable from the field to the classroom, the pay is not.
The current system relies on one’s passion for educating youth to draw potential educators away from a more lucrative position in the private sector. But even those willing to make that move often find there isn’t a clear pipeline to obtain teaching certifications.Thisshortage won’t solve itself. Without sufficient availability of college programs necessary for aspiring educators to enter the
MEA VOICE 9 MEMBER VOICES
field, a clear path for experienced professionals to transition to the classroom, and competitive pay for educators as a whole, I fear the situation will only get worse.
“The lack of student teachers... is a canary in the coal mine, indicating the educator shortage will only worsen.”
High school is a time when young people explore different interests and begin to work out what they want to do with their lives. This crucial developmental exercise requires a diverse array of learning experiences and educators to guide thatUnfortunately,journey. the crushing educator shortage is weighing on every aspect of the school experience, including Career and Technical Education (CTE). Fewer educators mean schools are forced to fill core subject positions first, with elective positions gradually becoming harder to fill, forgotten and triaged out of existence.
The source of the problem is difficult to place because it has become a vicious cycle. Fewer students are pursuing a career in education, causing colleges and universities to slim specialized educator programs, which in turn provides few options for aspiring educators choosing a field.
This tragically will cost some students the opportunity to discover their true calling.
Corban Van Dam
The recent shift to make Personal Finance class a graduation requirement offers me hope. This crucial elective is finally getting respect, and the change could force the shortage of elective educators into theMaybelight. that light will spill over onto other critical shortages of CTE educators and illuminate the importance of these programs in the lives of students and the future of our state. v
By Corban Van Dam
experiences that prepare students for standardized testing, CTE teachers are focused more on preparing students for the world of work.
I am a product of business courses at Allegan High School. I pursued a career in Business Education because of my love for the business world, my advisor’s suggestion, and my passion for helping students succeed.Thesedaysadvisors have their hands tied. Those hoping to guide a student into CTE must navigate extremely limited options. If the select few colleges offering a specific program are out of reach for that student, they’re out of luck.
CTE is a silent victim of the educator shortage
Corban Van Dam is a veteran business teacher in West Ottawa Public Schools.
Watching students grow from unique, personalized learning experiences is the reason many of us entered the profession. We’re often free to use our best judgment, tailoring lessons to student needs and diving deeper into their career interests.
When I attended Western Michigan University, our state was home to five universities that offered my major of Business Education. Now, we’re down to Thetwo. lack of student teachers that my fellow CTE educators and I have had come through our schools lately is a canary in the coal mine, indicating the educator shortage will only worsen.It’sa shame because electives provide teachers and students with a unique and authentic environment of creative teaching and learning. While we provide learning
But Pyrett has also seen the positive impact school employees can have when they have a seat at the table.ThisNovember,
By Zach Crim, MEA Public Affairs
“Having more educators serving in the legislature would mean that those in our schools — students, teachers, support staff, and administrators — would have a stronger, much‑needed voice at the Capitol,” said state Rep. Matt Koleszar. The former Airport EA President is running for his third term representing western Wayne County and hoping to bring more supporters of public education with him “Educatorsto Lansing.havebeen there.
Theresann Pyrett has taught at Macatawa Bay Middle School in West Ottawa for 11 years. She has seen educators demonized, public schools attacked, and the values that led her to become an educator dismissed by elected officials who have never taught a class. They have never driven a bus. They have never served a school lunch. They have never comforted a distraught student.
We have been directly affected by missteps in Lansing. Many of these poor policies were put into place by those who have never stepped foot in the classroom. We need the voices of those with experience in the classroom to right those wrongs and make sure they never happen again.”
Twelve current or former public school employees across Michigan emerged victorious from primary elections over the summer and will appear on general election ballots with a seat in the state Legislature on the line.
Needed in office
This November, hundreds of thousands of school employees will make their voices heard in critical elections across the state. Like Pyrett, many of them will have the opportunity to cast their vote for fellow educators.
10 OCT–NOV 2022
she will see Kim Nagy, a music teacher at Northview Public Schools, on her ballot. Nagy has stepped up to run for state Senate, and Pyrett will have the opportunity to help put her in “the room where it happens.”
members across the state are following suit and seeking their first term in state office with hopes of joining their union sisters and brothers at the Capitol.
Students need support from our leaders, and educators need champions now more than ever. Public school employees across the state have answered the call.
See Educators Run: Bringing educator
Election 2022
Four MEA members — Koleszar, Shannon, state Rep. Lori Stone and state Sen. Dayna Polehanki — are currently serving and up for re‑election. Several fellow MEA
“The politicization of education has resulted in unprecedented attacks on teachers, students and staff,” said Shannon, who formerly taught in L’Anse Creuse. “More educators in office will add voices of reason while some other legislators seek to attack public education. We need more educators in Lansing to help defend our teachers and students.”
Matt Koleszar
“I am running for office because I believe in my students and the Downriver community,” Churches said. “I’m tired of feeling helpless because of decisions in Lansing that are made for us and not with us. I want to turn up the volume on the voices of educators that show up for our kids every day. I want to be an example to my students that when you see
Jaime Churches, a fifth‑grade teacher in Gross Ile, is one of those hopeful candidates. She is running for a state House seat representing Downriver Wayne County. If successful, she will have the opportunity to continue to serve her students and their families every day — but now from the Capitol instead of the classroom.
State Rep. Nate Shannon, also running for his third term in the Sterling Heights area, agrees that public education has become an increasingly important campaign issue.
“I asked my students during a lesson to write their dreams down on a paper plate,” Churches recalled. “If they could be anything, if they could do anything, tell me what and why. I sat after school and I read those one day, and I was like, ‘Wow, these are amazing.’”“Thatmademe think, ‘What would I want to do?’ I wrote my own dreams
If elected, Feig would provide an especially unique view of issues facing public“Look,education.wedon’t have any higher education professors in Lansing,” Feig said. “As someone who trains science teachers, I’m tuned in to what’s going on with education and the challenges aspiring educators face.”
“We can stop fearing what the next misguided policy will be from those who only wish to see public education fail and instead craft policy that will put our kids and our teachers first. With your help in the voting booth, we can make that happen.”
educator voice to the Legislature
Answering the call
Redistricting presents opportunity
something that’s wrong, you stand up for what you know is right.”
“A Democratic majority is close at hand thanks to the new level playing field,” said Donna Lasinski, House Democratic Minority Leader. “By taking back our legislature we, together with the teachers, administrators and support staff who make our education system work, can push forward an agenda that will treat teachers and students with the respect they deserve.
Kim Nagy
The continued attacks on educators over the past decade have given rise to an equal and opposite reaction. Recent elections have borne a groundswell of school employees running for office — a political movement not seen since 1964, when 17 teachers were elected to the state House and created protections for public school employees to bargain collectively.“Idecidedtorunbecause I wasn’t happy with the way things were going and I couldn’t just sit around and let stuff happen, especially with regards to education,” said Anthony Feig, a professor at Central Michigan University and candidate in the 92nd House District.
“Jaime Churches is deeply rooted in the Downriver community and will make an excellent State Representative,” said Camilleri,
According to an analysis by Bridge Magazine based on 2020 presidential election results, both chambers could come down to a few key races. The analysis projects a slight edge for Democrats in the Senate with 21 of the 38 seats leaning left. The same data projects a two‑seat advantage for Republicans in the House. Essentially, it’s a toss‑up and will be decided by voter turnout.
The independent citizens’ commission is comprised of thirteen private citizens of differing political ideologies, selected by random lottery. The new district maps were finalized late in 2021 and present an opportunity to shift the balance of power in Michigan’s Legislature. Republicans have controlled Michigan’s House for over a decade and the Senate for nearly 40 years thanks to shameless gerrymandering. However, the new non‑partisan maps could finally give voters a true say in what party controls the legislative agenda on education.
MEA VOICE 11
himself a former educator in the Downriver area. “She understands the importance of public education and will fight to ensure that teachers can succeed in the profession while
In 2018, Michigan voters approved a constitutional amendment to empower an independent commission of citizens to draw legislative and congressional district lines for the 2022 election and beyond with the goal of eliminating gerrymandering and creating more equitable representation.
Churches’ decision to run for the state House materialized on a cold December afternoon in 2019.
down on a paper plate too. ‘State Rep’ was the scariest one, the one I was most afraid of. I sat with it for a while. I did a lot of soul searching and I thought, ‘This is it. I am going to do this. Here is my way to make a bigger impact.’”Thestaterepresentative she is running to replace, Darrin Camilleri — who is now running for state Senate — was enthusiastic about what Churches would bring to the role of lawmaker.
“I was unwilling to just let this race go without a fight,” Nagy said. “When our current senator supported a bill requiring teachers to post detailed
Darrin Camilleri (District 4)
“There is still so much work to be done,” Koleszar said. “We still have a major teacher shortage. This shortage will not go away without action from the state that is truly supportive of students and staff alike. That action has been lacking in a Republican majority. I keep doing this because I truly believe in public education and want to continue to fight for it, but we need more allies in theThelegislature.”teachershortage looms large over every discussion about education policy. It only makes sense that those who have been in the classroom should be at the table as officials work toward sustainable solutions.
For those who prevail on Nov. 8, the work will have just begun. Public school allies have been in the trenches for years, fighting desperately to hold the line. With the prospect of reinforcements coming next term, many are ready to go on the offensive.
lesson plans prior to the start of the school year, it was clear he doesn’t understand anything about our schools. As a lifelong educator, I do.”
Jaime Churches
There’s work to be done
Erika Geiss (District 1)
See Educators Run: Bringing educator
Nate Shannon (District 58)
Anthony Feig
For many, maintaining the momentum of recent historic state education budgets is critical to
Matt Koleszar (District 22)
State Senate:
Anthony Feig (District 92)
Dayna Polehanki (District 5)
Dylan Wegela (District 26)
theMEA‑recommendedcurrentorformerschoolemployeesrunningforstateLegislature Election 2022
also making sure that students can get the educational opportunities and career on‑ramps they need to succeed in a 21st‑century economy. It’s extremely important to have teachers and middle‑class people representing us in Lansing — working families need representatives at the Capitol who actually understand the issues they face.”Nagy,the music teacher from Northview and chair of the Ottawa County Democrats, worked tirelessly to recruit a viable candidate for her local state Senate race without success. Running out of options, she realized that if someone had to represent the values of her community, why not her? That may have been just the outcome her fellow Democrats were hoping for when they asked her to lead the search for a candidate.
