MEMBER SURVEY SHOWS WIDESPREAD CONCERNS page 11
LIBRARIANS PUSH FOR RETURN OF POSITIONS page 20
Aspiring Educators Lead Inspiring Project
April–May 2022 | Vol. 99 | Issue 4 | mea.org
LETTER TO MEMBERS
For MI Kids and Educators One of the things that becomes apparent in reading this issue of the Voice is how much expertise and caring MEA members bring to the table. We know our kids, our schools, our communities and—most of all—our profession. The question is when will our understanding, knowledge, and dedication to students be respected by policymakers? It’s an election year amid a two-year global pandemic—we must keep raising our voices every chance we get. Several MEA members did just that when given short notice of a legislative hearing assembled for March 10 to consider reasons behind educator shortages in many job categories which have wreaked so much havoc on school staffing and workloads this year. These members showed up via Zoom on a Thursday during lunch hours and prep time—and in-person in the case of Michigan Teacher of the Year Leah Porter—to explain the mostly human-created factors driving people out. Low pay and declining benefits topped the list, of course, but the speakers also detailed the disrespect, lack of support, over-testing, and bureaucracy which are driving good people away.
Paula J. Herbart President 2 APR–MAY 2022
“While the past two years have had so many hurdles, the crisis in schools has been brewing for a long time,” Porter—a third-grade teacher in Holt—told the legislative subcommittee. “Years of funding cuts, loss of pension and affordable insurance, consolidation of staff, additional work responsibilities from absorbed positions, and the perpetual attacks on education systems have created the perfect storm we are now facing.” You can add your thoughts and experiences to the committee’s process of gathering information. Read more on page 27. Right now we’re seeing yet another prime example of the kind of attacks on public education that have replaced any desire to support, listen to, or invest in our state’s public schools and educators— unsurprisingly from Betsy DeVos and others who wish to privatize public education. The billionaire and her allies are funding a signature-gathering effort to jam through a school voucher scheme that would take away $500 million a year from public schools to benefit for-profit private schools—while giving her multimillionaire friends another massive tax break they don’t need.
Chandra A. Madafferi Vice President
What’s worse is the organizers of the petition drive may make an end‑run around voters and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s veto pen if they succeed in gathering signatures. That’s why it’s important to decline to sign the so-called “Let MI Kids Learn” petitions, and urge your friends and family to do the same. Then get involved in the fight! For MI Kids, For Our Schools is a coalition of parents, educators and advocates dedicated to building a brighter future for Michigan children and fighting to defeat DeVos’ latest school voucher scheme. To learn more, visit ForMIKids.com and sign up to get involved. We must keep raising our voices every chance we get. Michigan students deserve good public schools where they can get the education and skills they need to succeed in college and the workplace. With an educator shortage and growing student mental health needs, we must provide our children with well-paid teachers and support staff, smaller class sizes and more mental health resources.
Brett R. Smith Secretary-Treasurer
CONTENTS
“I am proud to be part of this project because children will have an opportunity to learn the importance of advocacy in their communities.” Abriana White (left), aspiring educator, Wayne State University and AEM board member. More on pages 7, 18 and 19.
Member survey, page 11. Advocacy partners, page 16. Librarians matter, page 20. Teachers testify on causes of educator shortage, page 27.
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More inside: re-elect Whitmer, page 9. Reading month, page 18. Bargaining wins, page 24. Behavior specialist, page 34. On the cover: Maya Murray in East Lansing Public Library.
Executive Director �������������������������� Michael Shoudy Director of Public Affairs ������������������������ Doug Pratt Editor �����������������������������������������������������Brenda Ortega Staff Photographer ����������������������������� Miriam Garcia Publications Specialist ��������������������Shantell Crispin
The MEA Voice ISSN 1077-4564 is an official publication of the Michigan Education Association, 1216 Kendale Blvd., East Lansing, MI 48823. Opinions stated in the MEA Voice do not necessarily reflect the official position of the MEA unless so identified. Published by Michigan Education Association, Box 2573, East Lansing, MI 48826‑2573. Periodicals postage paid at East Lansing and additional mailing offices. Payment of the active membership fee entitles a member to receive the MEA Voice. Of each annual fee whether for active or affiliate membership, $12.93 is for a year’s subscription. Frequency of issue is October, December, February, April and August. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the MEA Voice, Box 2573, East Lansing, MI 48826‑2573 or via email at webmaster@mea.org. Allow at least three weeks for change of address to take effect. MEA Voice telephone: 517‑332‑6551 or 800‑292‑1934. Circulation this issue: 109,249.
MEA VOICE
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NEWS & NOTES
Editor’s Notebook When I taught creative writing, I used Emily Dickinson’s “Hope is the thing with feathers” in an exercise called “copy change,” which I had learned and tried out on myself at the fantastic Oakland Writing Project, one of 10 Michigan affiliates of the powerful National Writing Project. As a new teacher in the late 1990s, I attended the summer institute for preK-16 educators two years in a row—as participant and mentor. Since 1971, Writing Project sites across the country have developed teacherwriter-leaders and authentic teaching practitioners under the belief that “writing is vital to thinking, creating, communicating, and participating in the world.” Copy change asks students to use a literature model as blueprint to write their own ideas in a similar voice—to step inside of good writing and see how it works. Students must consider what Dickinson’s poem is about. They naturally discuss phrasing, rhyme scheme, and point of view. They grapple with the question: why does she call it “the thing with feathers” instead of a bird? And because it draws an evocative image of an abstraction like hope, the students easily grasp metaphor. Then they write their own in the same style—about hope or another idea of their choosing.
$2.5B Size of the tax cut for Michigan’s wealthiest corporations and individuals, proposed by Republican leaders in the state Legislature, which would cause drastic cuts to education and other services. The GOP move came not long after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer outlined a plan to use higher-than-expected state revenue for the largest funding increase for public education in 20 years. Go to mea.org/legislation and click on “Legislative Calls to Action” to learn more and contact lawmakers.
Hope is the thing with feathers Emily Dickinson Hope is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul, And sings the tune without the words, And never stops at all,
Quotables
And sweetest in the gale is heard; And sore must be the storm That could abash the little bird That kept so many warm. I’ve heard it in the chillest land, And on the strangest sea; Yet, never, in extremity, It asked a crumb of me. I recently returned to the poem for the first time in several years. I’ve been thinking a lot about hope in these fraught times we are living through. I keep encountering the word and asking people about it in interviews, some of whom you’ll meet in this issue of the Voice: what brings you hope? MEA member Kathy Lester (p. 20) has looked for small victories to fuel her relentless fight over a decade to restore school librarians and libraries to Michigan schools. In a few places, cut positions and shuttered libraries are being restored, and it gives her hope—heard “sweetest in the gale.” Michigan Teacher of the Year Leah Porter sees hope in the growing recognition that we must address the educator shortage. She has continued raising the alarm bell all school year (p. 24). You will find others like them in these pages—pressing forward amid exhaustion and grief. They bring me hope we can all find our “thing with feathers” in this “strangest sea.” —Brenda Ortega, editor
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“This legislative package gives our educators a strong voice in the workplace, and it can help create stronger learning environments for our students so they can achieve and succeed at their highest levels.” MEA President Paula Herbart on MEA’s support for a 34-bill package from the Michigan Legislative Labor Caucus to restore collective bargaining rights stripped away over the years, including a measure to make teacher evaluations an allowable subject of bargaining, introduced by Rep. Nate Shannon (D-Sterling Heights), an MEA member who won election in 2018. Go to mea.org/legislation and click on “Legislative Calls to Action” to add your voice.
NEWS & NOTES
Quotables “I’ve been shouting that we need more counselors. We need more teachers. The principal has been doing so much COVID data collecting and our principals are exhausted. Everybody’s just trying to do so much with much, much less than we’ve had in the past.” ICYMI Want to take a small action that can have great impact if we all do it? MEA has several active legislative calls to action right now! Contact your legislators on issues ranging from suspending teacher evaluations to lowering the 75% attendance rule for this school year and urging lawmakers to reject highly divisive and politicized bills that are intended to drive a wedge between parents and their educators. Go to mea.org/legislation and look for the “Legislative Calls to Action” link to find explanations of the issues and connections to easily email or call your lawmakers.
Ingrid Fournier, an MEA member fifth-grade teacher in Ludington on why she retired at the end of March along with husband Tim, a student support specialist in Baldwin, quoted from a March 10 Bridge Michigan story, “Two Michigan educators exiting this month, many others may soon follow.”
Above and Beyond MEA member Isaac Perry of Huron Valley Schools has won the Moveen Prize in Humanities, an annual award presented by Lynch & Sons Fund for the Arts, for his work as a community volunteer, advocate and organizer. The English department chair at Lakeland High School, Perry was honored for numerous community efforts, including as co-founder and chair of the Huron Valley Martin Luther King Day Committee. The Moveen Prize includes a month-long residency in Ireland at the ancestral home of celebrated Michigan poet, writer and undertaker Thomas Lynch, plus a cash stipend to pay for travel and related expenses. Perry said the award was a complete surprise. The veteran educator was nominated by Lynch himself, who operates his family’s longtime funeral business in Milford not far from Lakeview High School where Perry works. Lynch is the author of the National Book Award finalist The Undertaking: Life Studies from the Dismal Trade, along with other award-winning books of poetry and essays. The prize also recognizes Perry’s work as a founding member and board secretary of the Huron Valley Film Organization and on the board of the Village Fine Arts Association in Milford. “This is the first time anything of this magnitude has happened to me,” Perry said. “I have only traveled to Europe once in my lifetime, and that was to attend a wedding in Poland. I am very excited to visit Ireland with my son, Lincoln.”
