Hastings 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.

Dental and Vision benefits plan year to change

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.

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.

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.

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

By Ross Wilson, MESSA Executive Director

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 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 Pythagorean theory, and ways to measure lengths, areas and volume while learning from their mistakes. “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?’” Read the full story at mea.org/ donations‑jumpstart‑program. v