“Attempts to funnel more aspiring educators into the profession without
State House:
Jaime Churches (District 27)
Jason Morgan (District 23)
Kim Nagy (District 31)
asking why veteran teachers are leaving is like trying to fill a leaky bucket,” Koleszar said.
Regina Weiss (District 6)
Lori Stone (District 13)
“The biggest crisis of all is people are not staying,” Churches agreed. “They're fleeing the classroom at alarming rates because of the lack of respect and support being given to educators. We have to start taking on these problems, and retaining talent has to be first.”
12 OCT–NOV 2022
Educators across the state are calling for those solutions to pair educator recruitment with retention.
their work to support educators and students alike.
The DeVos family has already spent millions on the upcoming election attempting to buy seats for opponents of public education. Most notable of these DeVos candidates is Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s opponent, Tudor Dixon, a failed actor who is now auditioning for Michigan’s most powerful office by reading a script written by Betsy DeVos.
“My number one legislative priority it to repeal the third grade reading law,” Nagy said. “I believe that having additional support staff in terms of interventionists is important, but this law just adds layers of bureaucracy and punishes and teachers and students.”Excessivestandardized testing is another overreach commonly cited as indicative of a growing lack of respect for the profession among politicians.
educator voice to the Legislature
“I love teaching, but I feel my ability to be the best teacher I can be is suppressed by all of the focus on testing and data and the lack of respect and resources for educators,” Churches said. “We need to respect educators as professionals.”
“The education budget is the second largest budget in the State of Michigan,” Shannon said. “The more educators we have in office, the more seats we have at the table to decide how that money is spent. Over the past few decades, we have seen attempt after attempt to defund our schools and give that money to corporate interests.”
“The hard truth is that we have had to curb our expectations in a Legislature dominated by ultra‑conservatives,” Koleszar said. “We have made some incremental progress, but I know I am not alone in having some truly ambitious ideas in my back pocket. I’m hopeful that I’ll be able to introduce those bills this January, when we have the votes we need to make them a reality.” v
Funding is only a piece of the puzzle. Many pro‑education candidates have very specific objectives they’re hoping to bring to Lansing if elected.
Flipping the script
Those efforts to defund and privatize education have been led by disgraced former Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, most recently through a thinly veiled voucher scheme to funnel public dollars to her billionaire friends. (Her deceptive “Let MI Kids Learn” ballot measure will come before legislators for their consideration this fall or next spring — learn how you can help stop it at ForMIKids.com.)
While educators currently in office take pride in the hard‑won funding increases we’ve seen over the past two years, they have their eyes set on greater goals as more educators win legislative seats.
Nate Shannon
Educators and their allies across the state are fighting back, supporting candidates who understand what it truly means to support our students and keep public dollars in public schools.“Ifirststarted out with a passion to run for office because of the lack of investment in students and teachers in the public education system,” Churches said. “If we want
to tackle our literacy problem, we need money to buy books and get reading specialists in every building. We need social‑emotional learning resources. We don't have the school staff that we need to address mental health. Our teachers need better wages and benefits for the tireless work they do.”
MEA VOICE 13
v
Michael Woods has been a teacher in Florida for 30 years, but a new state law left him uncertain of what he could and could not say to students when he returned this fall to sponsoring his Palm Beach County high school’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance
In Michigan, GOP gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon has said she would support a Florida‑style Don’t Say Gay law here. [Read more about Dixon vs. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on page 19.]Meanwhile, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel joined 15 other state attorneys general in challenging the Florida law for violating the Equal Protection Clause and the First Amendment, calling it “an affront not just to educators but also to LGBTQ+ students, especially those who may already be experiencing the stigmatizing effect of their identity at school.“Thisbill is not motivated by the desire to limit inappropriate content in classrooms,” Nessel said. “It is meant to have a chilling effect on how educators do their jobs and may also violate the First Amendment rights of students and teachers alike.”
Florida’s new law bars discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity in “kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.” Parents who perceive a violation can sue for damages and costs.
Wave of Anti‑LGBTQ Legislation
especially alarmed by requirements to notify parents if a student asks to be referred to by a different pronoun, regardless of the student’s wishes — “in essence requiring me to ‘out’ a child,” he said. “If a teacher would have outed me in high school, I would have considered taking my life.
law went into effect on July 1 because he didn’t have time to comply with new requirements to review every book title using a checklist provided by the Educatorsstate.
Michael Woods
14 OCT–NOV 2022
“They’veclub.created a law that says ‘We are eliminating all discussions about LGBTQ people and denying that they even exist,’ but they don’t want to call it that,” Woods said. “I call it a solution in search of a problem.”Floridalawmakers sparked widespread condemnation — from corporate executives to newspaper editorial boards — with the Parental Rights in Education Act, which critics dubbed “Don’t Say Gay” and legal experts agree will certainly chill classroom speech.“Teachershavea lot of unanswered questions because the law is so very vague,” Woods said.
“People don’t understand — they think you’re being hyperbolic. But speaking to you as a gay man who was teased and beaten up in school, who didn’t come out until 31 because I was afraid of being fired, I can tell you without a doubt: when you create safe spaces for kids, it saves people’s lives.”
A record wave of anti‑LGBTQ legislation has been introduced this year in 35 states, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. Measures that passed in 13 states mainly target transgender youth. Parallel efforts seek to limit teaching about the role of race in U.S. history.
A sweeping law passed in Alabama bans transgender students from restrooms corresponding with their gender identity, requires schools to inform parents if a student identifies as
LGBTQ, criminalizes gender‑affirming medical care for transgender youth, and restricts classroom speech.
A ninth‑grade special education teacher, Woods said he was forced to remove his classroom library after the
in some districts across Florida were told not to wear rainbow shirts or display stickers in support of LGBTQ students and to remove photographs of same‑sex partners or spouses.Woodsis
Five Stories by Brenda Ortega, MEA Voice Editor
Chilling effects from ‘Don’t Say Gay’
Crane suffered a heart attack in December 1996, six months after resigning. The pathologist who
conducted the autopsy said stress from months of being hounded to quit may have contributed to his death, said the book’s author, Christine Yared.
Over the next several months, as many as 700 people would show up at school board meetings to denigrate Crane and demand his firing. Some parents pulled children from his class. Some churches left fear‑mongering fliers on car windshields. The story made national news.
In the summer of 1995 life was good for Gerry Crane, a young music teacher in west Michigan who had turned around a struggling high school program, earning awards and a glowing evaluation by his principal who described him as one of the best teachers at the school.
More than a dozen complaints were filed against him, which Crane battled with legal representation from the union. The students who stayed became a big support, as school administrators turned against him and many co‑workers either didn’t back him or feared to speak out, Yared said.
“When I sign books I write ‘Be a voice for others,’ because we need people who think this doesn’t affect them to stand up and say, ‘This is wrong.’” v
Crane never wanted to be a symbol of courage. When he held a small, private commitment ceremony with his partner of five years in October 1995, word got out and the firestorm began the next day.
One newspaper described the young people’s reaction when the minister in his eulogy compared Crane to the main character — an inspiring music teacher — played by Richard Dreyfus in a movie popular that year: Mr. Holland’s Opus
Gerry Crane (right) and partner Randy Block Christine Yared
All Crane ever wanted to do was teach music, and he was loved by students — dozens of whom would attend the funeral following his death at age 32 a little more than a year later.
“Who needs Mr. Holland when we have Mr. Crane?” Rev. William Evertsberg said to a burst of applause from his former students, according to an account at the time.
“Here we are more than 25 years later, talking about this problem, that LGBTQ teachers have to worry about being harassed, having parents angry at them, losing their job, or having politicians use them as a part of their rhetoric,” said Yared, a lawyer and longtime LGBTQ activist.
Craneconcert.”finished the year, but when a school board election returned his detractors to their seats he realized the targeting would never end. “He signed a resignation letter in July and worked out a severance agreement for one year’s salary.”
What happened to Crane in the 1995‑96 school year is both the subject of a book — Private Love, Public School: Gay Teacher Under Fire — named a Michigan Notable Book this year by the Library of Michigan, and an echo of ugliness and hate that sadly still reverberates today.
“The school board issued a statement that basically said homosexuals are not proper role models for students, and we will continue to monitor and investigate this situation,” Yared said. “It was horrific.”
Echoes from history of the worst kind
Yared said she footnoted years of research in the book because she wanted to document Crane’s story for future audiences and historians.
Crane was a gay man who tried to keep his personal life private but was outed and driven from his job after his fourth year of teaching at Byron Center Public Schools south of Grand Rapids. The minister at his funeral told mourners, “He died of a broken heart, literally and figuratively.”
Centers on Educators, Students
MEA VOICE 15
“This is how weak the complaints were: He was accused of violating a directive from the board not to speak publicly about any of this when he directed the musical South Pacific — because it includes the song ‘You’ve Got to be Carefully Taught to Hate.’ Another complaint referred to him including the song ‘The Colors of the Wind’ from Disney’s Pocahontas in a choir
Award‑winning teacher faces threats
a “terrifying” internet mob directed at him by a right‑wing Twitter account dedicated to whipping up extreme anti‑LGBTQ fervor among its 1.3 million followers.
Bondono is concerned for individual educators and the profession as a whole, but more so he worries about young people who are seeing and hearing the vitriol aimed at their
“There’s a reason that queer people were targeted just as viciously as Jewish people by the Nazis. We’re an easy target; we’re visible, and we’re different, and different can be scary. How many times through history have
These days Bondono’s early concerns about his safety as an openly transgender educator seem prescient.
Last spring Bondono faced the threat directly as he confronted
“It was a very vulnerable feeling, like there was a boogie man in every shadow, and my body was in fight or flight all the time,” Bondono said. “It was a little bit comforting that it was all happening online, because I knew most of these people are not my community, but still it was terrifying because you know — it only takes one, right?”Bondono believes the current wave of attacks marks a reactionary push‑back against recent civil rights gains. But it’s rooted in a long history of homophobic and transphobic bigotry that dehumanizes LGBTQ people and equates them with pedophiles who pose a danger to children and society, he notes.