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NEWS & NOTES
UPCOMING EVENTS April 21-23 MEA Representative Assembly VIRTUAL MEA’s highest governing body will meet virtually for the Representative Assembly (RA) to consider policy matters for the coming year.
June 13 MEA Scholarship Fund Golf Outing Forest Akers Golf Course Lansing Tee off at 9 a.m. for this event to raise funds for college scholarships for Michigan public school graduates who have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement and contributions to their community and school. Note: the dinner reception after golf will not be held this year. Go to mea.org/golfouting for information.
July 3-6 NEA Representative Assembly Chicago The NEA RA, consisting of 8,000 delegates across the U.S., adopts the strategic plan and budget, resolutions, the Legislative Program, and other policies of the association.
July 26-28 MEA Summer Conference Saginaw Valley State University Sessions at this MEA Conference help association leaders and members be informed and engaged on topics that include organizing, advocacy, political action, professional development, legal issues, and communications. For more information, go to mea.org/ conferences.
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Nominations sought for ESP Caucus Executive Board Nominations are being accepted for several positions on the MEA ESP Caucus Executive Board. Open positions are as follows: ESP AT LARGE: Two (2) positions beginning September 1, 2022 to August 31, 2025 DIRECTOR BY CLASSIFICATION: One (1) position each Transportation
September 1, 2022 to August 31, 2025
Custodial
September 1, 2022 to August 31, 2025
Maintenance
September 1, 2022 to August 31, 2025
Director of Minority Concerns
September 1, 2022 to August 31, 2025
Office Personnel
Immediate to August 31, 2024
Paraprofessional
Immediate to August 31, 2024
Elections to the ESP Caucus Executive Board will take place at the MEA Spring Representative Assembly April 22-23, 2022. Information needed for each candidate includes: name, present occupation, local ESP association, school district, home address, home and work telephone numbers, home e-mail address, name of nominee’s local ESP association and written consent of the candidate running for office. Candidates must be members in good standing of MEA/NEA. In order to receive delegate mailing labels, information had to be received no later than February 22, 2022. Additional nominations will be accepted from the floor at the MEA/ESP Caucus meeting on Friday, April 22, 2022. Candidates will be given up to three minutes to address delegates. A table will be provided outside the ESP Caucus meeting where candidates may place a brief biographical sketch for distribution before the meeting starts. Questions should be directed to Jim Sparapani, ESP Caucus Elections Chairperson, at 906-779-1984 or via email to jsparapani@att.net.
AEM/MINE
THE FUTURE IS NOW
Aspiring Educators Run Inspiring Statewide Project Aspiring Educators of Michigan (AEM) members promoted March is Reading Month with a unique program motivated by a desire to show that even small efforts toward social justice can have a big impact. Supported by an NEA Create grant, members of the AEM Social Justice Committee demonstrated their dedication to both literacy and advocacy in a project titled “More than a Land Acknowledgment.” The multi-faceted project was built around the picture book, We Are Water Protectors—a Caldecott Medal winner by the Indigenous author-and-illustrator team of Carole Lindstrom and Michaela Goade. Beautifully illustrated with watercolor paintings, the story focuses on the impact of Native American advocacy on environmental issues. Led by Maya Murray, chair of the AEM Social Justice Committee, members chose the book, connected with elementary teachers and librarians, created an essay contest, drafted communications, and organized distribution of books to AEM chapters across the state.
Finally, MEA President Paula Herbart delivered a copy of the book and a $500 donation from AEM to the school board of JKL Bahweting School, located on tribal trust lands of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. School Board President Norma Castro accepted the donation which will go to buy books for the school library. Murray, an elementary education major at Michigan State University, praised the dedication of future teachers from all over Michigan. “Working on this project has been such a meaningful experience.” “I couldn’t ask for a better team of dedicated people to work with: Megan Durell and Abriana White from Wayne State, Shannon Gamel from Ferris State, Katie Kukulka from Western Michigan, Aryana Jharia from EMU, and McKenzie Wilhelmsen from Saginaw Valley.” Read the full story and view more photos on pages 18‑19.
Connect with AEM: instagram.com/aspiringedofmichigan twitter.com/AspiringEdOfMI facebook.com/aspiringedofmichigan
Connect with MiNE: instagram.com/mineweducators twitter.com/mineweducators facebook.com/mineweducators soundcloud
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Spring is all about new beginnings as snow melts away and tree buds start to bloom.
style. When preparing your favorite dishes, you may have to flip the script.
While you may have packed on some unwanted pounds during the long cold winter, spring is a chance to get outdoors, work off some of the extra weight and freshen up some of your eating habits.
“I tell my clients to enjoy your cultural food, but sometimes you have to give it a facelift,” said Roniece Weaver, a registered dietitian and founder of Hebni Nutrition Consultants in Orlando, Fla. “If there’s sour cream in the recipe, use lite sour cream. If the recipe requires cheese or milk, use low-fat cheese and low‑fat milk.”
Make time to head outside to take advantage of the warm weather. All you need is 30 minutes a day of exercise five days a week to help maintain a healthy lifestyle. “Breathing in the fresh outdoor air gives a different type of energy,” said MESSA Health Promotion Consultant Rhonda Jones, a fitness trainer and registered nurse. “There is so much that we can do: group bike riding activities, softball, walking groups, basketball and rollerblading.” According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, exercise and a healthy diet can lead to a longer life, support proper development, and help lower your risk of obesity and the chronic conditions associated with it—heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and certain cancers. And guess what? You don’t have to give up the food you love to maintain a healthy life
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When developing a healthy diet, focus on small portions, refrain from fatty and fried food, and eat lean fish or chicken, Weaver said. And while everyone loves a good sauce, use them sparingly because they could be high in sodium, calories and sugar. For MESSA medical members who need extra support, MESSA covers six free preventive nutritional counseling visits with an in-network provider per year for members and dependents with medical coverage. For more information about this benefit, call MESSA’s Member Service Center at 800-336-0013 or connect with MESSA via live chat through your MyMESSA account or the MESSA app. For tips on exercise and physical activity, visit messa.org/wellness.
MEMBER VOICES
Our Strength Can Re‑elect Gretchen Whitmer By Jo Bird MEA‑Retired
When I was a teacher in Zeeland for 31 years, I continued learning and growing throughout my career. Now that I am retired, I keep on fighting for public education. I will never stop, and I hope everyone reading this will join me in this important election year. A lot of reasons keep me active in helping to elect friends of education at every level—from school boards to the state legislature and president of the United States. But right now, with everything our schools and educators are facing, one motivation pushes me forward that I want to share with you:
public education through privatization, for‑profit charter schools, and vouchers—a fire that burns to this day. Under Engler and Snyder, we saw attacks on collective bargaining, assaults on pensions and health care for school employees, and drastic cuts to school funding from preschool to universities and community colleges that dragged down Michigan’s once‑great system of public education. I wasn’t content to sit idly by and watch the destruction.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is the best friend that public education has ever had!
During those other administrations, I remember making countless trips to Lansing with other educators to lobby for public school students and educators and defend school funding and employee benefits. It was tough on morale when we had governors routinely signing terrible bills into law.
As tired as we all are of the pandemic and the difficulty and change it has caused, imagine how hard the last two years would have been if Bill Schuette had been elected in 2018 instead of Gretchen Whitmer. I am serious—stop and think about it!
For 25 years I served as my local union’s political action (PAC) chair—part of the time while I was teaching German, Spanish and English to Zeeland high school students, and then for several years after I retired. That meant I got to go around
“I will do what it takes to elect friends of public education!” I could tell you what that scenario would have looked like, because I lived through Gov. Rick Snyder—and before that Gov. John Engler was the reason I became politically active. In fact, my fire was lit by Engler and his moves through the 1990s to destroy
in the fight for truth, justice and democracy. In fact, for a time after my retirement I served in two PAC chair roles—with both the Zeeland EA and the Lakeshore chapter of MEA‑Retired, where I am president. I became known for the crazy costumes I wore performing skits to raise awareness and money for PAC across the state. I will do what it takes to elect friends of public education!
asking everybody to donate money to elect good candidates (MEA dues dollars are not used for candidate contributions.
In addition to working for MEA‑PAC, over the years I volunteered for many candidates from school board on up, knocking on doors and working phone banks to get out the vote. Most recently, I spent many weeks gathering nomination signatures to get Gretchen Whitmer on the ballot in November—just as I did in 2018.
I was good at inspiring people to become involved because I believe
It was a great feeling when Whitmer was elected four years ago, but it has MEA VOICE
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MEMBER VOICES
“Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is the best friend that public education has ever had!” been even more rewarding to see her following through on her campaign promises in office.
◼ Gov. Whitmer prioritized public school employees for COVID‑19 vaccines.
Just listening to the respectful way Whitmer talks about educators is meaningful to me. She always talks about the importance of public education to our state’s future, and throughout the challenges of COVID‑19 she has continued to highlight and reward the hard work of public school employees.
◼ She authorized hazard pay grants for public school employees.