“I remember my principal being very surprised that I didn’t know she was fully supportive of me, and I had to explain to her that I know she supports me, and I know that she’s wonderful, but no one knows how they’re going to behave when the mob is there,” he said.
Bondono kept his personal life a secret for the first three years of his career in Oak Park Schools for fear of being fired, but with the help of a supportive administrator and union he came out in 2018. The growing weight of not being the teacher he needed in high school had become too much to carry.
“I had mobs of anonymous internet strangers flooding all of my social media, flooding my emails — including my work email — accusing me of being a pedophile and groomer, talking about how I should kill myself andThemore.”hateful names, calls for his firing, and threats to his safety left him fearful and exhausted for several weeks after the April tweet targeting Bondono by “Libs of TikTok,” an anonymous account echoed by conservative hosts on FOX and other right‑wing sites, such as The Daily Caller
we heard ‘We have to protect the children’ as a way to further bigotry?”
16 OCT–NOV 2022
On that front, Bondono is bringing his voice to a new policy arena. In August, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer appointed him to serve on the Governor’s Educator Advisory Council for a term ending in 2026. v
“Wecommunity.alreadyknow that queer youth are four times more likely to attempt suicide than their straight cis‑gender peers, and they make up 40% of homeless youth in the United States. The rhetoric that is happening is going to result in some kids harming themselves because they feel hopeless andWhatunseen.”brings him hope is activism joining LGBTQ folks with other allies in the fight for human rights: “Martin Luther King Jr. said the long arc of history bends toward justice, and what I have learned is that only happens if we make it so — because we don’t stop fighting to make it so.”
“Her other option for me if I transitioned was to do it really well and keep it a secret — never tell anyone — and then I could still work as a teacher,” he said.
MEA member Owen Bondono remembers well‑meaning advice he got from a professor when he came out as transgender in college: either don’t transition or don’t become an educator. He would go on to do both — and be selected as Michigan Teacher of the Year in 2020 after five years in the classroom.
Nationwide hateful rhetoric against LGBTQ educators and students has ramped up over the past year alongside restrictive new laws in at least 13 states aimed at silencing their voices and denying their humanity. The most prominent example is Florida’s so‑called “Don’t Say Gay” law.
Five Stories
Owen Bondono
That positive experience illustrates the importance of work being done by MEA’s three‑year‑old LGBTQ Caucus, she added. Book studies and lists of books and resources for educators have been created to share with members interested in creating a more inclusive classroom.
Murray, who has taught high school psychology in Port Huron for 25 years, recalls early in her career — before she was open about her personal life — driving to a store out of town to buy the book One Teacher in 10: LGBT Educators Share Their Stories, which helped her feel less alone.
Murray and wife Alina — a nurse — share two children they conceived via fertility treatments: Cecelia, 5, and Eleanor, 1. Last year their oldest completed kindergarten and loved every part of school and every subject, said Murray, who is president of the local teacher’s union.
LGBTQ Rights
It also explains the depth of Murray’s emotion talking about recent cultural shifts that have emboldened anti‑LGBTQ forces in the U.S. to push for hard‑won rights to be taken away and try to sweep kindness and acceptance back out of the classroom.
MEA VOICE 17
Claims that LGBTQ educators are “indoctrinating” or “grooming” students to change them into something they’re not are flat lies, yet that is the kind of hateful rhetoric being used to justify attacks against LGBTQ people, Murray
Loving families emerge from the shadows
upon her — that all families are different, Murray said.
When veteran educator and local MEA leader Cathy Murray married her wife in December 2015, six months after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same‑sex marriage, she was surprised to learn several others from her conservative small‑town school district also had formalized relationships.
Cathy Murray (left), wife Alina and their two daughters
“We could use their talents, and not only that, but we know the LGBTQ community — because of hate — has been more affected by suicide. Why would we do that? Why would we bring this on to people? I don’t know.”
“Then I remember meeting my first colleague who was part of the LGBTQ community, and it felt so good to know that someone else was experiencing the same things. It was empowering.”
“It was very telling to me that everyone was living the secret, closeted life up to that point to protect themselves,” she said.
Murray and her wife hope to raise strong, independent daughters who can follow their dreams without anyone stopping them — and she wishes the same for all of the amazing LGBTQ educators and students in our schools, she said.
“It really is time to vote your conscience and make a difference at the ballot box,” she said. “Whether it’s local school board races, the state Legislature, the governor’s office, or the state School Board and Supreme Court. Good people have to stand up to the hate or we’re allowing it to happen.”Alreadyeligible to retire, Murray said she could leave the classroom, “but I love what I do and know we all make a difference with the lives of kids every day.” v
“I’m sorry — I’m emotional,” she said, wiping away tears. “It just makes me worry about young educators who are in the LGBTQ community, or younger people who are thinking about becoming educators, because why would they want to if this is how they could potentially be treated?
When Cecelia told her teacher that she had two moms, the educator did a great job of reinforcing a message the girl’s parents have impressed
“Finallysaid.inAmerica, we were given a chance to openly love and fully be ourselves and now — in such a short time period — large groups of people want to take that away. It’s scary, it’s maddening, and it’s wrong.”
“I watched all of the joy she had coming home and being able to do things her teacher taught her, and I’m proud of the education she’s receiving, proud to live in the community that I work in,” she said.
“They’re getting a huge backlash from the community, thankfully.”
It’s also why he continues to share his experiences publicly, even though they remain painful.
“I’ve always learned as an educator, as a leader in our union, and as an advocate that our power comes from our stories,” he said. “We have to give voice to it, because the students who are speaking up in large numbers across the country need to know we are with them.” v
‘Our power comes from our stories’
The historic decision handed down on July 28 found the state’s Elliott‑Larsen Civil Rights Act of 1976 includes protections against discrimination based on an individual’s LGBTQ status.
against the LGBTQ community across the country drove Pennock to testify recently at his alma mater, Pennfield Schools in the rural outskirts of Battle Creek, where a majority on the school board had talked of removing so‑called “divisive concepts” from school curricula.
With their comments at a meeting in July, the board members appeared to be targeting books and lessons that discuss issues of race and gender, Pennock said, but he added,
18 OCT–NOV 2022
The Trevor Project’s 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health found that 45% of all LGBTQ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, with even higher rates among young people who are transgender and Black and Indigenous LGBTQ youth and people of color.
For those who didn’t hear the important news in late July, MEA member Anthony Pennock wants it noted the Michigan Supreme Court ruled 5‑2 that individuals cannot be fired, evicted or otherwise discriminated against based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.
No one deserves to feel that way, Pennock said. That’s why he successfully fought a few years ago to have his district’s non‑discrimination policy include sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.
LGBTQ Rights
“People maybe haven’t heard or don’t realize or understand because the ruling just happened, but we have that protection in state law,” said Pennock, a gay man who teaches and leads the local union in Battle Creek and also serves as co‑chair of MEA’s three‑year‑old LGBTQ Caucus.
Anthony Pennock (second from left) spoke at Pennfield Schools alongside a community activist, a district mom and former classmate, and MEA member music teacher Steve Bowen.
“Luckily, I did not go through with taking my life,” Pennock said, his voice shaking with emotion. “But I did make a promise to myself to do everything I could to ensure other children never had to go through the torment I did — in any school — and now I see this board acting like my bullies.”
afterward a hug from his former music teacher, MEA member Steve Bowen, who also spoke out against potential changes — with powerful remarks about the bullying he endured that led him to contemplate suicide in the eighth grade.
Pennock offered ways to help students learn better — by welcoming, standing up for, and including all students in classrooms, books and curricula. “I would be happy to inform and educate you to clear up misconceptions you may have because that’s my job. I’m an educator, and I’m here to protect students.”
The increasing legislative attacks and hateful rhetoric against LGBTQ people affects young people in every realm — psychological, physical, emotional and academic — Pennock said in an interview, citing frightening statistics on the mental health of LGBTQ youth in the U.S.
However, as with the U.S. Supreme Court ignoring longstanding precedent to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision last June, Pennock also points out that court rulings do not offer guarantees. “People are fearing that if one right can be taken away, what will be Acceleratingnext?”attacks
A number of people turned out to speak against stripping the curriculum of inclusive materials and ideas at the monthly meeting in August, including educators, students, parents and community activists. Similar battles are being fought over library books and reading materials in various Michigan districts.Pennockdrewcheers — and
reading law, which Whitmer has called to Addingeliminate.insult to injury, Dixon also supports plans to require school districts to post curricular materials at the beginning of the school year or risk the loss of state funding. In statewide polling by MEA in August, 84% of educators strongly disapproved of such a measure.Dixonhas joined in other divisive movements. She has accused schools of focusing on “indoctrination” of students and she participated in a bizarre June 30 press conference on the steps of the state Capitol in support of a bill to ban so‑called “drag shows” in Neitherschools.the bill language nor the press conference participants — which included a few GOP lawmakers in addition to Dixon — could define a drag show or cite an example of one happening at a school.
Election 2022
when Dixon promises to enact a voucher scheme long sought by the wealthy west Michigan family. More than 20 years ago, by a huge margin, Michigan voters crushed a DeVos‑bankrolled voucher proposal on theTheballot.latest plan being pushed by former U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos would divert $500 million away from public schools to private and religious schools in the first year alone, with that amount increasing in following years. (Read more on page 21 about DeVos‑backed efforts to circumvent the will of voters on this front.)Inaninterview with Chalkbeat Detroit and Bridge Michigan, Dixon said passing the DeVos‑backed tuition voucher scheme would be her number‑one education goal if elected. In addition, she strongly supports the retention mandate in the third grade
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer praised student organizers of the March for Our Lives in June, here pictured at the Capitol with Lansing March co‑captains Neelu Jaberi and Berelian Karimian.
“Thank you,” she said at an MEA‑PAC event in July attended by all of the above. “I’m incredibly grateful for everything you do for our kids and for our communities. Thank you for helping create some normalcy for young people who’ve been through so much these past couple years — not to mention all you’ve been through.”