Candidates backed by money from the likes of Betsy DeVos prefer to talk about punishing schools and educators with ideas like getting rid of staff or taking away funding based on test scores. Gretchen Whitmer believes in giving educators resources to do their jobs and giving more money and help to schools that need it the most. Governor Whitmer shows genuine concern for maintaining and strengthening public education in Michigan. Her actions speak louder than her words: ◼ Whitmer has focused on restoring RESPECT for public school students and staff. ◼ Whitmer avoided budget cuts to K‑12 School Aid during the pandemic. She did not ask districts to lay off employees. Staff members received their salaries and benefits and were commended for meeting the challenges of educating students online. ◼ Whitmer continued pay/retirement credit during spring 2020 after testing requirements were suspended.
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◼ In July 2021, Gretchen pushed for and signed a bi‑partisan 2022 School Aid Budget of $17 billion. This included a historic increase in funding for schools without raising taxes. ◼ The 2022 School Aid Budget closed the funding gap between rich and poor school districts. It equalized funding for the first time, which was the goal of Proposal A in 1994. Whitmer got investments in preschool through graduation, expanded early childhood education for low and middle‑ income families and even provided significant resources for counselors, nurses and social workers. ◼ The Governor created and hopes to expand the programs Michigan Reconnect and Futures for Frontliners. Both offer a tuition‑free path to Michigan residents 25 and older for higher education or skills training. ◼ Gretchen Whitmer appointed MEA members to state committees and boards, including the Michigan Public School Retirement System, allowing educators to fill seats at decision‑making tables. In February, Whitmer presented a proposed state budget for the 2023 fiscal year. A large focus of the budget is on school funding: ◼ $18.4 billion in total PK‑12 spending.
◼ An additional $2.3 billion in PK‑12 spending for the current year. This $435 proposed increase in the per pupil grant would bring the foundation allowance up to a record $9,135 per pupil. ◼ $2.2 billion in bonuses and other programs to attract and retain educators. ◼ $222 million to boost support for economically disadvantaged students. ◼ $150 million to step‑up support for special education students. ◼ $1 billion for the creation of a school infrastructure modernization fund for future years. ◼ A 5% ongoing increase, plus a 5% one‑time payment for university and community college operations and $200 million for campus infrastructure, technology, equipment and maintenance. Gretchen Whitmer’s ties to public schools are personal. Her two daughters attended public K‑12 schools and now attend public universities in Michigan. She has been there for us, and now we need to be there for her. Don’t take her for granted. Don’t sit out this election and expect others to step up. Support the Whitmer campaign financially and work intensely for her re‑election. Work like your career, livelihood and the future of public education in Michigan depend upon it! Give to MEA-PAC to help elect friends of public education at meavotes.org.
ISSUES & ADVOCACY
MEA Survey Points to Educator Concerns In February, MEA released a statewide survey of nearly 2,600 educators, with the vast majority of those surveyed saying the state’s acute educator shortage and its impact on students is the most pressing issue facing Michigan schools.
Aside from emphasizing the pressing reality of the educator shortage, the survey pointed to solutions to this crisis that have broad support from teachers and other educators—and are reflected in Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s recent budget proposals.
Ninety‑one percent of respondents said they were extremely or very concerned about the educator shortage, followed by concerns about student behavior and mental health (88%) and teacher and staff pay and benefits (84%).
“Educators are asking for real solutions to this crisis, and Governor Whitmer’s budget proposals are a major first step to helping recruit,
“State leaders must take action today to retain current educators and recruit new ones,” MEA President Paula Herbart told journalists from dozens of media outlets at a virtual press conference. “That begins with increasing compensation for all school employees, politicians listening to the voices of educators when crafting education policy and respecting our public school educators for the professionals they are.” The most worrisome finding of the latest research showed sharp decreases in educator job satisfaction and increases in those saying they planned to leave the profession compared to just six months ago. Staff shortages already are having a daily impact on students and educators alike, Herbart noted. “This survey proves what we already knew: Michigan’s teachers, support staff and other public school employees are at a breaking point,” Herbart said. “This is adding to already overwhelming pressure caused by meeting students’ academic, social and emotional needs while also dealing with COVID‑19, unfair evaluations, standardized testing, the threat of school violence and so much more.”
retain and respect educators, so we can support every Michigan student,” Herbart said. Nearly 2,600 pre‑K‑12 teachers and support staff, school counselors, social workers and therapists, as well as higher education faculty and staff, participated in the statewide survey Jan. 25‑28, conducted by Emma White Research.
What problems has the educator shortage created in the past year? 88% ► loss of classroom prep time. 73% ► the need to have support staff substitute teach. 61% ► cancelled or reduced bus routes. 56% ► the need to have administrators subbing.
Which positions are experiencing more vacancies than usual? 92% ► substitute teachers. 86% ► support staff. 71% ► teachers.
What measures would increase retention of educators a great deal? 85% ► increased salary and benefits. 73% ► a significant retention bonus. 64% ► replacing current educator evaluation system with one that is more effective and fair. 61% ► hiring more staff to reduce workloads.
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ISSUES & ADVOCACY
MEA MEMBER SURVEY 2022
12 APR–MAY 2022
ISSUES & ADVOCACY
Educator-to-be: ‘We need minority teachers’ MEA member Leya Woods is concerned about the lack of minority teachers and administrators across many school districts in Michigan and the message it sends to students of color sitting in all of those classrooms. The problem is especially striking when comparing the number of support staff who are people of color working in lesser-paid roles—as she does—to the disproportionately low numbers in better-paid classroom and school leader positions with more authority, she says. “Being a minority myself, I feel that students need to see more people who look like us in those jobs—who come from the same areas that we do and can relate to us—to see it can be done. We can achieve that.” The 26-year-old is bucking the trend in a way that spotlights the potential of so-called Grow Your Own programs and scholarships that create pathways for Education Support Professionals (ESP) to transition into certificated roles such as teaching, counseling and social work. While working full-time over the last four years as a special education para at Kent Intermediate School District, Woods has made it two years into pursuit of a Master’s degree in Teaching in Special Education with an endorsement in Autism Spectrum Disorder through an online program at Eastern Michigan University.
“Now I’m realizing how expensive it is to get a master’s and a teaching certificate, and at times I’m like, Wow—I don’t even know if this will be worth it. Teachers don’t get paid well to be able to pay back loans like that.” Despite the challenges of working and attending school full-time, Woods plans to persevere—especially since she recently became a mother when her son was born in March. “It’s motivation to get done so that I can better myself professionally and achieve more things in my life.” Woods earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology at University of Michigan in 2017 not knowing exactly what kind of work she would pursue in the future. After graduation she enjoyed working with youngsters with special needs in a young 5s classroom at a charter school. When she switched to Grand Rapids Public Schools and then Kent ISD, Woods found her niche in special education for adults. She works as a para with students who have emotional impairments and autism. “I just love the job, being able to have an impact on their life. Getting to know them and relate to their problems. Eventually I knew this is the job for me—this is what I want to get my master’s in. So starting at this job—being in this job—helped me to see things clearly.” A disciplined and strong student, Woods attended Creston High School in Grand Rapids—a majority Black
“...students need to see more people who look like us...”
Leya Woods special education para Kent Intermediate School District school that had no Black teachers when she graduated in 2013, two years before the 90-year-old historic building was shuttered in a cost-saving reorganization of the district. She used scholarships to get through her four-year undergraduate degree at UM while keeping her student loan debt around $30,000. But more is racking up quickly. It explains why capable students she knew in high school turned away from teaching, she says. “People in high school were saying, ‘I don’t want to be a teacher; I know I could do it, but they don’t get paid that much.’ So a lot of people go different routes.” In addition to raising pay, she believes the state should restore pensions for educators. “That would draw people in and make it easier to retain people, so maybe we wouldn’t have such a shortage.” MEA VOICE
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ISSUES & ADVOCACY
Educator Appeals: ‘Let us Teach’ Steve Galvan wants people to understand educators are on the front-lines just as health care workers have been, “and we too are digging our claws deep into the dirt and holding our ground, because those students need us now more than ever,” he said. “Our students may not come from a two-parent home. They may have to deal with food insecurity or their parent’s job loss, having a family member die from the virus, or homelessness. They walk into the school building already dealing with all of these things.” The MEA member speaks from experience. His parents were undocumented immigrants who made the difficult trek to southwest Michigan from Mexico and worked hard in agricultural jobs despite limited education “to provide me and my siblings the American Dream.” The 14-year Hartford schools veteran has been giving back since his college days working at a preschool for children of migrant farm workers while working on his degree. He hopes lawmakers will hear the pleas from him and other educators who participated in the recent MEA Member Survey. The policy focus should be on ideas such as rebuilding pay and benefits, helping aspiring educators pay for college, reducing certification and professional development costs—not confining teachers in scripted curricula or forcing them to post lesson plans and materials one year in advance, Galvan said. “In Michigan and a lot of other states, bills are being proposed to become law that would really hinder the education sector. Instead, they should allow us to do what we have 14 APR–MAY 2022
been trained for and what we do best, and that’s teach.” Galvan knows the power of educators. A language barrier forced him to repeat kindergarten, and he recalls feeling set aside by a teacher frustrated by his lack of English skills. But educators also inspired him toward the profession with guidance that helped him become a first-generation college graduate. One influential educator was his middle school social studies teacher and football coach who “always stayed on me, so much at times that I felt he was annoying. Years down the road you realize those that were hardest on you cared the most. He wanted to make sure I succeeded in every phase of my life.” A middle school English teacher who gave him a leg up “helped me go to college visits, showed me how to apply for college and how to fill out the FAFSA (federal financial aid) form, because all of that information was new to me and I didn’t know how to do it.” As a teen, Galvan acted as translator for his parents at doctor appointments and through the process of becoming resident aliens and getting green cards. Then he realized his father could not read—a problem often hidden in his culture, he said. Never having a Latinx teacher or professor made it difficult to find connections, another factor that drew him to education and a subject area that spreads awareness of different cultures, languages, and geographies, he said. “I just wish there were more Latinx educators out there.” That wish underlies the desire of Galvan—who holds a master’s degree in educational leadership—to become
Steve Galvan social studies teacher Hartford Public Schools
a school administrator. “I will miss the classroom, but I can have an impact as a school leader by pulling two cultures together, bridging that gap, to bring our community much closer together.” Meanwhile, he serves on the board of his Latinx college fraternity and has started his own mentoring program at Hartford High School— where he graduated from and now teaches—to help students in the way he was helped. He always remains focused on the whole child, he said, not just curriculum, instruction and assessment, because he knows “if we don’t fulfill the social-emotional piece— especially now—we can’t achieve anything else.”
ISSUES & ADVOCACY
Here’s a Lesson on the Educator Shortage Katie Hillyard tried not to be an educator.
educators are praised as superheroes or vilified as supervillains.
As a teen, the MEA member didn’t want to be just like her parents—both music teachers in the Grand Rapids area who are now retired. But when it became clear in college she was drawn to the profession, Hillyard followed her calling and today is finishing her ninth year in South Haven.
“It doesn’t acknowledge that we are all just humans trying to do our best and do what’s best for kids, and we’re fallible,” she said. “We’re not going to be able to fix every problem, and we’re also not the ones that are causing every problem.”
Now she knows she’d be lucky to become half the educator her parents were. None of that is to say she will certainly finish her career as a high school choir and English teacher. Hillyard has considered leaving the job she loves for a variety of reasons most educators could relate to in MEA’s recent member survey, in which she participated. “It’s all of the extras,” she said, going on to list a few examples: new mandates without time, resources or training to implement; a teacher evaluation system that is an exercise in time-draining hoop jumping; added workload that carries beyond the school day; and top-down requirements that actually get in the way of good teaching. Rigid standardized tests, heavily weighted in teacher evaluations, are antithetical to good teaching practices, Hillyard noted. “Good teaching is adaptive and differentiating and accommodating. We are trained to do those things in our classrooms, and all of those things are not allowed on these tests.” In particular, Hillyard says she has felt “weighed down by the demands on teachers,” which she describes in terms of the polar extremes that now frame beliefs about educators: Either
Her strength as an early career educator is in the relationships she builds with students, the cornerstone of good teaching, “and I think that’s especially what kids need right now with such a digital world that we’re in and with the way the last couple of years in particular have gone. “That’s something I feel is a strength of mine—making connections with kids and helping them feel seen and helping them realize it’s OK to be who they are, no matter what that means for them.” One of her biggest concerns surrounds students’ mental health, coupled with the lack of adequate numbers of counselors and other professionals trained to address it. More mental health professionals in schools would create a better chance of catching early warning signs and directing an appropriate response before it spirals into a crisis, she noted. Meanwhile, educators are navigating their own mental health as they address students’ behavior challenges, social-emotional needs, and learning recovery. They are trying to keep kids on track and engaged in school amid higher absence rates and longer-than-average absences, Hillyard said. “Teaching has always been hard, but I’ve noticed a lot this year that I need more recovery time, and my recovery doesn’t last as long,” she
Katie Hillyard choir and English teacher South Haven Public Schools
said. “A weekend gets me through to maybe Tuesday. I’ve heard it from my colleagues, too, the Friday exhaustion is happening a lot earlier in the week.” She hopes policymakers and the broader community will understand and take action based on one key concept: “What we give to our educators is what we give to our kids.” “If we’re giving our teachers limited resources, and we’re giving our teachers overloaded plates, and we’re giving our teachers a lack of respect and compensation for the hard work they’re doing—we’re giving all of those same things to our kids. If we’re not equipping our teachers with the resources they need to be at the top of their game, then we’re also not giving our kids the resources they need to be at the top of their game.”
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We Must Advocate and We are Not Alone Amid critical educator shortages, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is focused on delivering support and resources in her proposed education budget for next fiscal year with plans to use ongoing state revenue increases to shore up public schools as they respond to ongoing effects of the pandemic. In contrast, Republican leaders in the House and Senate issued budget proposals focused on massive tax cuts, especially for corporations and the wealthy—which would force deep cuts in education. In addition, as school absences and closures peaked this winter from COVID and school safety threats—with staffing shortages straining educators and administrators alike—MEA members have answered our calls to action and contacted lawmakers to seek remedies and solutions. But some politicians are more interested in driving wedges between parents and educators— holding hearings on divisive political measures such as a resolution that declares “radical politics have permeated public school curricula, resulting in education that amounts to political indoctrination.” Education will be forefront in this year’s election. We must stay active—but we are not alone. For hope and connection, read these voices of MEA partners in the movement to strengthen public education.
Molly Sweeney 482Forward DETROIT BELIEFS ► The young people of Michigan deserve to have fully funded schools and curricula that teach the hard truths about our country. They deserve to have fully staffed schools, adequate mental health supports, and educators that are well paid and supported. We can’t let billionaires like Betsy Devos continue to defund our schools and play politics with our students and educators. DRIVE ► Equitable and accessible funding is central to our organizing this year. Our schools are $4 billion underfunded and this leads to inadequate conditions for teachers, lack of mental health (the ratio of counselors to students in Michigan is 1-617), crumbling school buildings, and under-resourced schools. ACTIONS ► 482Forward and the Michigan Education Justice Coalition consider ourselves the people power that will contest billionaires like Betsy Devos with actions: ◼ Educating parents, students, and educators on how to run for school board ◼ Training and supporting community organizing efforts to build movements for education justice, host school board candidate forums, and have a say in how federal COVID relief money is spent. ◼ Supporting youth to host a statewide Gubernatorial town hall on education justice. ◼ Building legislation to address the special education and school facility funding crisis for 2023 and creating an education revenue ballot initiative for funding in 2024. ◼ Supporting youth leaders to fight for more than $100 million in mental health funding for counselors, school psychologists in the 2022 budget.
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Kyle Lim
Autumn Butler
Urban Core Collective GRAND RAPIDS
Oakland Forward PONTIAC
BELIEFS ► We recognize, value and advance the full humanity of our Black and Latinx communities. Our public schools are the spaces where the vast majority of our children eat, play, learn, and grow. It is critical that Michiganders take a stand and push for resources that will benefit ALL of our children and not just a few. DRIVE ► When public schools are not appropriately funded to provide support for teachers, our children suffer the consequences. When schools do not have money to hire counselors, our children suffer. When schools cannot afford to fix their air conditioners or heaters, our students suffer. ACTIONS ► We are supporting potential and incumbent school board members who align with the priorities of our communities. We work with parents and students to use their voices to demand change. We participate in the Michigan Education Justice Coalition with the vision of introducing a new statewide funding formula for our public schools.
Peri Stone-Palmquist Student Advocacy Center YPSILANTI BELIEFS ► Public schools are part of the fabric of our communities. If we care about all children receiving an education, we must have a robust public education system. Efforts to divert limited funding from public education hurts our whole community. The micro-management and constant criticism of our teachers is causing staff shortages that impact a school’s ability to meet the needs of young people. DRIVE ► At Student Advocacy Center, we see every day how young people are hurting and struggling. Even districts with more resources are struggling to meet those needs, and the districts with fewer resources are struggling even more. ACTIONS ► SAC has been working to engage parents and youth in the decisions that impact their lives, and share their experiences so policy makers can better understand the needs in public schools.
BELIEFS ► A high-quality, equitable education can be the great equalizer and the most fundamental path to upward mobility for the individual student and their family as well as a community benefit that helps to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion in every realm of society. DRIVE ► I am most concerned about equitable funding, mental health, and literacy. Equitable funding provides the wherewithal to tackle a myriad of issues, including mental health and trauma-informed care. And literacy provides an opportunity for students to access opportunities and resources they need to be self-determining, interdependent, functioning adult citizens in the future. ACTIONS ► As part of the Michigan Education Justice Coalition, we are working to recruit potential school board candidates, engage the community in understanding the platforms and issues of potential school board candidates, and serve as a catalytic organization for turning out the vote in this election.
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Aspiring Educators Promote Advocacy and Literacy A group from MEA’s Aspiring Educators of Michigan (AEM) designed a multi-layered project for March is Reading Month that gave children from several elementary classrooms across the state a window into another culture, which in turn helped them look more closely at their own communities. Members of the AEM Social Justice Committee designed the project to value children’s voices and help young people to see their actions can make a difference in the world, said Maya Murray, the committee chair and a junior studying elementary education at Michigan State University. The project was built around a 2021 Caldecott Medal-winning picture book, We Are Water Protectors, described as a bold and lyrical rallying cry to safeguard the Earth’s water from harm, written by Carole Lindstrom, an Indigenous writer who is Anishinabe/Metis and
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is tribally enrolled with the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe. “We Are Water Protectors is a culturally relevant and important addition to have on the shelves, since it shows how one person can stand up for the community they love by taking action and advocating for what is right and for the voices that have been historically silenced,” Murray said. Inspired by Indigenous-led movements to protect the planet’s water, and vibrantly illustrated with watercolor paintings, the book is described as “a tribute to Native resilience” and “an inspiring call to action for all who care about our interconnected planet,” in a starred review by Kirkus Reviews. It is the first Caldecott Medal‑winning book illustrated by an Indigenous woman, Michaela Goade, who is Tlingit and a tribal citizen of the Central Council of Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska.