Follow Gov. Gretchen Whitmer at campaign and speaking events, and you quickly notice one way she likes to introduce herself: “as a product of public schools and the mother of two daughters who attended public schools...”Whitmermakes clear in how she talks to and about educators that she’s proud of the work all public school employees do to help young people learn and thrive — including bus drivers, secretaries, custodians, food service workers, paraeducators, counselors, teachers — everyone.
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor
Dixon has said she would make education a “top priority” if elected. The problem is her education priorities areGivendestructive.thatmany of her top donors are named “DeVos,” it’s no surprise
MEA VOICE 19
Analysis: Whitmer offers sharp contrast to DeVos‑backed opponent
Perhaps a governor who appreciates the work of educators and the value of public education is not a radical concept.Butconsiderher opponent in the Nov. 8 General Election. A one‑time actor and conservative commentator who previously worked at a steel company owned by her father, Republican nominee Tudor Dixon has never held elected office. Her children attend private schools.
“We can make Michigan that place,” she said. “We are on the path to becoming that place, but we can’t afford a major setback now.”
“It’s a choice between culture warriors who want to divide us and distract us from their dangerous plans or problem solvers who are proven and make the seat at the table for everyone,” she said.
Indeed, agreed MEA President Paula Herbart, the governor has shown time and again that she understands, values and prioritizes the critical work that educators do in building a brighter future for the state of Michigan. Now it’s time to send our support her way:
Next year’s budget also includes visionary new programs to eliminate hurdles to becoming an educator and begin to address a critical teacher shortage — including $10,000‑per‑year grants for some students in teacher prep programs; a $9,600‑per‑semester student teaching stipend; and grants for districts to develop grow‑your‑own programs to help support staff become certified.Shehaschampioned creation of multiple pathways for Michiganders to earn college degrees and skills certificates to compete for high‑paying jobs. And her higher education budgets have delivered some of the biggest increases to colleges and universities in Sheyears.wants
educators, respect their expertise, and deliver needed supports.
every child to have the opportunity for a good quality of life and every educator to have the compensation, respect and support they need to be the best educator they can be, she told supporters at a summer campaign event.
Whitmer met with members at the MEA Summer Conference.
The stakes in this election are dramatic, she concluded in her speech: “Public education is on this ballot. Our economic future is on this ballot. Our democracy itself is on this ballot. And the right to choose is on this ballot.”
Whitmer has secured historic state funding for every student in Michigan for the past two years — without raising taxes — bringing additional increases for disadvantaged and special education students, and providing big boosts to preschool, child care and after‑school programs.
The choice is clear, Whitmer said in her acceptance speech at the Michigan Democratic Party’s nominating convention at the Lansing Center in August.
The 2023 budget includes $100 million for school‑related infrastructure needs, and for two years in a row impressive resources have flowed toward programs and hiring of staff to serve students’ growing mental health needs.
Election 2022
“There’s much to be done,” Herbart said. “Register to vote, knock on doors, donate to MEA‑PAC, make phone calls, cast your ballot for MEA‑recommended candidates. Let’s send Gov. Whitmer back to Lansing, along with legislators who support public education and are committed to strengthening the cornerstone of every community — our public schools!” v
“If we want to keep improving our schools in Michigan, we’ve got to reverse decades of disinvestment in public education and continue to make bold investments in our kids, our educators and our schools,” she told delegates to the MEA Representative Assembly last April. “Your tireless work puts Michigan students front and center, and when you succeed the state of Michigan succeeds.”
Last year Whitmer vetoed a voucher scheme the Legislature sent to her desk — like the one Dixon supports — to give tax breaks on private school tuition. “The movement to privatize education in this state has been a catastrophic failure, causing Michigan students to fall behind the rest of the nation,” she told reporters after the veto.Thebasis of her education policy‑making has been to listen to
20 OCT–NOV 2022
MEA VOICE 21
Now DeVos thinks she’s figured out a way to jam her desired school voucher scheme into law while circumventing both the will of voters and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s veto pen — by exploiting a loophole in state law.
The measure goes against the Michigan Constitution, which forbids public money from going to private institutions, but beyond that most people wouldn’t even be able to use the tuition tax credit anyway, FamiliesWotruba said.ofmodest means couldn’t afford to make up the difference between the tax credit and actual tuition, and folks who live in rural areas wouldn’t have private school options nearby, “so all we’ve done is create a tax break for somebody to send their kids to private school that was already doing so.”
For certain the state education budget would shrink in response to the lost revenue, Wotruba said, adding other public services, such as police and fire, could also face cuts.
DeVos’ group, deceptively named “Let MI Kids Learn,” submitted petition signatures to the Board of State Canvassers after the June 1 deadline for getting an initiative on the ballot. Why turn in signatures late? Because the group never intended to bring the matter before voters this fall.
The irony is that paid signature gatherers throughout the spring and summer told registered voters the change would benefit low‑income students, which is not the case, said Don Wotruba, executive director of the Michigan Association of School MASBBoards (MASB).ispartof a large and diverse coalition fighting to defeat the voucher plan, which includes MEA and AFT Michigan, education organizations such as the Michigan Association of Superintendents and Administrators and the secondary principals association, parent groups such as the Michigan Parent Teacher Association and the Michigan Parent Alliance for Safe Schools, advocacy groups such as the Michigan Education Justice Coalition and 482 Forward, and more.
Instead they will try to get the Legislature to adopt the measure directly, a move that can’t be vetoed by Whitmer. The maneuver could be attempted after the November election and before the new Legislature is seated, during what’s known as the Lame Duck session in late December.
“A big problem with this proposal is that it bypasses voters, so there’s not a lot of media attention focused on it like there would be with a ballot proposal,” he said. “That means all of us need to do the work to raise awareness.”
According to financial disclosure reports filed in July, the DeVos group pushing for passage has raised more than $8 million for the signature gathering and campaign — more than half of which has come from DeVos family members.
For more than 20 years, Betsy DeVos has tried to enact school vouchers in Michigan to drain tax dollars away from public schools toward private and religious schools. The only problem was she couldn’t get her plan past voters, who shot it down by a 69‑31 margin in 2000.
Stay tuned for Calls to Action from MEA — follow us on social media and sign up to receive Capitol Comments at mea.org/signup
amount lost to public schools would be $1 billion.
assessment. “Simply put, our schools cannot provide the high‑quality education our kids deserve if we turn private schools into tax shelters for the wealthy,” the governor told reporters after vetoing the measure.
Go to ForMIKids.com to learn more.
The state estimates if enacted the tuition tax credit scheme would drain $500 million from the state’s education budget in the first year. That amount would be allowed to increase by 20% each year, meaning after five years the
Even though such a large number of school, parent and education advocacy groups have banded together to fight against the DeVos voucher plan, the backdoor method of pushing it through the Legislature creates an uneven playing field.
“Who will be served if this is enacted?” said Wotruba, who has worked for MASB for 25 years and remembers the campaign to defeat the DeVos voucher scheme back in 2000. “This creates a second system of publicly funded private schools. If we look at public education as a resource for everybody, as soon as you take a dollar out of that resource you diminish what’s available “Infor everybody.essenceyou have the vast majority of people who remain in that public system but with fewer resources,” Whenhe concluded.Gov.Gretchen Whitmer vetoed a similar plan passed by the Republican‑controlled Legislature last year, she echoed Wotruba’s
DeVos is trying to sneak voucher scheme through back door
Educators in districts throughout Michigan are doing the work of vetting prospective school board members in a record‑setting number of races this year. Find the list at mea.org/ mea‑recommended‑local‑school‑boardcandidates
Cara Konicek, Chippewa Valley EA president
Given all of the political upheaval of the past several years, Rochester Education Association President Doug Hill knows it has become cliché to say an upcoming election is the most important one in ourButlifetimes.whenit comes to local school board races that sentiment is true, Hill said: “Public schools are at a crossroads and if some of the more extreme elements who are seeking these seats are elected, there could be dire Rochester EA —Forconsequences.”thatreason,thewhich traditionally hasn’t gotten involved in school board races — this year joined with the Rochester Support Personnel Association (RSPA) and the Rochester ParaEducators Association (RPEA) to recommend candidates for three open seats on the school board, he said.
Doug Hill
As in Rochester, an employee coalition of four local unions formed to jointly recommend candidates in the election, including the teachers’ group, joined by the clerical unit,
22 OCT–NOV 2022
Over the past 18 months, the district’s school board meetings have become contentious with shouting and name‑calling, and “All of that has now morphed into a desire to take over the board,” Konicek said.
Like other communities across the state and nation, the Rochester district has experienced volatile school board meetings as organized opposition groups have targeted COVID safety protocols plus books and curricular materials that discuss issues of race andTwogender.school board candidates emerged from that turmoil. One is suing the district with backing from the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, a conservative outlet that pushes school privatization and anti‑union measures. Another runs a right‑wing Facebook page and is leading efforts to ban certain books from the district.
The three unions representing 1,400 employees in the school district will do all they can to help elect the candidates they believe will be best for the district, Hill said. That includes fundraising, displaying yard signs, and conducting voter outreach.
A similar scenario is playing out in nearby Chippewa Valley, said English teacher Cara Konicek, the EA president. The difference is that four seats are up for election on the seven‑member board, and three incumbents chose not to run.
In Rochester, a panel of rank‑and‑file members from the three associations interviewed those candidates who responded to an invitation, which resulted in recommendations for Jessica Gupta, Eddie Hillery and Joe Pittel — two of whom are incumbents.
While Hill did not participate in the screening and recommendation process, he said the committee members were not looking for candidates to agree on every position
“We have a lot of MEA members who live in Rochester and work in other districts, so we’re going to do our best to make sure we get out the information to them,” he said.
“My glimmer of hope is that the silent majority won’t be silent in November.”
with them. “At the end of the day it’s about having people who can work with others and get stuff done.”
By Brenda Ortega, MEA Voice Editor
Election 2022
More MEA Locals Recommend School Board
school board candidates for the first time in her 15 years as leader.
paraeducators group, and the association representing custodial, maintenance, food service and transportation workers.
The Manchester union is recommending voters choose Rebecca Harvey, Sandra Wiitala and Mike Tindall.