AEM members learned about the book through a diverse children’s literature workshop offered by aspiring-educator leaders at Wayne State University, including Abriana White, an at-large member of the AEM Board of Directors, who stressed the importance of bringing more diverse books to classroom read-alouds. “I am proud to be part of this project because children will have an opportunity to learn the importance of advocacy in their communities,” White said. The group of aspiring educators purchased copies of the book for the project from Black Stone Bookstore & Cultural Center near the AEM chapter at Eastern Michigan University. Titled “More than a Land Acknowledgment,” the project was supported by a NEA Create grant.
Essay Contest Each of the ten AEM chapters at universities across the state
received five copies of We Are Water Protectors. Chapter members connected with elementary school teachers and librarians who were asked to read the book with students and encourage participation in an essay contest as part of the project. The essay contest asks students to reflect on and write about the following prompt: Think about issues affecting your community. If you had $100 to make a difference for a cause you care about, how would you spend it? Five winners from across the state will be selected as winners and notified in April. Each will receive $100 and will be asked to document their advocacy. AEM leaders hope this early experience will help set students on a path of advocacy that will last a lifetime. Utica second grade teacher Casey Joss said she agreed to participate with her students because it offered an authentic writing assignment for
students that was meaningful and intended for a real audience. “This contest gives students a chance to practice their learning in ways that appeal to their interests and will help them develop lifelong skills,” Joss said. “As an added bonus, they will see that even someone their age can make a difference in their community.”
Supporting Literacy The project also seeks to support literacy by donating $500 to the library of JKL Bahweting School, located on tribal trust lands of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, which serves a largely tribal population of students. The check was delivered by MEA President Paula Herbart and AEM State Organizer Annette Christiansen at a school board meeting in March. AEM members were excited to support
the purchase of high‑interest books they hope will encourage a love of reading for the JKL Bahweting students.
AEM Engagement One of the best parts of the project was seeing how much kids have to say about the world around them, said Katie Kukulka, a senior elementary major at Western Michigan University. “Sometimes they just need the outlet or push to realize they can make change happen and advocate for something they care about,” she said. Along the way, the AEM members reaffirmed their own beliefs about the power of individual actions, said lead organizer Murray. “Being a part of this project has shown me how bright the future of this profession is, and how change really occurs when passionate people put their heads together and do all they can for the communities they are a part of.” MEA VOICE
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MEA Member Librarians Concerned About Decimated Profession When MEA member Kathy Lester reads the latest news headlines, she sees problems where librarians should be. From students’ low reading performance on standardized tests, to community conflicts over what books should be allowed in school, and burned-out educators talking of leaving the profession—librarians can play a vital role in helping to address big problems. But in Michigan over the past 15years, the number of certified school librarians—also known as media specialists—has been decimated. In the latest figures, our state ranks 48th in the nation, measured by the ratio of certified librarians to students, at 1:3,110. That compares to a national average of 1:1,425. State data from last year show more than half of school buildings in Michigan had no school library staff— certified or uncertified—and 74% of buildings had no certified media specialist employed. For Lester, a certified school librarian at East Middle School in Plymouth-Canton, the losses represent an equity issue. A recent national study showed schools in areas with higher poverty and more minority students and English language learners have the least access to properly staffed libraries. “If you compare what resources and what educational experiences a student with a highly-qualified school librarian is getting compared to a student in a school district without that, the differences are stark,” Lester said. A modern school library is a bustling in-person and digital learning 20 APR–MAY 2022
commons where project-based learning takes place and print and digital resources are part of a student’s routine, Lester highlighted in a recent informational flyer she produced. A longtime advocate for the profession through numerous roles she’s played in the Michigan Association for Media in Education, Lester is taking her efforts to the national level. One year ago she won election as president-elect of the American Association of School Librarians. Lester will serve in the volunteer role for one year, beginning in July, while continuing her full-time job in Plymouth-Canton. She takes over at a precarious time for the profession across the country.
Kathy Lester media specialist
The number of school librarians has declined nationally, according to data released last July in a study funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, which found from 2010 to 2019 nearly 20% of school librarian full-time equivalent (FTE) positions were eliminated.
our state to a bottom-of-the-barrel 48th place in the national rankings of percentage change in school librarians in that decade.
The study found more than 4.4 million students in high-poverty districts had no librarians, and smaller and rural districts were more likely to have no librarians than larger suburban districts.
The research is clear that in schools with certified librarians, students’ reading comprehension is higher and the most vulnerable students—who are least likely to have a home library of reading materials—benefit the most.
“The studies all show that students who benefit the most from school librarians are kids from high-poverty areas, and those are the areas where we’re losing the most ground,” Lester said.
Multiple studies have demonstrated that school libraries staffed by a certified librarian have a positive effect on literacy achievement and graduation rates.
Michigan was one of 10 states pointed out in the study for having “extraordinarily high” losses of school librarians over that decade at a staggering 49.5%—which took
Plymouth-Canton
“Every student deserves to have access to an effective school library led by a certified school librarian,” Lester said. Media specialists serve in a variety of roles that support learning, she
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Carrie Betts elementary librarian Birmingham
noted. First and foremost, they provide equitable access to diverse resources and support students’ reading and learning in a multitude of ways. “Media specialists are teachers, too, and the library is the biggest classroom in the school,” Lester said. Librarians teach information literacy, research, and digital citizenship skills to prepare students for the 21st century world they inhabit, and most serve as technology leaders in their buildings—bringing the latest classroom technology to their buildings and helping educators learn to use it. Back in the day, it was film strips; today it’s Google docs and Maker spaces, the 20-year veteran said: “We support classrooms at such a deep level, and that has always been a huge part of the job.” Policymakers and even educators don’t realize how much certified school librarians do and what an important role they play in their buildings, agreed MEA member Kelly Boston, who goes by the title teacher-librarian at Harbor Lights Middle School in West Ottawa.
Chris Crews business and CS teacher Trenton Media specialists teach kids how to use research databases and how to cite sources. They teach information literacy in a digital world rife with disinformation. They work alongside teachers to find additional materials and technology integration to deepen students’ learning, Boston said. They also make purchases for the library’s holdings based on a professional selection policy that is periodically reviewed. Sometimes the importance of that gets minimized in people’s minds, she said. “I hear the sentiment a lot that anybody can order books—what else do you do? I don’t want to minimize the importance of having a professional librarian ordering books who’s reading reviews, connecting with students and building relationships to know what genres they love and what they’re going to want to read.”
Kelly Boston teacher-librarian West Ottawa
book challenges in the news. It’s an unfortunate time to be at the end of this decimation of our profession, because a lot of school districts don’t have policies in place for how to protect their books from censorship.” Other school districts that no longer have school librarians are reaching out to ask how to handle situations with book challenges, “and I say, ‘Gosh—I wish you had a librarian in there because that’s part of my job.’” Libraries led by certified professionals have processes in place to handle book challenges. Sometimes it simply involves talking with a parent who hasn’t read the material in question, but other times a full review is required and follows a reconsideration policy, Boston said.
Introducing kids to books they love is “the best thing that can happen to me. That moment is huge because it’s how we get lifelong readers right there.”
A formal review typically requires the objecting community member to read the book and submit objections in writing, followed by formation of a review committee that reads the material and makes a decision which can’t be revisited for a certain number of years.
Hand-in-hand with ordering books is defending them, she added, “and right now we’re seeing all of these
“If schools don’t have a librarian and don’t have a board policy for this, someone might just say, ‘I’m just going MEA VOICE
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What is a certified school librarian, and what do they do? School librarians, also called library media specialists in Michigan, are teachers who hold a Michigan Teaching certificate with the Library Media endorsement. They typically have a Masters in Library and Information Science and are uniquely qualified to carry out five roles:
Some schools in Michigan lost their libraries along with the librarians who ran them.
◼ Teacher—delivers instruction on reading, accessing resources, information/media literacy, digital citizenship, and technology tools. ◼ Literacy and Reading Expert—has training in youth and young adult literature and collection development to select and promote materials in multiple formats to support learning, personal growth and enjoyment. ◼ Information Specialist— selects, curates, promotes and uses physical, digital and virtual collections of resources ethically and equitably to support the needs of the diverse learning community. ◼ Program Administrator— plans, develops, implements and evaluates the school library programs, resources, and services in support of their schools’ mission according to the ethics and principles of library science, education, management, and administration. ◼ Leader—leads a strong reading culture within their school and advocates for students’ access to diverse resources and positive learning environments. Provides professional development for teachers and integrated resources and services to all students and the school community.
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to delete this from the collection to be done with it.’ Then there’s also self-censorship that can occur in the absence of policies,” Boston said. “I’m very concerned about it, because we serve all of the students in the school. Much of these book challenges seem to be targeting the LGBT community, and just statistically we know we have LGBT students in every school who deserve to see themselves represented in books.” MEA member Carrie Betts, a certified school librarian at West Maple Elementary School in Birmingham, also is concerned about the vulnerability of districts without trained and certified librarians to lead book selection and review processes. “Children need books to explore the world around them in an environment that is safe, where they can learn empathy, develop critical thinking skills, and build their own sense of understanding,” she said. The job of a public school is to provide every single student a full education, and students without libraries
or librarians are not getting a fair shake, Betts said. “The disparity and inequity is my greatest concern. I’ll just use one example—that a student in a school without a certified librarian does not have the same opportunity to learn when they are studying the life cycle of a frog.” That student does not have a librarian to guide him or her toward a rich supply of current information and resources selected for their high-quality. Librarians also monitor teachers’ curriculum pacing guides and suggest materials for classroom teachers to use to extend and deepen students’ learning. “I’m always looking for those resources to really engage students, that are easily accessible to teachers, that I can email to them and save the six hours they would have to spend searching for it on their own, which is time they don’t have,” said Betts, who began her career as a high school science teacher. Trenton High School teacher Chris Crews can attest to the value
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Michigan School Library Staffing (as of Dec. 2020)
■ Buildings with certified Media Specialist at least one full‑time equivalent (51%) ■ Additional buildings with certified Media Specialist at any FTE (23%) ■ Additional buildings with uncertified Library Staff at any FTE (18%) ■ Buildings with NO Library Staff (8%) Source: Michigan Center for Educational Performance and Information
that librarians bring to the work of classroom teachers. Without the work of certified media specialist Melissa Lambert—a fellow MEA member who offers a wide array of services to students through the Media Center—there would be no LitFest or Blind Date with a Book or Maker Lunches at the school, he said. “She works hard to make the media center a welcoming space where students want to come and grow,” said Crews, who teaches business and Advanced Placement Computer Science.
afoot across the country attempting to limit what young people are allowed to read. “Media specialists often act as the lone advocate for students in regard to media selection. Without them, kids
who look different or are perceived as different would not be able to read books about kids just like themselves. Melissa has the courage to fight for those kids every day.”
Replenishing school libraries MEA member Kathy Lester is looking for ways to rebuild funding for school libraries to boost Michigan schoolchildren’s reading skills and enjoyment— especially given the need for literacy recovery in the pandemic’s wake. Some strategies she is advocating:
In addition, Lambert supports teachers by coming into classrooms to deliver instruction on how to find resources, recommend curriculum-based readings, and teach students about media literacy. She stays current with teaching pedagogy to recommend technology that benefits students, Crews said.
◼ The state should create grant programs to hire school librarians similar to a program designed to increase the number of mental health professionals in schools.
Most importantly, he added, Lambert is often the biggest advocate in the district for media selection and offerings at a time when forces are
◼ The state should create a state-level school library coordinator to help districts meet quality benchmarks.
◼ Local unions should advocate for school library funding when considering good uses for federal money from the American Rescue Plan.
◼ Grants of $10 per student could fund library resources. ◼ Other grants could be used for districts to help teachers earn a Library Media Endorsement.
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STRENGTH IN UNION
Bargainers Report Contract Successes MEA member Joe Ligaj has a blunt message for school administrators and state-level policymakers concerned about educator shortages: If you pay them, they will come. “This is just basic economics— Econ 101,” the president of the Lincoln Park Education Association (LPEA) said. “There’s a labor shortage, and the way to address that is through the contract: higher wages, benefits and working conditions.”
operates an autism program servicing 15 school districts with 25 classrooms, and despite being in a high shortage area the program is fully staffed with certified educators—including Ligaj, who has been teaching there since 2003. “Remarkable, right?” Ligaj said. “If you look at programs similar to ours, they have long-term subs in those ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) rooms because that’s one of the hardest special education
“This is basic economics.” Ligaj says the LPEA bargaining team last year finalized the best contract in the state. The new topstep maximum for a teacher with a master’s degree in the district reaches $107,200 in year three of the contract, and “I haven’t heard of anyone having a higher master’s max than 107,” he said. Five years ago, a newly elected LPEA executive board went about goal-setting by asking what could be done to most benefit students in the high-poverty district in metro Detroit’s Downriver region. “We saw the writing on the wall back then of the shortages and everything we were headed for, and we concluded the best thing we could do is to have a goal of getting the best contract in the state of Michigan. We wanted to fill our classrooms with the best talent.” By at least one measure, the strategy has worked. The district 24 APR–MAY 2022
certifications to fill. We have 100% certified staff, and that’s because of the contract.” A few factors played a role in the LPEA’s bargaining success, Ligaj said. First, every educator but one in the bargaining unit is a dues-paying member—349 out of 350—and all agreed during building-by-building union meetings they would do whatever was necessary to achieve contract goals. “Having everybody on board creates a sense of solidarity and a sense of family, really, that we all lean on each other. We’ve been through tough times together, and we’ve been able to withstand everything and stand together in unity.” The LPEA got district leaders to reopen a five-year contract two years in for salary and benefits reconsideration. In addition, the LPEA got the district’s other unions on board—a support staff unit
represented by AFSCME and the mid-level administrator’s union. “We negotiated this contract with all three unions on board working together as one collective force,” he said. Other highlights of the deal include a two-step jump for everyone, increases in dental and vision coverage, and a 40% boost in Schedule B payments. Altogether the mid-contract reopener resulted in the best contract in Lincoln Park since 1982, Ligaj said. Once an at-risk youth who was mentored to graduation and success by a teacher at an alternative high school, Ligaj said building the strength of his members and union has been rewarding. “Other than my wife and my kids, it’s the proudest thing in my life to represent them.” As we head into bargaining season, many MEA units that inked deals last year have reported improvements in the wake of an historic state education budget for this year and nearly $6 billion in federal COVID-relief funding for Michigan schools to spend over the next five years. The shift is a welcome change from years following a $1.8 billion business tax cut enacted under Gov. Rick Snyder in 2011, which forced devastating cost-cutting in schools and moved the state toward crippling educator shortages now seen across nearly every education job category in the state. Support staff units are bargaining wages and benefits improvements. In Ontonagon, the Education Support Professionals (ESP) union negotiated pay for an increased number of snow days and sick leave payout on retirement, in addition to significant boosts to hourly wages and ancillary benefits.
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In Charlevoix-Emmett ISD, bus drivers got a two-year contract extension with wage improvements to four years covered by the contract of 15-2-2-2%, with minimum pay guarantees, added holidays, and greater flexibility in use of personal days. Hourly school employees have been seeing multi-year increases in many cases, said MEA Bargaining Consultant Craig Culver, whose job is to support bargainers at the table with information and resources. “Beyond competitive wages, one way we’re seeing to attract and retain our support staff has been to expand eligibility for insurance—by including family members and reducing the number of part-time employees who fall under the threshold of working hour requirements for elibility,” Culver said. In Calumet, a unit that includes custodians, maintenance workers, and paraeducators won a 17.5% wage increase on schedule and significant increases to benefits, said MEA UniServ Director Hans Wienke, who works with the group. “A local business started increasing their employment,” Wienke said. “It became clear the district had to increase pay to be competitive, and my group also wanted a bump in their insurance coverage.” In some places, bargainers are addressing educator shortages by seeking hiring and retention bonuses to be paid with one-time federal money—often in addition to on-schedule increases. A support staff unit in Southgate representing employees of a center-based school for emotionally impaired students bargained steps, plus a bonus and 4% increases on
schedule (additional 1% at step 5) in year one, 2% in year two (additional 1% at step 5) and longevity raises added to top steps. Bargaining team member Sarah Smith, a program assistant at Beacon Day Treatment Center, said the goal was to attract new employees but also to reward the people there now and encourage them to stay. The students’ behavior is challenging, and pay must keep pace with demands. “I’ve been here for nine years and I’ve established relationships with staff and students, so I understand the students’ behavior is not directed at me,” Smith said. “You care for them and you’re there to help them, kind of like a parent.” This was the second contract she helped to shape, which she always wanted to do because her father was a union welder, “and we were always talking about how important it was for people to be treated fairly.” Similar arguments secured hiring bonuses for newcomers and “commit to work” payments for returning staff at Gwinn Area Community Schools, a rural district in the UP’s Marquette County, where experienced educators were being poached by higher-paying neighboring districts in recent years. Because openings are so hard to fill, the district wanted to give new hires a bonus for signing on, but head bargainer Jessica Gustitis asked, “What are you going to do for us—the ones who’ve gotten this far?” The team negotiated retention pay. For three years, teachers in Gwinn will receive $1,000 at the start of the year, another at the semester break, and a third at the end of the school year. “That’s $9,000 in our pockets that we
Joe Ligaj
haven’t ever had before, so it’s awesome,” Gustitis said. Since 2011, “We kept getting reduced wages or we wouldn’t get anywhere in a contract negotiation,” she added. “We’re never going to recoup our losses from what happened from 2011 to 2020, but this was a start.” On top of one-time money, the team negotiated a 2.25% on-schedule increase; additional steps for everyone except new hires, to address losses from the previous decade; and increases in dental, vision, and long‑term disability. For Smith—a 21-year veteran of the district—the new contract would mean an additional $20,000 in pay over three years. Teaching is always hard, but the past two years have been exceptionally difficult and the needs going forward will be great. “With this, people feel more appreciated,” she said.
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STRENGTH IN UNION
In Allen Park, the bargaining team won a very good contract for which the groundwork was laid in recent years with members of the local union working to pass a bond measure and elect school board candidates who value public education, says local president and bargaining team leader Joel Burkey. “With those two things, people saw that when the union gets behind something we can make it happen,” Burkey said. “Our membership is well above 95%, which is hugely important in all of this.” One part of the new contract he’s most proud of is the added steps for members based on their date of hire and number of years stuck in a step freeze instead of advancing on schedule since 2011. In addition, the master’s maximum is close on the heels of nearby Lincoln Park at $99,000.