One of the parents on the video seen urging about two dozen maskless students to push past the district’s superintendent and other administrators is now a school board candidate.Thescreening committee interviewed candidates with questions about the district’s strengths in addition to the candidate’s priorities for running, Rollins said. The panel prioritized health and safety, but also looked for candidates who would treat educators as professionals.
Find MEA recommended candidates for your school board and other local races at MEAVotes.org
MEA VOICE 23
“We don’t necessarily want somebody who’s going to agree with us on everything, but we want somebody who’s going to be open‑minded, who’s going to use common sense, and who isn’t just interested in what’s best for ‘my kid’ but wants what’s best for all kids.”
“When you don’t have hope, you might as well hang it all up,” said Rollins, a business and technology teacher.Inadditiontodisruptive school board meetings, Manchester Community Schools became the subject of a viral video that made international news when a group of parents led some students in a rebellion against district administrators who were trying to enforce a countywide mask mandate ordered by the Washtenaw County Health Department in September 2021.
The committee’s screenings resulted in recommendations for Ken Pearl, Bruce Wade, Christopher Gura and Shannon King.
“The candidates that we are supporting are fair and balanced, and a lot of them have experience to bring to the role from different areas,” Konicek said. “All of them have or had kids in our school district, and one is a graduate of Chippewa Valley.”
“Let teachers teach,” Rollins said. “There’s a push from the far right to convince people we’re indoctrinating kids and try to tell us what we can teach and how to teach it. Trust us as the professionals we are. Let us do our jobs.”
“Let’s take care of what needs to be taken care of. We are a public school. We take all kids, no questions asked. Hopeful is a word I’m using to describe this year, because I’m hopeful we can move beyond this.” v
Members will step up to raise money and get the word out about their recommended candidates because these important local races go beyond partisan politics, she added. “It doesn’t matter what somebody’s politics are; it shouldn’t even come into play here.
Also a graduate of the district, Konicek said what brings hope is her belief that it’s a vocal minority of people making meetings so divisive while most folks in the community support educators and their public schools.“Thiselection is a chance for the silent majority to have their voices heard,” she said. “I have 26 years in the district as a teacher, so I have a lot invested here. My glimmer of hope is that the silent majority won’t be silent in TheNovember.”president of the Manchester Education Association, Leslie Rollins, also holds on to hope despite a difficult couple of years in her district that led the local union to recommend
Board Candidates in High‑Stakes Elections
Leslie Rollins
Ziel didn’t know much about unions before starting at Romeo in 1997, she said. She became a building rep early on and has served as president for seven years.
She also had an epiphany: “I knew I was fighting for my union rights and teacher union rights. But it wasn’t until today, spending time in my room and feeling excited about this year, did I realize how much I was fighting for me just as a person and educator. I cannot describe exactly but it is soul filling.”Inanearlier interview, Ziel said she doesn’t hold grudges but telling her story brings back the emotion. “It’s kind of like being rescued and safe with your blanket and hot chocolate. I’m in a good spot now, but reliving it reminds me of how careless people can be with other people’s lives.”
Had this dark chapter — which she described as one of the three worst things she’d ever faced in life — destroyed her passion for teaching middle school social studies after 25 years? Could she recover from the mental, emotional and physical health effects and confidently step back into the role she
“I’ve been to board meetings in the past where parents or employees are upset and there’s disagreement, but there was always a certain amount of decorum and respect for the process,” Ziel said. “This was definitely a change.”Twodays
Romeo Education Association President Sue Ziel has taught for 25 years in the district, and the stress of getting fired caused health effects. Fighting back with help from MEA was empowering, she says. “It makes you feel stronger inside.”
“We were just starting to hear about the kinds of threats that were being made against board members in other places,” Ziel said. “There was a real concern about violence happening.”
24 OCT–NOV 2022 STRENGTH IN UNION
This is what I was meant to do. This is my calling. Any doubt I had vanished.”
Ziel did not attend the meeting but heard accounts from people who did. Dozens in the crowd would not wear masks as required by the district. They booed and heckled the school board president who asked some of them to move to an overflow room — and refused to go.
Local President fights ‘arbitrary and
Ziel continued in her union leadership role while legal proceedings played out in her tenure case, which stemmed from comments she made privately to members.
In the weeks leading up to a May 10, 2021 school board meeting, Ziel had received warnings from colleagues that a right‑wing group — Moms for Liberty — would be coming to Romeo to protest against COVID safety protocols in schools.
“Surprisinglyloved?I feel like I never left,” she said in an email on Aug. 15, the first day she came back to prepare her classroom. “The moment I stepped in my room, I knew this is where I belong.
Meanwhile, organized and aggressive groups opposing safety mitigation for COVID had begun disrupting school board meetings in various places across the state. In many cases, a number of protesters would show up who did not live in the district or have children in the schools.
“I grew to love the union because you weren’t alone. I thought, Yes. This is what we do—we fight for the best things for our kids, for our teachers. What’s good for the teachers is good for kids and good for the community.”
At that time, one year into the global pandemic, COVID vaccines had only been available on a limited basis for a short time, and school districts were navigating a difficult road of trying to offer in‑person learning while ensuring staff and student safety.
When Sue Ziel returned to her classroom this school year, it was the Romeo Education Association president’s first time setting foot on school district property in 15 months.
She didn’t know how it would feel to come back after spending that time fighting tenure charges her district had brought against her — and winning the case. The Michigan Tenure Commission found her attempted dismissal by Romeo Community Schools was arbitrary and capricious.
later, feeling protective, Ziel wanted to communicate the events to members in an off‑the‑cuff manner without striking fear. She posted in a private Facebook group open only to members in good standing from her local:
By Brenda Ortega, MEA Voice Editor
“This is how I picture the next board meeting between the Board & the idiots that turned the meeting into a (poo emoji) show. a group called ‘Moms of liberty’ showed up to stir up trouble. Apparently they were rude and mistook the meeting for a Jerry Springer show. Anti mask & anti vaccine & anti testing for sports. The trifecta of stink’n think’n. They are a virus themselves.”
“I know you can’t rely on a private Facebook group being private. But I’m also conscious in that post we don’t bash the district, we don’t bash principals or parents. It was Moms for Liberty; at the time I didn’t know these were actual parents in my district.
“No teacher in their right mind wants to go through tenure charges, but a true leader doesn’t take a hike because it gets tough,” Ziel said. “If they got rid of me, whoever stepped up next would be quieted, teachers would be quieted. What they did to me they did to my teachers as well.”
For that reason, when MEA Legal Services took on the case, “I literally started crying — just to know the backup came in and justice was on its way.”Inaddition to challenging the tenure charges, lawyers for MEA filed Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charges and served the district’s school board and administration with a federal lawsuit charging a violation of Ziel’s civil rights under the U.S. Constitution.
The district appealed to the Tenure Commission, which agreed the firing was “arbitrary and capricious.”
“The attempt by the Romeo Community Schools to fire its local union president for comments made in a private forum for fellow MEA members is wrong, both under the law governing Sue Ziel’s rights and the chilling effect it attempts to put on educators raising their voices against threats, bullying and intimidation at the local level,” Harrison said. “MEA is fully committed to Ziel’s legal case and to fighting for the rights and the voice of every MEA member.” v
Soon a screenshot of the post was shared beyond the group, including to a Facebook page — the Romeo Rambler — that has since been taken down by the social media platform. The Rambler posted the screenshot and solicited parent complaints about Ziel to the district.
She never could have done it without the support of Pyden and the MEA legal team, and the experience reaffirmed her belief in the power and
MEA VOICE 25
Ziel was visiting a relative in Tennessee when she got the call. “It was like a weird, surreal movie moment. Finding out that we won — and my teachers won — was such a relief. I felt like I could breathe again.”
importance of belonging to a union, she“Yousaid.always hope to God you won’t find yourself in need of this kind of help from MEA, but if you do — you have a place to go where you can be heard and have people who will fight alongside you. I knew I was in good hands.”Adecision on the ULP is pending, and the federal lawsuit should move forward now that the tenure proceedings are complete, said MEA General Counsel Lisa Harrison.
The district alleged Ziel communicated with parents in a disrespectful manner, was discourteous to customers and the public, and violated the District’s social media policy.
For several weeks Ziel received hateful and threatening messages that caused her to fear for her safety and install a doorbell video camera.
“And as a leader, I have a right to share my concerns with membership.”
and capricious’ firing with MEA help
Late in June — with the support of MEA UniServ Director Beth Pyden — she underwent a five‑hour interview by district lawyers looking into “nonsense” complaints, she said. None were validated. Yet officials threatened to fire her over the Facebook post alone if Ziel did not step down voluntarily.
Five days later the superintendent placed her on paid administrative leave pending an investigation. Initially Ziel was not too concerned, because she has always had effective or highly effective evaluations and a spotless personnel file.
However, an administrative law judge ruled in Ziel’s favor on all counts, finding that allowing termination of a union president for speech the public does not like would stifle the ability of teachers to freely discuss issues of interest to the union.
in running for a position should contact their region elections chairperson or nominations chair. Nominations sent by the region to MEA must be received/postmarked by Dec. 21, 2022.
If a region does not have a December meeting they cannot use acclamation. In order to elect by acclamation, there must be a quorum.
Absentee balloting
The candidates for the region at‑large positions shall be printed in the February edition of the MEA Voice
Voter eligibility listings will be created from information received by the MEA Membership Department from the local associations by Feb. 7, 2023.
26 OCT–NOV 2022 18 17 16 14 15 13 12 9 11 8 10 7 6 2 543
The region at‑large election is an online election. If an individual is unable to access the online voting system during the election period, a paper ballot may be requested by contacting meait@mea.org. An absentee ballot must be returned by U.S. mail and received by the MEA Executive Office no later than the last day of the election. Late absentee ballots shall be unopened and set aside as void ballots.
Eligible voters
Election dates for all regions are 8 a.m., Wednesday, March 1, 2023 through 3:59 p.m., Wednesday, March 15, 2023.Personsinterested
Following is a description of the election procedures to be followed in the regions. This process complies with relevant federal laws. (See positions to be elected following this section.)
3‑1(g): 3 positions, 3 yr. term
FORM
Attention ESP members — 2023 Region 50 statewide election for ESP only
Each nominated candidate may submit a biographical statement of no more than 150 words to be included with the online ballots (Bio forms can be obtained from the elections chair). Statement must be in paragraph form and will be printed as received. Pictures can also be submitted along with the biographical statement. See Bio form for picture specifications. Biographical statements and pictures must be received by Dec. 31, 2022 and can be emailed to rernst@mea.org or mailed to the MEA Executive Office c/o Rebbecca Ernst, 1216 Kendale Blvd, East Lansing, MI 48823.
Any MEA ESP member in good standing is eligible to be nominated or may nominate themselves at the region nominations meeting or by using the Region 50 Nomination Form. Additional forms may be obtained from your region president or region
⎕
⎕
election chairperson or can be found at mea.org/governance under the Forms section. Candidate consent must be secured before the name is placed on any ballot.
v
Nominationbegins 9/1/23.formmust be received no later than Dec. 31, 2022.
Supply the following information regarding the nominee. Remember, the consent of a candidate must be secured before that name is placed on any ballot. Biographical statements of no more than 150 words may be submitted. Statement must be in paragraph form. Lists are not accepted.
LocalName ESP Association Home Address City State Zip Phone
Region Delegate At‑Large
50 — NEA Representative Assembly, ESP
If you have any questions, contact your region elections chairperson, or for further clarification call Rebbecca Ernst at 800‑292‑1934,MEA Headquartersext. 5411,beforeDec. 15, 2022.
MEA VOICE 27
Nomination forms received after Dec. 31, 2022 will not be accepted.
Email to rernst@mea.org or mail to MEA Executive Office, 1216 Kendale Blvd., East Lansing, MI 48823.
If you wish to nominate yourself or someone else, obtain the consent of the candidate, fill in the nomination form and mail it directly to Rebbecca Ernst no later than Dec. 31, 2022. Nominations received after Dec. 31, 2022 will not be accepted. Names of nominees will be placed on the ballot that will be distributed to all ESP locals through the region At‑Large online elections process.
ESP members of the MEA are entitled to send delegates to the National Education Association Representative Assembly (NEA RA). Next year, the NEA RA will be held in Orlando, FL July 1‑6, 2023. Expenses to attend the NEA convention are reimbursed in accordance with the adopted state delegate expense policy.
The named candidate is nominated for the following position(s):
ESP NEA RA At‑Large Delegate: 4 positions, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23.
NOMINATION
All Michigan ESP candidates for NEA statewide At‑Large delegate seats run as delegates for Region 50. All Michigan ESP members vote as part of Region 50 in electing their statewide At‑Large delegates to the NEA RA. The NEA procedures require that these statewide delegates and alternates be elected by secret ballot. Elections for Region 50 will be conducted in accordance with the 2023 Online Region Elections.
ESP NEA RA Delegate‑RepresentingAt‑Large Minority
Position 11– ESP MEA RA Cluster Alternate 3 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
REGION 2
1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23, same seat as above
REGION 4
Position 1– MEA Board of Directors/ NEA RA Delegate
1 position, immed. through 8/31/25
Position 12– EA NEA RA Cluster Delegate 1 position, immed. through 8/31/24
Position 4– MEA RA Alternate‑RepresentingAt‑LargeMinority 3‑1(g)
Position 8– EA MEA RA Cluster Delegate
4 positions*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 15– ESP NEA RA Cluster Alternate 2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23 1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 11– ESP MEA RA Cluster Alternate 4 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 6– EA NEA RA At‑Large Alternate‑Representing Minority 3‑1(g) 6 positions*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 9– EA MEA RA Cluster Alternate 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
1 position*, immed. through 8/31/23
Position 3– MEA RA Delegate‑RepresentingAt‑LargeMinority 3‑1(g)
Position 4– MEA RA Alternate‑RepresentingAt‑LargeMinority 3‑1(g)
Position 5– EA NEA RA At‑Large Delegate‑Representing Minority 3‑1(g) 1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
Position 14– ESP NEA RA Cluster Delegate 2 positions, immed. through 8/31/23
2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 8– EA MEA RA Cluster Delegate 1 position, immed. through 8/31/23 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23, same seat as above
Position 12– EA NEA RA Cluster Delegate 2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
1 position*, immed. through 8/31/23
1 position, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 4– MEA RA Alternate‑RepresentingAt‑LargeMinority 3‑1(g)
Position 6– EA NEA RA At‑Large Alternate‑Representing Minority 3‑1(g) 6 positions*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
1 position*, immed. through 8/31/25
2 positions, immed. through 3/31/25
Position 2– MEA Board of Directors/NEA RA Delegate‑Representing Minority 3‑1(g)
1 position, immed. through 8/31/25
1 position, immed. through 8/31/24
4 positions*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 14– ESP NEA RA Cluster Delegate
1 position, immed. through 8/31/24
Position 1– MEA Board of Directors/ NEA RA Delegate 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
REGION 3
Position 11– ESP MEA RA Cluster Alternate 3 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23 1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23, same seat as above
1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
Position 15– ESP NEA RA Cluster Alternate
Elections Chair: Mary Cooper, mcooper@mymea.org
Position 9– EA MEA RA Cluster Alternate 2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 1– MEA Board of Directors/ NEA RA Delegate
1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
1 position, immed. through 8/31/23
1 position*, immed. through 8/31/24
2 positions, immed. through 8/31/24
1 position, immed. through 8/31/25
Position 12– EA NEA RA Cluster Delegate 2 positions*, immed. through 8/31/25
Elections Chair: Jim Brousseau, jbrousseau@mea.org
Position 6– EA NEA RA At‑Large Alternate‑Representing Minority 3‑1(g) 4 positions*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 3– MEA RA Delegate‑RepresentingAt‑LargeMinority 3‑1(g) 2 positions*, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
1 position, immed. through 8/31/23
Position 3– MEA RA Delegate‑RepresentingAt‑LargeMinority 3‑1(g) 3 positions*, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
Position 9– EA MEA RA Cluster Alternate 3 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 10– ESP MEA RA Cluster Delegate
Position 3– MEA RA Delegate‑RepresentingAt‑LargeMinority 3‑1(g)
Elections Chair: Dave Daly, mrddaly@gmail.com
Position 4– MEA RA Alternate‑RepresentingAt‑LargeMinority 3‑1(g) 4 positions*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
1 position*, immed. through 8/31/23
1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23, same seat as above
1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23, same seat as above
1 position, immed. through 8/31/25
2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
2 positions*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
1 position*, immed. through 3/31/25
1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
1 position*, immed. through 3/31/25
1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 8– EA MEA RA Cluster Delegate
1 position*, immed. through 8/31/25
REGION 6
Position 12– EA NEA RA Cluster Delegate
Position 15– ESP NEA RA Cluster Alternate 2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 6– EA NEA RA At‑Large Alternate‑Representing Minority 3‑1(g) 5 positions*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
Position 10– ESP MEA RA Cluster Delegate 4 positions, immed. through 8/31/23
1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23, same seat as above
28 OCT–NOV 2022
Position 11– ESP MEA RA Cluster Alternate 2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 13– EA NEA RA Cluster Alternate
1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
1 position*, immed. through 8/31/23
Elections Chair: Ross Williams, dad2kobe@yahoo.com
1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 15– ESP NEA RA Cluster Alternate
Position 2– MEA Board of Directors/NEA RA Delegate‑Representing Minority 3‑1(g) 1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
Position 10– ESP MEA RA Cluster Delegate
Position 9– EA MEA RA Cluster Alternate 3 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
4 positions, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23, same seat as above
Position 1– MEA Board of Directors/ NEA RA Delegate
1 position, immed. through 8/31/24
Position 14– ESP NEA RA Cluster Delegate
Position 13– EA NEA RA Cluster Alternate 4 positions, immed. through 3/31/25
Position 10– ESP MEA RA Cluster Delegate 3 positions, immed. through 8/31/24 1 position*, immed. through 8/31/24
2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23, same seat as above
1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23, same seat as above
3 positions, immed. through 8/31/25
REGION 5
Position 13– EA NEA RA Cluster Alternate 1 position, immed. through 3/31/24
Position 8– EA MEA RA Cluster Delegate 4 positions, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
Position 13– EA NEA Cluster Alternate 2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
3 positions*, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
Position 14– ESP NEA RA Cluster Delegate 2 positions, immed. through 8/31/23 2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23, same seat as above 1 position*, immed. through 8/31/23 1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23, same seat as above
Position 5– EA NEA RA At‑Large Delegate‑Representing Minority 3‑1(g)
1 position*, immed. through 8/31/23
Position 14– ESP NEA RA Cluster Delegate 4 positions, immed. through 8/31/24
1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23, same seat as above
Position 10– ESP MEA RA Cluster Delegate 1 position, immed. through 8/31/23
Position 4– MEA RA Alternate‑RepresentingAt‑LargeMinority 3‑1(g)
2 positions, immed. through 8/31/25
1 position, immed. through 8/31/24
Position 9– EA MEA RA Cluster Alternate 2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 11– ESP MEA RA Cluster Alternate 3 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
2 positions, immed. through 8/31/23
REGION 9
2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23, same seat as above
1 position, immed. through 8/31/25
1 position*, 4/1/23 through 8/31/24
Position 3– MEA RA Delegate‑RepresentingAt‑LargeMinority 3‑1(g) 1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
Position 11– ESP MEA RA Cluster Alternate 3 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
1 position, immed. through 8/31/24
1 position, immed. through 8/31/23
REGION 8
Position 6– EA NEA RA At‑Large Alternate‑Representing Minority 3‑1(g)
Position 10– ESP MEA RA Cluster Delegate 3 positions, immed. through 8/31/25 1 position*, immed. through 8/31/24
1 position*, immed. through 8/31/24
Position 11– ESP MEA RA Cluster Alternate 4 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Elections Chair: Cara Konicek, ckonicek@mymea.org
4 positions*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 1– MEA Board of Directors/ NEA RA Delegate
Position 14– ESP NEA RA Cluster Delegate 2 positions, immed. through 8/31/24
1 position, interim through 3/31/23, 1 position, 4/1/23 through 8/31/24, same seat as above
Position 5– EA NEA RA At‑Large Delegate‑Representing Minority 3‑1(g)
1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
1 position, immed. through 8/31/23 1 position, immed. through 8/31/25
1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23, same seat as above 1 position*, immed. through 8/31/23
5 positions*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 6– EA NEA RA At‑Large Alternate‑Representing Minority 3‑1(g) 5 positions*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