“I know in one case, there was a teacher who—because of these improvements—chose to stay,” Burkey said. “He was being poached by a district that was going to put him at the top of their salary schedule, which would’ve given him a $25,000 raise.
the stifling bubble of cynical “market-based” reforms and spending declines, which introduced competition and “performance” incentives in a public service arena such as education—and proved to be an utterly destructive failure.
“He was on the phone with me, and he said, ‘What do you think?’ I said, ‘Well, I think we’re going to get this contract done. And while you may enjoy getting to the top quicker there, it won’t be long before we’ll be ahead of you.’ He decided to stay as a result of that.”
“I think it’s safe to say that 30 years into this experiment, all it’s done is divide the resources, create a bunch of high-stakes testing that doesn’t really assess student learning, and create a teacher evaluation system that has driven a lot of people out of the profession,” he concluded.
However, even the strong contract wasn’t enough to prevent some earlier-than-planned retirements this year, and that loss of veterans’ wisdom and perspective is lamentable for Burkey, a 31-year U.S. history and government teacher.
Negotiating a great contract is Burkey’s way of fighting back. “We all know the best thing you can do to improve instruction and strengthen your district is to hire and retain strong teachers. This competitive salary schedule will help us do that.”
What he laments is the fact his entire career has been spent inside
MEA Resources Aid Bargainers MEA provides a wide range of resources to support bargainers at the negotiation table, from financial reports and analyses to strategic advice and information on changes to laws governing the process. Bargaining teams anticipating upcoming talks can schedule professional negotiation tune-ups, offered by MEA’s Statewide Bargaining Consultant Craig Culver and Labor Economist Tanner Delpier, on innovative ways to spend federal COVID-relief dollars and other current hot topics. The recommendations and advice are developed through MEA’s Statewide Bargaining Strategy and Implementation Team (SBSIT)—made up of MEA staff from across the state—and the Long-Range Bargaining Committee, comprised of members from the MEA Board of Directors. “We keep a pulse on an ongoing basis of new emerging issues and strategies,” Culver said. “Some of what we produce is prototype language that can be bargained to address issues, and the other main thing we produce are advisories and information on how bargainers should approach these issues.” Detailed financial reports produced by Culver and Delpier show bargaining teams how much money a district has to spend, how the district has spent revenues over time, and how much a specific proposal will cost the district—down to the penny. “We held a recent tune-up in Houghton and Marquette, and the turnout was huge,” Culver said. “There is a lot to talk about.”
26 APR–MAY 2022
LEADERSHIP & LEARNING
MEA Members Share Reasons Behind Educator Shortages Several MEA members, including Michigan Teacher of the Year Leah Porter, testified in March at a hearing on the varied causes behind growing educator shortages before the Appropriations Subcommittee on School Aid and Department of Education. The subcommittee chaired by Rep. Brad Paquette (R-Niles) heard wide-ranging explanations for why educators are leaving the profession and not enough young people are completing preparation programs to replace them, including declining compensation, lack of respect, and inadequate resources. You can watch the full video of testimony from MEA and AFT Michigan members at tinyurl.com/ educatorstestify, and also step forward to add your voice! MEA is gathering more teacher perspectives to share with lawmakers on this subject. Go to mea.org/reasonsbehind-shortage and find the link to provide your thoughts, ideas and experiences in an easy-to-use form that will be submitted for the subcommittee’s review. Following are excerpts from MEA members’ testimony, lightly edited for space and clarity.
As Michigan Teacher of the Year this year, I have had the opportunity to visit many schools and speak with teachers across the state about their experiences over the last few years. This unique opportunity has left me in total awe at the incredible educators we have in Michigan. But what I have seen and heard is the current teaching environment has become endlessly exhausting with no relief in sight. For years, the educational system in Michigan could be seen as a cracking dam, years of neglect and under-funding stripping away at its strength. The pandemic has now caused this dam to break. And we’re going to see and feel the impact of decisions that have been made and are being made right now for years to come. It is heart-wrenching to know we have phenomenal educators across the state and many are feeling so overwhelmed and unheard and saying they don’t know how much longer that they can do this. School professionals are not OK. The challenges, stress, and pressure of this school year have far surpassed the previous pandemic teaching year in ways that were impossible to fathom last summer. While the past two years have had so many hurdles, the crisis in schools has been brewing for a long time. Years of funding cuts, loss of pension and affordable insurance, consolidation of staff, additional work responsibilities from absorbed positions, and the perpetual attacks on education systems have created the perfect storm we are now facing. Educators are resilient and creative problem solvers. They have been keeping this educational system afloat for years as it has been crumbling around them. Teachers don’t ask for much. They care tremendously for their students, and they are in this profession because they care about the future of not only the children in front of them but also those still to come. There has never been a more critical time to support educators. Respect them, trust them, recognize the very real challenges that those in schools are facing each day. Show educators you see and hear them through your actions, the expectations that you’re putting on educators, and through your support. The welfare of teachers depends on it. The structure of our school systems depend on it. And the children of Michigan deserve well-funded structures in which to learn and thrive.
Leah Porter
third-grade teacher Holt 16 years MEA VOICE
27
LEADERSHIP & LEARNING
In 2018, as Michigan Teacher of the Year, I had the opportunity to visit classrooms all around the country, and one in California had a big impact on me. I visited a Grow Your Own program called Educators Rising in a community that was mostly Hispanic with teachers that were mostly white. I was so inspired that I came back home and had a look at Kentwood as a whole and East Kentwood High School in particular. We’re the most diverse public high school in the state of Michigan. But the teachers at East Kentwood High School are over 95% white, which means our students are not seeing themselves at the front of the room. Research has shown that minority students who have at least one minority teacher perform better academically and are more likely to attend college. I went to my administration and said, “I’d really love to get this going at East Kentwood High School.” Now three years later, this is the third season we have had Ed Rising. I reached out to the current teacher, Jasmine Ramahi, to see how things are going. She said the students in the class represent the diversity of the larger student population, which was one of the big goals. And she has taken the students through a rigorous curriculum with a focus on equity in education. She is getting these students into classrooms to observe teachers. She’s also taking them to local universities and working to make partnerships to help students with scholarship opportunities for those who choose to go into education. I’m sure you’re all aware that the [governor’s] current budget proposal includes $150 million for Grow Your Own programs like Ed Rising. And I certainly hope the story of what’s happening at East Kentwood High School will help you all to be in support of these programs.
Luke Wilcox
high school math teacher Kentwood 21 years
28 APR–MAY 2022
I’ve seen a lot of my peers that I graduated college with who are no longer teaching. They were great educators, but they’re moving on to other things for a variety of reasons. With the right support, maybe they would have stayed and had a chance to make a difference in the lives of children. When asked why they’re leaving, some of them mentioned the stress of the job and the impact on their mental health. Others have indicated the workload is not sustainable, myself included. Others have left teaching to pursue other fields where they’re better compensated and have a better work-life balance. What can be done to better support teachers? The first is to release some of the burdens required to become an educator. Between the high cost of college, the unpaid student teaching experience, and the modest starting salaries, we put a lot of burden on new teachers. Anything that the state could do to relieve that financial burden would tremendously help, from scholarships to paying student teachers stipends, etc. Making these changes could attract more people into teaching, and put them in a better position to succeed once they graduate. I would also say more work could be done to better support students. This includes counselors, social workers, nurses, substitute teachers, and support to lower class sizes. My district, and I’m assuming many districts in general, really struggle with substitutes, so we give up our planning time very often having to cover classes because we don’t have other adults in the building who can. When teachers are supported, children are supported likewise. And when our children are thriving, teachers are more able to do incredible things in the classroom.
Danielle Groendyk
high school English teacher Oakridge 3 years
LEADERSHIP & LEARNING
To succeed in the teaching profession requires physical and mental endurance, strong time management skills, constant flexibility, and many other skills to manage behavior, plan effective and engaging lessons, provide ongoing assessment, feedback, and reflection. Social worker, nurse, and organizational managers are some of the other hats we wear. And since COVID, many of us are doing custodial duties due to lack of custodians across the district... Love of learning and children is not driving away our teachers. The myriad of responsibilities and harsh realities that take away time and energy needed for our lessons and for student interactions contributes to this teacher shortage. Disruptive behaviors have increased steadily in our classrooms. New teachers have left our profession because of ongoing behavior concerns such as students throwing chairs, knocking down tables, hitting, and kicking. Many districts do not have the funds to provide needed help for struggling students. We share a social worker, who is in our building one day a week. There is a long wait list for students to be seen by our social worker. Many of our students will not receive the much-needed support that she can provide. Another reason why I truly believe teachers are leaving the district is our evaluation system, which is not appropriate for the realities we see in our classrooms, and it certainly is not appropriate for all grade levels. In Grand Rapids public schools, we have the highest poverty in Kent County. As a high-needs district, we have inadequate funding, our resources are limited, and our test scores are lower than some neighboring districts. Why would a new teacher stay in a profession that evaluates them in this manner?