2 positions*, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
Position 4– MEA RA Alternate‑RepresentingAt‑LargeMinority 3‑1(g)
Position 7– EA/ESP NEA RA At‑Large Delegate
1 position*, immed. through 8/31/23
7 positions*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 1– MEA Board of Directors/ NEA RA Delegate 1 position, 4/1/23 through 8/31/23 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23, same seat as above
Position 14– ESP NEA RA Cluster Delegate 2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23, same seat as above
Position 7– EA/ESP NEA RA At‑Large Delegate
Position 13– EA NEA RA Cluster Alternate 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 4– MEA RA Alternate‑RepresentingAt‑LargeMinority 3‑1(g)
1 position, immed. through 8/31/23
Position 5– EA NEA RA At‑Large Delegate‑Representing Minority 3‑1(g) 1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23, same seat as above
Position 7– EA/ESP NEA RA At‑Large Delegate
1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 1– MEA Board of Directors/ NEA RA Delegate
Position 12– EA NEA RA Cluster Delegate 1 position*, immed. through 8/31/24
Position 13– EA NEA RA Cluster Alternate 4 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 12– EA NEA RA Cluster Delegate 2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
Position 11– ESP MEA RA Cluster Alternate 4 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
1 position*, immed. through 8/31/23
Position 15– ESP NEA RA Cluster Alternate 4 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 15– ESP NEA RA Cluster Alternate 1 position, immed. through 3/31/25 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23 1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23, same seat as above
1 position*, immed. through 8/31/24
1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23, same seat as above 1 position, immed. through 8/31/25
Position 10– ESP MEA RA Cluster Delegate
Position 3– MEA RA Delegate‑RepresentingAt‑LargeMinority 3‑1(g)
Elections Chair: Robert Gaines, rg4esp@gmail.com
1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
1 position, immed. through 8/31/23
REGION 7
2 positions, immed. through 8/31/24
Position 14– ESP NEA RA Cluster Delegate
2 positions, immed. through 8/31/23
Position 9– EA MEA RA Cluster Alternate 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 9– EA MEA RA Cluster Alternate 2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
1 position*, immed. through 8/31/23
Position 6– EA NEA RA At‑Large Alternate‑Representing Minority 3‑1(g) 6 positions*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
2 positions*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
Position 15– ESP NEA RA Cluster Alternate 4 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
1 position*, immed. through 8/31/24
1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
Position 8– EA MEA RA Cluster Delegate
2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23, same seat as above
1 position*, immed. through 8/31/25
Position 6– EA NEA RA At‑Large Alternate‑Representing Minority 3‑1(g) 6 positions*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
6 positions*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
1 position*, immed. through 8/31/24
Elections Chair: Marty Leftwich, mleftwich@mea.org
1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23, same seat as above
1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23, same seat as above 2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
1 position*, 3 yr. term 9/1/23, same seat as abovebegins
MEA VOICE 29
Position 3– MEA RA Delegate‑RepresentingAt‑LargeMinority 3‑1(g)
Position 5– EA NEA RA At‑Large Delegate‑Representing Minority 3‑1(g)
1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23, same seat as above
Position 8– EA MEA RA Cluster Delegate 1 position*, immed. through 8/31/25
1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
Position 10– ESP MEA RA Cluster Delegate
1 position, immed. through 8/31/23
Position 12– EA NEA RA Cluster Delegate 3 positions, immed. through 8/31/24
Position 4– MEA RA Alternate‑RepresentingAt‑LargeMinority 3‑1(g) 5 positions*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 13– EA NEA RA Cluster Alternate 2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 2– MEA Board of Directors/NEA RA Delegate‑Representing Minority 3‑1(g) 1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
Position 9– EA MEA RA Cluster Alternate 2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 15– ESP NEA RA Cluster Alternate
6 positions*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 9– EA MEA RA Cluster Alternate 3 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 8– EA MEA RA Cluster Delegate 2 positions, immed. through 8/31/25
Position 9– EA MEA RA Cluster Alternate 3 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23, same seat as above
Position 8– EA MEA RA Cluster Delegate
2 positions*, immed. through 8/31/24
Position 8– EA MEA RA Cluster Delegate
Position 9– EA MEA RA Cluster Alternate 5 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
1 position, immed. through 8/31/24
1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
2 positions*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 3– MEA RA Delegate‑RepresentingAt‑LargeMinority 3‑1(g)
REGION 13
1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 13– EA NEA RA Cluster Alternate 2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
1 position*, immed. through 8/31/25
2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
2 positions*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 4– MEA RA Alternate‑RepresentingAt‑LargeMinority 3‑1(g)
Position 13– EA NEA RA Cluster Alternate 2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
3 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 15– ESP NEA RA Cluster Alternate 2 positions 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 12– EA NEA RA Cluster Delegate
Position 3– MEA RA Delegate‑RepresentingAt‑LargeMinority 3‑1(g)
Elections Chair: Jenny VanDuinen, jjvandui@svsu.edu
Position 15– ESP NEA RA Cluster Alternate 5 positions, immed. through 3/31/24 2 positions*, immed. through 3/31/24
1 position*, immed. through 8/31/24
1 position*, immed. through 8/31/25
3 positions*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
4 positions*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 6– EA NEA RA At‑Large Alternate‑Representing Minority 3‑1(g) 4 positions*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 4– MEA RA Alternate‑RepresentingAt‑LargeMinority 3‑1(g)
Position 11– ESP MEA RA Cluster Alternate 3 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 8– EA MEA RA Cluster Delegate
Position 9– EA MEA RA Cluster Alternate
1 position*, immed. through 8/31/25 1 position, immed. through 8/31/23
Position 15– ESP NEA RA Cluster Alternate 4 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 13– EA NEA RA Cluster Alternate 2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 11– ESP MEA RA Cluster Alternate 3 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 14– ESP NEA RA Cluster Delegate
Position 4– MEA RA Alternate‑RepresentingAt‑LargeMinority 3‑1(g) 4 positions*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
1 position, immed. through 8/31/24
30 OCT–NOV 2022
Position 10– ESP MEA RA Cluster Delegate 1 position, immed. through 8/31/23
2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23, same seat as above
2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23, same seat as above
Position 4– MEA RA Alternate‑RepresentingAt‑LargeMinority 3‑1(g)
1 position*, immed. through 8/31/25
1 position*, immed. through 8/31/24
1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23, same seat as above
Position 12–EA NEA RA Cluster Delegate 3 positions, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
1 position*, immed. through 8/31/23
Position 7– EA/ESP NEA RA At‑Large Delegate
Position 15– ESP NEA RA Cluster Alternate
Elections Chair: Not Available
Elections Chair: Kevyn Welter, kweltr@gmail.com
2 positions, immed. through 8/31/24
Elections Chair: Toni Scribner, tscribner@mymea.org
Position 14– ESP NEA RA Cluster Delegate
2 positions, immed. through 8/31/24
1 position, immed. through 8/31/25
Position 12– EA NEA RA Cluster Delegate 2 positions, immed. through 8/31/24
Position 11– ESP MEA RA Cluster Alternate 2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
1 position, immed. through 8/31/23
1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 8– EA MEA RA Cluster Delegate
Position 6– EA NEA RA At‑Large Alternate‑Representing Minority 3‑1(g) 4 positions*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
REGION 11
Position 6– EA NEA RA At‑Large Alternate‑Representing Minority 3‑1(g) 3 positions*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
1 position*, immed. through 8/31/23
Position 1– MEA Board of Directors/ NEA RA Delegate
REGION 14
Position 12– EA NEA RA Cluster Delegate 3 positions, immed. through 8/31/24
REGION 12
1 position, immed. through 8/31/25
Position 1– MEA Board of Directors/ NEA RA Delegate 2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
1 position, immed. through 8/31/23
3 positions*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
2 positions, immed. through 8/31/25
Position 14– ESP NEA RA Cluster Delegate 1 position, immed. through 8/31/24
2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23, same seat as above
1 position*, immed. through 8/31/23
1 position, immed. through 8/31/23
Position 10– ESP MEA RA Cluster Delegate
1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
Position 4– MEA RA Alternate‑RepresentingAt‑LargeMinority 3‑1(g)
REGION 10
Position 11– ESP MEA RA Cluster Alternate 3 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
2 positions*, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
Position 7– EA/ESP NEA RA At‑Large Delegate
1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23, same seat as above
Position 6– EA NEA RA At‑Large Alternate‑Representing Minority 3‑1(g)
Position 6– EA NEA RA At‑Large Alternate‑Representing Minority 3‑1(g)
1 position*, immed. through 8/31/24
1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23, same seat as above
1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
1 position, immed. through 8/31/24
1 position, immed. through 8/31/23
Position 14– ESP NEA RA Cluster Delegate 2 positions, immed. through 8/31/24
1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
2 positions, immed. through 8/31/23
1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23, same seat as above
Position 13– EA NEA RA Cluster Alternate 2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Elections Chair: Wendy Winston, wendy.winston@att.net
2 positions, immed. through 8/31/23
2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23, same seat as above
1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23, same seat as above
Position 14– ESP NEA RA Cluster Delegate 2 positions, immed. through 8/31/23 2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23, same seat as above
1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 15– ESP NEA RA Cluster Alternate 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 9– EA MEA RA Cluster Alternate 3 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23 1 position*, immed. through 3/31/25
Position 9– EA MEA RA Cluster Alternate 3 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 8– EA MEA RA Cluster Delegate 2 positions, immed. through 8/31/24 1 position*, immed. through 8/31/24
Position 13– EA NEA RA Cluster Alternate 3 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23, same seat as above
Position 13– EA NEA RA Cluster Alternate 2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
REGION 15
1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 13– EA NEA RA Cluster Alternate 2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
* is used to represent a Representative of Minority 3‑1(g) seat
1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23, same seat as above 1 position*, immed. through 8/31/23
1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
Region 50– ESP NEA RA At‑Large Delegate‑Representing Minority 3‑1(g) 2 positions*, 3 yr. term begin 9/1/23
1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 11– ESP MEA RA Cluster Alternate 3 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Elections Chair: Not Available