Diane Rodolfo
First-grade teacher Grand Rapids 20 years
One of the major changes in the past 10 years is the volume of young people dealing with crippling anxiety and trauma. These kids show up with debilitating issues, and schools lack the manpower and resources to address them all. We front-line teachers do our best, but what has changed is that for many of us, our best isn’t enough. Moving forward, we must be mindful about what we’re requiring of the teaching profession and also how we talk about the teaching profession. Our veteran educators are experiencing burnout, and new teachers struggle to gain their footing. We need to build better mental health support systems for students. Teachers cannot do this work alone. We need to increase the number of talented young people committing themselves to education and compensate them. Our district here in Whitehall is trying to hire staff to fill this need but credentialed and qualified staff are few and far between. We should consider scholarships, stipends for student teachers, and better mentoring programs. We need to make the career of teaching much more attractive to talented young people. My 19-year-old daughter declared her major last December. She chose education like her mom and dad. That same month, she attended her first school board meeting. What she saw was horrifying: people on the attack, shouting one another down, naming teachers and slamming them. Not surprisingly, she’s now questioning whether she wants to subject herself to the realities of being a teacher... We need to change the conversation and support structures for teachers so intelligent people like my daughter might be inspired to carry out her family legacy of teachers and our nation’s legacy of public education.
Craig Christensen
middle school English teacher Whitehall 27 years
MEA VOICE
29
ELECTIONS
Elections Delegates to the MEA Representative Assembly will elect two members to represent Michigan on the NEA Board of Directors. These are biographies and candidate statements of the two announced candidates for those positions.
Heather Schulz
STATEMENT
Heather Schulz is currently in her 25th year as a middle school science teacher in Lakeview Public Schools in St. Clair Shores and has always been a proud member of the Lakeview Education Association and MEA‑NEA Local 1. She has served in numerous roles in her local association, including crisis chair, president, MEA and NEA RA delegate, vice president for grievance, secretary and building representative. Schulz has also held several elected offices at the region level which include president, vice president and MEA Board of Directors for Region 6. She has been an alternate to the NEA Board of Directors. In addition to her many elected positions, Schulz has also served on the MEA Budget and Finance Committee for the past four years. In June of 2021, she was elected as the Vice President for Bargaining of MEA‑NEA, Local 1. Schulz reports that over 20 years of serving in leadership positions has strengthened her commitment to MEA and to public education.
My name is Heather Schulz. I am running for a position on the NEA Board of Directors.
30 APR–MAY 2022
We have many challenges facing all of us in public education, both in Michigan and the nation. Continued underfunding of public education, staff shortages, attacks by parent and community groups, continued issues of inequity and access, and laws that demean and demoralize our professions are only a few of these challenges. MEA has a tradition of being at the forefront when looking for solutions and tackling these issues. As a problem solver, I want to be a part of this work. Being a member of the NEA Board of Directors will allow me to participate in this important work at the national level. Inherent in union membership and activism, is collaboration. I love collaboration and being part of a team. Collaboration requires listening, having an open mind, adapting to new ideas, participation and speaking up. The skills and qualities needed for collaboration are also needed to be a good advocate. These are all qualities and skills that I can bring to the table, and why I think that I will be a good advocate for all MEA members at NEA. Whether it is lobbying legislators, or collaborating with colleagues from across the country,
I think that my experience, the skills I developed, and my commitment to public education will serve me well as a representative of MEA on the NEA Board of Directors. Vote Heather Schulz for NEA Board of Directors.
ELECTIONS
Wendy Winston
STATEMENT
Wendy Winston is a Michigan native who has been teaching for more than 20 years, currently in Grand Rapids Public Schools. She has served as an MEA Political Action Leader, MEA Battleground Summer leader, and the vice chair of the Michigan Democratic Party educators’ caucus. She was honored to be elected as a Joe Biden delegate to the 2020 Democratic National Convention. She currently holds a position on Michigan’s STEM Education Advisory Council and was a regional semi‑finalist for Michigan Teacher of the Year in 2020. She has been trained through NEA Member Voices, MEA political bootcamp, and See Educators Run programs. Winston has served in numerous elected and appointed offices at the local and region levels, including treasurer, PAC chair, bargaining team, RA delegate, and NEA RA Region 9 coordinator. She currently serves on MEA’s Communications Committee and Screening & Recommendations Committee.
I am excited to be a candidate for NEA Director representing Michigan. Raised in a union household in West Michigan, I grew up understanding that unionism is working in solidarity to stand up for others. Teaching math and science in underfunded districts like Flint Community Schools and Grand Rapids Public Schools led me to raise my voice for education justice. Early in my career, I compared conditions in urban classrooms and suburban districts. The inequities were unjust. I couldn’t remain silent and stepped up to get more involved in the MEA. I will keep fighting until every child has access to an excellent education and appropriate resources regardless of their zip code. My energy toward education justice resulted in recognition as an NEA Top Political Activist. Membership in the MEA has allowed me to educate community members and elected officials about current issues in education. During my 20 years as an educator, I campaigned to improve working conditions for colleagues and educational experiences for students. I speak out at board meetings and rallies and encourage others to do the same. Organizing members to show up and speak up is one of the most rewarding and inspiring parts of my advocacy. I proudly organized a successful solidarity picket to show support for our striking United Auto Workers, Babies over Billionaires townhall, and the Grand Rapids “Shine the Light” Rally to draw attention to the MEA 3% case.
To continue improving our education system, we need to work together toward the goal of electing friends of public education. I have canvassed and phone banked for political candidates and important issues. I work to build and maintain relationships with sitting elected officials. I’m honored to serve as the Vice Chair of the Educators Caucus to Michigan’s Democratic Party, local PAC chair, and a former MEA political action leader. If elected as NEA Director, I will continue fighting for improved working conditions for educators and just learning environments for students. I ask for your vote and would be incredibly proud to serve as your NEA Director.
MEA VOICE
31
Spring into action and enjoy the outdoors Spring is the season of new beginnings. When you look outside, the snow has melted, the flowers are blooming and the temperature is rising. This makes for a great time to raise your arms, stretch out and go for a morning jog, an evening bike ride or maybe a midday walk in your neighborhood on the weekend. Health experts say that exercising outdoors instead of inside the gym is not only good for you physically, but also benefits your mental health. It can help relieve stress, and help you feel more energized, happier and less tired. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends physical activity of at least 30 minutes a day for five days a week. So why not break free, breathe in the fresh air and have a little fun outdoors. MESSA Wellness can provide helpful tips or exercise programs to get you started. Visit messa.org/Wellness for inspiration.
32 APR–MAY 2022
By Ross Wilson, MESSA Executive Director
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MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Every school should have a Julie Tolfree, a veteran teacher-turned-behavior-specialist who supports both students and staff at Bridgeport-Spaulding Middle School in Saginaw, her colleagues say. Tolfree extends a safe space to talk, help with physical needs—food or clothing, for example—and time to regroup from a difficult moment.
during a rough stretch. Without her, “I don’t know if I could do the job,” said MEA member Julie Licavoli, a longtime sixth-grade math teacher at the school. “If we didn’t have that backup system where we can send a kid if they need help with a problem or a physical need, I think I would lose my mind,” agreed MEA member Stacy Rickers, who transitioned recently to teaching technology at the school after 23 years as an elementary music teacher. A teacher trainer and problem solver, Tolfree says no two days are alike but her goal remains constant: “Whatever the issue is—good or bad—I take it upon myself to solve it. That’s my job.” Since taking over the grant-funded position six years ago, Tolfree has led a shift in the building’s culture toward positive reinforcement. The school serves a high-poverty population. “It’s about really listening and building relationships,” she says. When teachers are having ongoing behavior issues with a student or class, Tolfree brainstorms and implements solutions with them. Newer staff members—including her own daughter and a few former students now on the faculty—ask for advice on lesson plans and classroom management.
She operates whole-school systems to inspire and reward positive behavior, dispensing encouragement, advice and love as readily as treats, band-aids and ice packs. Colleagues describe her as “magnificent” and a creative “Wonder Woman.” Her 22 years of classroom experience give her a sixth sense about how to solve problems with kids and when to intervene with teachers 34 APR–MAY 2022
She consciously works to keep a 4:1 balance in the positive-to-negative ratio of interactions with students. She knows praise is uplifting and criticism can be destructive. She conducts restorative circles between kids in conflict and works on emotional regulation with students who have anger outbursts. She runs a simple reward system. Teachers give students a raffle ticket
and verbal recognition of the behavior or action they want to recognize: hard work, kindness, improvement. Tolfree raises money for prizes by running sports concessions, and she accepts donations from teachers and the community. The school’s staff stays connected all day on a group text, using the GroupMe app, so if a student is sad, sleepy, or disruptive to the point of being unable to learn, a teacher can ask for help. Tolfree has a few teacher aides who assist her, plus a school counselor who intervenes in difficult cases. Last year, amid attendance problems during COVID, she and Principal Steven Baker hit the road, armed with a Google spreadsheet, and visited hundreds of homes, delivering whatever help was needed—technology, instruction, food. She saw the harsh realities of some students’ home lives. “Every teacher needs to experience something like that, because it helps to remember there’s a reason behind the behavior.” Tolfree recently took over a huge empty shop classroom for her program with several smaller rooms that she turned into relaxation areas and a food pantry. She converted an upstairs area for donations and distribution of items such as clothes, underwear, socks, coats and hygiene items. The job is exhausting but effective—referrals have gone down among older students, and a recent uptick came from children new to the building. “You’ve got to have the people to do this, and a place to do it and support from the higher-ups who realize it’s important. But I can’t imagine a school without a safe place for kids to go when they really need it.”
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