REGION 18
Position 10– ESP MEA RA Cluster Delegate 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23 1 position, immed. through 8/31/23 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23, same seat as above
1 position*, immed. through 8/31/25
Position 6– EA NEA RA At‑Large Alternate‑Representing Minority 3‑1(g) 2 positions*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 14– ESP NEA RA Cluster Delegate 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
Position 10– ESP MEA RA Cluster Delegate
1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23, same seat as above
Region 18 MAHE EA RA Cluster Alternate 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 15– ESP NEA RA Cluster Alternate 2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 14– ESP NEA RA Cluster Delegate 2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
Position 12–EA NEA RA Cluster Delegate 2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
Position 12– EA NEA RA Cluster Delegate 2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
Position 9– EA MEA RA Cluster Alternate 2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 11– ESP MEA RA Cluster Alternate 2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
Position 11– ESP MEA RA Cluster Alternate 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23, same seat as above
Position 11– ESP MEA RA Cluster Alternate 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Elections Chair: Lisa Carubini, lisacarubini@gmail.com
1 position*, immed. through 8/31/24
1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
Position 4– MEA RA Alternate‑RepresentingAt‑LargeMinority 3‑1(g)
Position 6– EA NEA RA At‑Large Alternate‑Representing Minority 3‑1(g) 2 positions*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
2 positions, immed. through 8/31/23
MEA VOICE 31
1 position, immed. through 8/31/23
Position 13– EA NEA RA Cluster Alternate 2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Region 50– ESP NEA RA At‑Large Delegate 4 positions, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
Position 10– ESP MEA RA Cluster Delegate 1 position, immed. through 8/31/25 1 position, immed. through 8/31/23
Position 12– EA NEA RA Cluster Delegate
Position 12– EA NEA RA Cluster Delegate 2 positions, immed. through 8/31/24
Position 4– MEA RA Alternate‑RepresentingAt‑LargeMinority 3‑1(g)
Position 10– ESP MEA RA Cluster Delegate 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
Position 9– EA MEA RA Cluster Alternate 3 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 10– ESP MEA RA Cluster Delegate 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
1 position, immed. through 8/31/23
Region 14 MAHE EA RA Cluster Delegate 1 position, immed. through 8/31/23 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23, same seat as above
Position 15– ESP NEA RA Cluster Alternate 2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 12– EA NEA RA Cluster Delegate 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
Position 1– MEA Board of Directors/ NEA RA Delegate
Position 13– EA NEA RA Cluster Alternate 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
1 position, immed. through 8/31/25
Position 3– MEA RA Delegate‑RepresentingAt‑LargeMinority 3‑1(g)
1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23, same seat as above
1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 11– ESP MEA RA Cluster Alternate 2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 6– EA NEA RA At‑Large Alternate‑Representing Minority 3‑1(g) 2 positions*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Elections Chair: Steve Elenich, selenich@copperisd.org
Position 1– MEA Board of Directors/ NEA RA Delegate
Position 8– EA MEA RA Cluster Delegate 2 positions, immed. through 8/31/24
REGION 50
1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Elections Chair: Al Beamish, abeamish@mymea.org
Position 3– MEA RA Delegate‑RepresentingAt‑LargeMinority 3‑1(g)
1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23, same seat as above
Position 15– ESP NEA RA Cluster Alternate 2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 4– MEA RA Alternate‑RepresentingAt‑LargeMinority 3‑1(g)
1 position*, immed. through 8/31/25
Elections Chair: Greta Brock, gbrock@mea.org
Position 15– ESP NEA RA Cluster Alternate 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
REGION 17
1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
1 position, immed. through 8/31/23
Region 14 MAHE EA RA Cluster Alternate 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Position 4– MEA RA Alternate‑RepresentingAt‑LargeMinority 3‑1(g)
REGION 16
Position 6– EA NEA RA At‑Large Alternate‑Representing Minority 3‑1(g) 1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/23
Region 18 MAHE EA RA Cluster Delegate 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
Position 14– ESP NEA RA Cluster Delegate 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
Position 8– EA MEA RA Cluster Delegate 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/23
MESSA’s team of member service specialists and local field representatives are here for you. If you have any questions, please contact our Member Service Center at 800‑336‑0013 or your local field representative at 800‑292‑4910. We are happy to help. v
32 OCT–NOV 2022
Starting Jan. 1, 2023, MESSA is changing our dental and vision benefits plan year to match up with the calendar year — Jan. 1 to Dec. 31. We want to let our members know early so they’re aware of the transition, and don’t get confused by the difference.
v
even know about, that I would not have imagined being able to do with middle schoolers.” As the community support snowballed, Renner turned a $3,000 grant from the state’s MiSTEM Network into a multifaceted summer trades program for incoming sixth through eighth graders, who completed three projects and took part in several hands‑on field trips. Renner saw students making connections to math concepts from fractions to
Dental and Vision benefits plan year to change
This change will happen automatically, so members will not have to take any action. Meanwhile, members will continue to receive the same unmatched personal service from MESSA that they expect and deserve.
MEA member William Renner has always relied on community support to help equip his technology classroom at Hastings Middle School, but even he was surprised by the generosity of donations from area business and civic leaders to support a summer trades camp he operated this year. “It was money, it was time, it was talent,” Renner says. “Everybody that came in just brought so much to the students — things I didn’t
Read the full story at donations‑jumpstart‑programmea.org/
By Ross Wilson, MESSA Executive Director
“All of a sudden a quarter‑inch mattered, and close enough was not good enough; it had to be right,” he said. “One of the kids came up to me and said, ‘Mr. Renner — is this why my teacher kept telling me I had to learn fractions?’”
We’re making this change for a few reasons. First, it will align the dental and vision benefits plan calendar with MESSA’s medical benefits, which also follows the calendar year. Second, it will make it easier for members to monitor their coverage once all MESSA benefits and deductibles reset on Jan. 1 each year.
Pythagorean theory, and ways to measure lengths, areas and volume while learning from their mistakes.
N.J. 0302614-00002-00 FREE
As an eligible NEA member,* you have 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. 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: TOTE BAG
youfordependyouCoveragecanontheoneslove. DT251022
* Visit us online or call for eligibility requirements. NEA Members Insurance Trust is a registered trademark of the NEA Members Insurance Trust. NEA Complimentary Life Insurance is issued by The Prudential Insurance Company of America,
Visit neamb.com/protect to learn about all of the solutions available to help meet your insurance needs. Newark,
Becoming aware of our own Deficit Thinking is the first step to rejecting a mentality that limits our attitudes and choices to act. Only then can we have courageous conversations about how to teach all students and hold all students to high expectations.
34 OCT–NOV 2022
On Your Marks, Get Set, Go!
We’ve all heard and reflected deficit thinking about our students with commentary that blames the victim: “They just don’t try”; “Their parents don’t value education”; “They don’t care”; “They just cannot learn”; “Their parents did not attend Parent/Teacher Conferences.”
This is not to say educators can solve every issue with a student, but rejecting Deficit Thinking means we stay in the race and learn to
at Wayne State University — defines Deficit Thinking as “assuming the ‘problem’ is that of the individual or group rather than in the institution or social norms.”
Transformative Leadership in Education: Equitable and Socially Just Change in an Uncertain and Complex World, Carolyn Shields — professor of Educational Leadership
These statements justify that we stop running the race temporarily since the problem is out of our control and must be tackled by someone else. We then adopt an if‑then mindset. If someone fixes this problem, then and only then will we be able to successfully teach this student.
In so doing we can teach our students how to weather the storms of life and ultimately win the race. v
On your marks, get set, go! With the start of a new school year comes a similar feeling of excitement in the face of challenge. As with running and any other difficult endeavor, I know I will reap the rewards if I fuel my personal and professional performance by eliminatinganda lifelong learner.remainingMygoalistomaintaincontinuousgrowthintheareasofnewteachingpractices,currenteducationaltheories,thelatestdistrictinitiatives,soI canrunmybest2022‑23race.LatelyI’vebeenworkingona negative —gettingridof Deficit Thinking.Inherbook,
We all need gentle reminders during the race to stay the course. The next time you catch me in blaming mode simply say, “Shana, might you be in Deficit Thinking?” I will reciprocate.
By Shana Saddler
make adjustments that can make a difference. Maybe at times we need to pass the baton to colleagues, but our beliefs and actions will model for students how to persevere.
However, in our own lives we do not stop moving forward in the wake of problems. Instead, we figure out a plan B and sometimes C; we chart a different course, or we make adjustments to address what we can manage.Likewisesome students simply need a plan B, C, or D — a one‑on‑one conversation, a different strategy, teacher/parent bonds, adapted lessons, a creative spark, teacher collaboration. Ask yourself: “What can I do to offer assistance?”
Schools have a moral calling to educate all students to fully participate in an ever‑changing global society. As educators we answer that call when we commit to meet each student where they are and not wait for the individual to be “fixed.”
Shana Saddler is a veteran Farmington Hills teacher. For comments or questions, reach her at shana.saddler@fpsk12.net
The pop of the starting gun commenced the race and a rush of excitement in me — whether it was the 100‑meter dash, 400‑meter hurdles, the 800‑meter hurdles, or 5K. Today I still hold running close to my heart and experience the thrill of the starting gun launching a 5K, 10K, or 13.1‑mile half‑marathon.
In high school, I ran cross country and track and field. After a long day of academics, my teammates and I would run for miles, lift weights, and start all over again the next day. Some days I was weary and others I ran long distances with minimal fatigue. On race days I enjoyed the pay‑off for my hard work.
• Complimentary access to MyStressTools to help you manage stress and anxiety.
Learn about these and other member-exclusive programs at messa.org or call us at 800-336-0013. We’re here to help.
You deserve THE BEST
• Excellent mental health coverage for you and your dependents.
• Free worksite wellness programs to help improve your physical and mental health.
As a nonprofit founded and governed by public school employees, we at MESSA understand the challenges and stressors facing educators and school support staff — especially these days. Here’s what we’re providing to give you peace of mind:
