ELECTION 2018 MEA VOTING GUIDE Page 19
LEADING CHANGE Page 15
October 2018 | Vol. 96 | Issue 1 | mea.org
LETTER TO MEMBERS
Educators Step up in Many Ways This year more than 500 educators across the U.S. are running for state-level office. The total—554—includes current and retired teachers and education support professionals, along with administrators and other staff from K-12 schools. Of those candidates, 512 are running as Democrats and 42 as Republicans. They include both NEA and AFT members. The majority are women. Those numbers, compiled by the two unions, are unprecedented but not surprising. School employees have always been leaders in their communities whose big hearts are eclipsed only by their problem-solving capacity. You can read about 10 MEA members running for the state Legislature in Michigan starting on page 9 of this issue. Public school employees are a hard-working and resilient bunch, but eight years of attacks from politicians have become more than wearisome. We won’t give up or give in. All we seek is fair treatment as professionals and a say in how we work through problems in our classrooms and the system as a whole. That is also why we support Gretchen Whitmer for Michigan governor.
Paula J. Herbart President 2 OCTOBER 2018
Whitmer was the unanimous choice of MEA’s statewide Screening & Recommendations Committee, because she knows public education is the engine of our state’s economy and quality of life, and she’s invested in helping it succeed. Add to that she listens to the needs of frontline public school employees. Learn more about the shopping trip she took with a Jackson County educator to see firsthand what educators spend outfitting their classrooms on page 17—a topic also raised publicly via radio and video by Utica’s Cassandra Joss on page 38. The contrast with Whitmer’s Republican opponent for the Nov. 6 General Election is stark. As a state senator, Bill Schuette voted to cut the education budget by $500 million in 2001. Our state still has not returned to pre-Recession education spending levels. A supporter of school voucher schemes, Attorney General Schuette has argued in court that students do not have a right to literacy and that public school employees did not deserve a return of wages stolen by the state from their paychecks. He appealed “3 percent” case rulings that favored MEA for six years.
Chandra A. Madafferi Vice President
In short, Schuette has been no friend of public education, and he is far from the only politician we can say that about. Read “Lobbying Insider” on page 7 for a reminder of the hits that lawmakers have heaped upon schools, children, and educators in this state for several years. Then build your hope and resolve by checking out educators raising their voices publicly for the profession (and offering pathways for you to do the same) on pages 15-16; striking and picketing at Ferris State University on page 25; and organizing new school employees and early career educators to become the next generation of leaders on pages 28-29. This year’s election could not be more important to the future of public education, and the case for your involvement is beautifully laid out in a “Member Voices” piece by MEA Board member Julie Brill—our hard-working MEA & NEA PAC Fundraising Captain—on page 8. Finally, use the special Voter Pullout Guide included in the center of this issue to choose candidates recommended by MEA members for their stances on education and labor issues. Then vote on Tuesday, Nov. 6. Vote like your profession depends on it, because it does.
Brett R. Smith Secretary-Treasurer
CONTENTS
4 Editor’s Notebook Inspired by Whitmer
6 MEA Calendar Social Justice Conference
7 Lobbying Insider Stopping Bad Policies
15 Leading Change Legislative Advocacy
19 PULLOUT VOTER GUIDE Take it to the polls
23 Absentee Ballot Apply for Absent Voting
25 Strength in Union Ferris Faculty Strike
26 Strength in Union Q&A with MEA President
28 Strength in Union Organizing Builds Strength
8—MEMBER VOICES: Kentwood teacher Julie Brill makes a case for members’ political involvement.
17—ELECTION 2018: MEA’s pick for governor, Gretchen Whitmer, went shopping with an educator.
32 Region Elections Rules and open seats
Cover: Educators Matt Koleszar of Plymouth and Dayna Polehanki of Livonia are running for office.
Executive Director ��������������������� Michael Shoudy Director of Public Affairs ������������������ Doug Pratt Editor ������������������������������������������������Brenda Ortega Staff Photographer ����������������������� Miriam Garcia Publications Specialist ���������������Shantell Crispin The MEA Voice ISSN 1077-4564 is an official publication of the Michigan Education Association, 1216 Kendale Blvd., East Lansing, MI 48823. Opinions stated in the MEA Voice do not necessarily reflect the official position of the MEA unless so identified. Published by Michigan Education Association, Box 2573, East Lansing, MI 48826-2573. Periodicals postage paid at East Lansing and additional mailing offices. Payment of the active membership fee entitles a member to receive the MEA Voice. Of each annual fee whether for active or affiliate membership, $12.93 is for a year’s subscription. Frequency of issue is September, December, February, April and August. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the MEA Voice, Box 2573, East Lansing, MI 48826-2573 or via email at webmaster@mea.org. Allow at least three weeks for change of address to take effect. MEA Voice telephone: 517-332-6551 or 800-292-1934. Circulation this issue: 111,780
9—COVER STORY: MEA members are part of a nationwide wave of educators running for state and federal office in response to years of underfunding and attacks on public education across the U.S.
30—MEMBERS AT WORK: Two powerful stories came out of a Summer Science course in Hudsonville.
38—MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: Educator Cassandra Joss discusses how much money she spends on her job. MEA VOICE 3
NEWS & NOTES
Editor’s Notebook Several months ago, I interviewed MEA’s recommended candidate for governor, Gretchen Whitmer. I prefaced one question with some personal history. My daughter Carmen was 17 when she heard the tape of Donald Trump bragging about sexually assaulting women. She watched as he denigrated Mexican immigrants as criminals and rapists and trashed climate change science as a “hoax.” Carmen is a smart young woman of Mexican heritage. She comes from a family that includes scientists and educators. She cares about the environment, health care, and social justice. She was devastated by the 2016 election results. I asked Whitmer, “What do you say to young people who are awakening to politics for the first time?” Whitmer teared up listening. Then she gave this eloquent response: “Get involved, jump in. I think, especially for women, we create all these barriers in our mind that we have to have a certain level of experience, or a certain number of degrees, or paid a certain amount of dues, and it’s all baloney. “You can jump in today as a young person who’s a new voter and make a difference by getting involved in the election, by raising your voice, by helping people get organized so that we make a difference in this campaign. A lot of people are now engaged and I think that it’s a good thing. We’ve got a lot of work to do in this country. “My daughters and I felt about as low as it gets the day after the election, too. That’s why when you’re telling that story, it all comes back. What a blow that was, but for every time there’s a setback like that, it sets us up for a big leap forward, and I think that’s what we’re primed for this year. And that’s why all these women who are running, all of these Democrats who are mounting challenges in areas that you would never usually think would be contested, is so encouraging. “The young people who are fighting for safety in our schools, the women who are empowered to speak out. I think that we are in the midst of a major culture change in this country and your daughter’s going to be at the head of it. And my advice to her is fight. Keep leaning and pushing, because you’re changing the world.” I shared that response with Carmen after the interview last March. She’s 19 now and a sophomore at Eastern Michigan University interested in politics, law and public policy. She’s found inspiration in Whitmer, a former prosecutor and the first woman chosen to lead a party in the state Senate, so she took that good advice. Carmen spent her summer making phone calls and knocking on doors for the Carmen hosted a phone bank for Whitmer campaign. Gretchen Whitmer, and some friends Let’s follow her lead and go all turned out to help: (L-R) Carmen, in to fight for what we believe in. Emma, George, Ellie, and Ellie. —Brenda Ortega, editor 4 OCTOBER 2018
2M
The number of Education Support Professionals who work in U.S. public schools. Sherry Shaw, an Alaska paraeducator named the 2018 NEA ESP of the Year, urges colleagues to get union strong: “No matter if we drive the bus, serve the food, clean the halls, or support our teachers, we cannot allow the winds of indifference to sway us away from our beliefs and values. We must continue to be united, engaged and involved at all levels of the Association.”
QUOTABLES “Tying teacher evaluation so heavily to a test score incentivizes all the worst practices in teaching and does not help students, parents, or teachers get the best learning experience.” Livonia teacher Craig Barker in a letter to his state representative, part of an MEA Call to Action over the summer. HB 5707 had not received a vote as of press time, despite bipartisan support. The measure would prevent test scores from taking on greater weight in educator evaluations, which happens this year if no action is taken. Read more at mea.org/ educator-evaluation-billawaits-a-vote/.
ICYMI In recent years Michigan policymakers have developed a bad habit, according to a new study by the Michigan League for Public Policy (MLPP). What was meant to be a one-time-only stop-gap move during the dramatic 2009 economic downturn became an annual event—diverting money from the School Aid Fund meant for K-12 schools and shifting it to universities and community colleges. More than $4.5 billion has been raided from K-12 schools to fund higher education over the past eight years, the study found. However, the beneficiary was not higher ed institutions but businesses: “This cut to K-12 education was not done for the benefit of postsecondary education, but to balance the state budget and compensate for General Fund dollars that are increasingly stretched thin due in large part to tax cuts for businesses,” MLPP concluded.
QUOTABLES
Above and Beyond Ann Arbor educator Chris Erickson has been selected as an NEA Foundation Global Learning Fellow, a one-year learning experience that culminates in a nine-day international field study. A literature and history teacher at Huron High School in Ann Arbor, Erickson said he wanted to explore ways to help students see multiple perspectives and work toward being more empathic and understanding people. In addition, because Huron is an International Baccalaureate World School, “I wanted to expand my understanding of global competencies and my ability to make my classroom one where students think critically about what it means to be a global citizen.” The NEA Foundation’s Global Learning Fellowship offers participants the chance to spend a year in a peer learning network, building the capacity to understand and act on issues of global significance. This year’s 48 Fellows will attend a workshop in Washington, D.C., this fall and travel to South Africa next summer.
“The interest provided on the more than half a billion dollars they withheld from our paychecks was insulting.” MEA President Paula Herbart, speaking about a recent Michigan Court of Claims ruling in favor of MEA on the question of interest payments in the 3 percent case. Now Gov. Rick Snyder is appealing the court’s decision granting school employees additional interest on $550 million the state illegally seized from their paychecks from 2010-12. Read more at mea.org/stateto-appeal-ruling-grantingadditional-interest-from-3-case/. MEA VOICE 5
NEWS & NOTES
UPCOMING EVENTS October 26
Higher Education Bargaining Conference MEA Headquarters, East Lansing The conference features sessions covering trends in online learning, intellectual property, higher education funding, member engagement, and bargaining. Information and strategies provided will help higher education leaders strengthen their local associations.
Change in Membership Revocation Policy Adopted by the MEA Board of Directors on July 26, 2018 Effective September 1, 2018 Members in arrears will have 120 days to return to active membership in good standing or their membership will be revoked. At 30, 60, and 90 days, MEA will communicate through multiple means with members in arrears about their status, how to return to good standing status, and about the consequences of this policy. To rejoin after membership has been revoked, an individual must sign a new membership application, pay the current month’s dues, and enter into an approved payment plan. Failure to adhere to the terms of the payment plan will result in revocation of membership after notice and opportunity to comply with the terms.
November 2-3
The Power of You: Impacting Social Justice MEA Headquarters East Lansing Jointly organized by the Lansing Schools Education Association (LSEA) and MEA, this conference will focus on issues and approaches to forward social justice and create a more equitable community. Learn more and register at TeachingEmpowered.com.
November 6
Election Day Statewide
This year’s General Election ballot features Michigan races for everything from governor to state supreme court, attorney general and secretary of state, state representatives and senators, and school boards. Make a voting plan to get to the polls!
February 7-8
Winter Leadership Conference Cobo Center, Detroit Save the date for MEA’s newly renamed Winter Leadership Conference, our biggest conference of the year, featuring training in bargaining, organizing, member engagement, political advocacy, communications and more.
6 OCTOBER 2018
MEA SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION OPEN NOW The MEA Scholarship Fund received a $15,000 donation from Delta Dental, presented to MEA President Paula Herbart at an MEA Board of Directors meeting by Teri Battaglieri, director of Delta Dental Foundation (pictured, right) and Margaret Trimer, director of Communications & Corporate Citizenship at Delta Dental (left). The MEA Scholarship application is now open at mea.org/ mea-scholarship. The application deadline is Feb. 21, 2019. Questions can be directed to Barb Hitchcock at bhitchcock@mea.org or 517-333-6276. Applicants must be a dependent of an MEA member or MEA-Retired member in good standing. Award criteria include academic achievement, extra-curricular activities, and school and community service. The MEA Scholarship Fund is financed through voluntary contributions of members, staff and friends of the Michigan Education Association.
LOBBYING INSIDER
Help Us Help You During the past several years, we have been asked by members worried about damaging policies under consideration by the Legislature:
Why isn’t MEA stopping this? The fact is we can only work with the lawmakers sent to Lansing by voters, and the current majority in both chambers has pursued many policies destructive to public education in Michigan—joined by Gov. Rick Snyder. Our recent bipartisan efforts to address problems stemming from the 2015 overhaul of the teacher evaluation system have not passed. Several bills introduced by Republican sponsors—including one to keep standardized test scores from rising as a percentage of an educator’s evaluation—had not received a vote as of press time for this magazine. In addition, a provision included in next year’s state budget could significantly harm schools in struggling communities which have entered into Partnership Agreements with the Michigan Department of Education. The provision could result in school closure or elimination of collective bargaining agreements. Those recent moves come on the heels of a string of damaging policies passed since 2010, some with little public hearing or notice:
By Dr. David Michelson and Andy Neumann MEA Lobbyists • The so-called “right to work” law attempted to weaken unions’ bargaining power. • The tax on seniors’ pensions burdened those least able to pay. • Cuts to education spending led to multi-year wage and step freezes in many districts. • The health insurance hard cap drastically increased school employees’ out-of-pocket costs. • Changes to the retirement system weakened financial security for new hires and increased future costs to taxpayers. • Tenure changes pitted teachers against each other by preventing length of service and tenure status as determining factors in school personnel decisions. • Removal of the cap on forprofit corporate charter schools in Michigan allowed a “Wild West” system to thrive with little financial oversight or accountability. • Emergency managers were given the power to change working conditions, reduce salary and benefits, and void contracts in financially struggling districts. We’ve all seen the results of this agenda.
To be clear, we do stop bad things from happening. Part of MEA’s lobbying efforts involves working behind the scenes to prevent poor policy from being enacted, and we prevail in many lesser-known battles that never make it to the floor of the House or Senate. Sometimes we win a public fight or succeed in significantly changing a bill to reduce its negative impact on schools and students—with the help of MEA members who answer our calls to action. Your phone calls, emails, letters, and face-to-face contact with legislators are critical. Frontline educators who participated in MEA focus groups around the state also have been helping us form recommendations for much-needed fixes to the new Third Grade reading law. We work hard to stop or change policies that hurt educators, students, and communities, but we could do even more positive and proactive work with more supportive legislators in Lansing. So study up. Choose candidates who listen to the needs of public school employees and students. Volunteer your time to help elect leaders who will build up our great system of public education. And vote in November. Then let’s get to work. MEA VOICE 7
MEMBER VOICES
If You Share My Concerns, Take Action
By Julie Brill MEA Board member MEA & NEA PAC Fundraising Captain Kentwood Education Association secretary
I am a second grade teacher in Kentwood Public Schools, but I think of myself as a frog kisser. For some reason I tend to connect with the “quirky” kids and bring them out of their shell. I value getting to know all of the unique boys and girls in my class and figuring out how to light pathways to success they couldn’t see before. I love my job. I’ve been an elementary teacher for 29 years, so I’m pretty good at it by now, but I have some serious concerns that you might share. If so, there are some things all of us can do to improve our profession and the lives of our students. I worry about developmentally inappropriate curriculum we’re teaching our youngest students at the expense of socialization and play. I worry about teacher evaluations that are more punitive than helpful in guiding instructional practices. I worry about the time and high stakes attached to standardized testing, which is so frequent and stressful our students are ending up in tears. 8 OCTOBER 2018
We have been pressured into believing the most important outcome of our work is not to develop successful people who know the joy of being lifelong learners. It’s about getting kids to score well on a bubble test. We should be able to celebrate when a child who is struggling with reading works hard and goes up three levels. But I have to look at those results and think to myself, “Three levels is not a year’s growth and that is going to hurt my evaluation.” Politicians are the ones who decided that standardization is the number-one goal of education. They fail to understand that “standard” children do not arrive at our classroom doors. I know educators just want to teach. You don’t want to spend limited time and energy on political action. But here is the unavoidable truth: Every single aspect of your classroom and work day is influenced by politics. The number of kids in your room. The curriculum you teach. How your job performance is evaluated. The kind of copy paper you use. How current the textbooks are. The hours
and days you work. How many pencils you get. Get involved. The election in November offers an opportunity to bring officials to Lansing who are willing to listen to tens of thousands of school employees giving their all to care for and educate Michigan’s youth, every day. Take the time to review MEA’s recommended candidates in local and statewide races. Volunteer to phone bank or canvass for a candidate who offers a new way forward. Give to MEA-PAC (online at meavotes.org) to provide resources for candidates to communicate their messages and get out the vote. My school district is one of the most diverse in the state, where kids speak many different languages and come from numerous cultural backgrounds, and I am blessed to witness the incredible acceptance and tolerance of our children on a daily basis. My students bring me hope—and they give me resolve to stand up and do whatever I can to fight for the future of public education.
COVER STORY
Dayna Polehanki is running for Senate District 7 and Matt Koleszar is running for House District 20, among a nationwide surge of educators running for office. MEA VOICE  9
COVER STORY
Nate Shannon House District 25
Last spring’s surge of educator walkouts from West Virginia to Oklahoma, North Carolina, Kentucky, Colorado, and Arizona revealed the force behind a different political wave crashing on shores across the country this fall: educators running for elected office. In April and May thousands of teachers and school employees descended on state capitols en masse to demand adequate state funding for public education, demonstrating soaring frustration following years of neglect and disrespect. Now in many places that energy is flowing to the more diffuse but no less urgent work of winning seats of power. In Michigan, at least 10 MEA members will compete in November’s general election for positions in the state Legislature. That’s not including educators seeking spots at the local and regional level on everything from school boards to city councils and county commissions. Spurred by damaging policies that have created a teacher shortage, these candidates hope to use lead-
10 OCTOBER 2018
ership skills they have developed to lift voices too long ignored in the legislative arena. “If elected, I will be not just the voice but the roar for teachers and students in Michigan,” New Haven teacher Dayna Polehanki said of her bid for the 7th District state Senate seat being vacated by term-limited Patrick Colbeck (R-Canton). Polehanki is one of two MEA members running for office in northwestern Wayne County. While she is running for an open seat in the state Senate, Plymouth resident Matt Koleszar—a teacher in neighboring Monroe County—is trying to unseat an incumbent House Republican. “The repeated attacks on education over the last eight years have brought me to this point,” Koleszar said. “Our current representative doesn’t just fa-
vor putting guns in schools; he wants to champion the bill. School boards don’t want it, teachers don’t want it, administrators don’t want it, but most importantly—kids and parents don’t want it. “At some point I realized, enough is enough.” Since tossing their hats in the ring, all of the MEA member candidates have for months engaged in the grinding work of campaigning: fundraising, building a web presence, promoting platforms on social media, recruiting volunteers, knocking on thousands of doors, and pressing the flesh at parades, county fairs, and other community events. Education is at the top of voter issues they hear about on front porches, Polehanki and Koleszar say. “Betsy DeVos is a huge issue for people,” said Polehanki, a Livonia resident who would represent that city, plus Plymouth, Northville, Canton and Wayne if elected to the Senate. “They’re very concerned
Kathy Wiejaczka House District 101
about diverting taxpayer money to for-profit charters.” Koleszar agreed the DeVos agenda is not popular with local voters. “Only by adequately funding public schools, creating a safe, gun-free zone, and eliminating the for-profit motive will the level of education in Michigan rise and allow us to take back the title of a top-10 education state.” Koleszar ran unopposed in the August Democratic primary for the 20th District House seat occupied by Rep. Jeff Noble (R-Plymouth), a first-term politician who sponsored controversial legislation that passed last spring to give money from voter-approved regional millages to charters and virtual schools. “The current representative is all for supposed school choice, but there’s a lot of pride in our public schools,” Koleszar said. “People get very concerned when you’re talking about taking public money out of your community and redirecting it toward companies that are nowhere around here.”
Both Koleszar, an AP government teacher in Airport Community Schools, and Polehanki, a high school English teacher named her district’s 2018 Teacher of the Year, are in highly competitive races that political analysts rate as likely to flip seats from Republican to Democratic control. The two educators have sacrificed personally to make time for the demanding work of challenging better-funded opponents in traditionally Republican-leaning Senate and House districts. Polehanki switched to a part-time teaching schedule, and Koleszar will take a personal leave in the two weeks before the election. Having a strong grassroots ground game—recruiting a network of volunteers to knock on doors and make voter phone calls—is key, they say. “My 73-year-old dad drives up here over an hour twice a week to do sixhour door-knocking shifts,” Polehanki said. “He’s a retired government teacher, MEA member, and he
always gets a great response at the door. He leaves the part about ‘I’m Dayna’s dad’ for the grand finale.” “It’s all about getting out the vote,” Koleszar said. That goes double for MEA-Retired member Kathy Wiejaczka, a retired special education nurse from the Traverse Bay Intermediate School District running for the 101st House district. The part-time Ferris State University instructor and co-owner of a family-run construction business is locked in a tight race with a longtime radio host in the nearly 50-50 swing district. “The message I have for demoralized teachers and faculty in Michigan is that many of us are trying to change the level of disrespect and union busting currently occurring in the teaching profession,” she said. “I will fight for this change if I am elected.” Her campaign motto, “People first for the 101st,” explains her reason for running: “I felt the votes from my legislator did not reflect the needs
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor MEA VOICE 11
COVER STORY
of the community but that he was in the pockets of the big corporations and top 1 percent wealthy donors,” she said.
NEA Training Builds Candidates Running for public office can be a daunting prospect, but NEA is demystifying the process with a free non-partisan training program for members to learn what it takes to win election to the school board on up to the state legislature. The See Educators Run program launched last year aims to give educators— regardless of political party—the tools to raise money, communicate effectively, recruit volunteers, and run a campaign. “We have seen a noticeable spike in the number of educators running for office because of the Red for Ed movement that swept the nation this spring,” said Carrie Pugh, NEA National Political director. “Educators now are demanding the public schools students deserve.” Educators are natural leaders and often the first to respond to challenges and opportunities in their communities, Pugh said. “They have authentic stories to tell and real connections to the communities they live in and serve.” MEA member Andrea Catalina attended a training session in Chicago at the end of August. The Walled Lake special education teacher already serves on the school board in Clarkston, where she lives, but she wanted to learn more about campaigning amid her re-election bid. Catalina believes every MEA member should consider a run for school board to have a voice in local decisionmaking and push back against damaging policies.
The See Educators Run program is open to NEA members and their immediate families. The trainings are free and include travel, hotel and meals. They run from Friday evening through Sunday afternoon.
12 OCTOBER 2018
“The level of excitement and positivity is strong and vibrant for this campaign, because our message is one of love, hope, and service,” she said. “Voters connect and trust me since I am a nurse. They know I will not let them down.” Another MEA member competing in a swing district is L’Anse Creuse Public Schools economics and history teacher Nate Shannon. The Sterling Heights city councilman is seeking the 25th District House seat being vacated by a term-limited Democrat in a 50-50 district. The son of teachers, Shannon said he has been disappointed as both an educator and a parent in the Legislature’s “dismantling of our once proud education system in Michigan.” “The recent study by the School Finance Research Collaborative found that the state of Michigan is under-funding school districts by thousands of dollars per pupil,” Shannon said. “We need to restructure parts of our tax system to provide the funds and resources necessary to help our students succeed in the 21st Century economy.”
“I like that I have classroom experience and experience working with kids and parents and staff, so I can fight for those rights,” she said.
For more information, visit SeeEducatorsRun.org or contact MEA Public Affairs at 517-337-5508.
The open seat representing a four-county region in the northwest part of the state was vacated by a Republican, but election watchers give Democrat Wiejaczka a good chance to claim it. Like other MEA member candidates, she’s talking about a number of issues that resonate in addition to education: affordable health care, labor rights, livable wages, environmental protection.
Andrea Catalina
Shannon ran unopposed in the Democratic primary to face an inexperienced and ultra-conservative Republican candidate in November’s general election. Shannon said he
Sheryl Kennedy House District 48 is committed to “common-sense” policy reforms. “I could no longer sit back and watch the Legislature decimate our education system, ignore hazardous infrastructure problems, strip away local control, and allow corporations to disregard our environment,” he said. “I want to contribute to the issues that would have a positive impact on our state.” Meanwhile, in the blue-leaning 48th House District, MEA-Retired member Sheryl Kennedy took a big step toward winning office by dominating her August Democratic primary, winning 73 percent of the vote against two opponents. She faces a Republican challenger previously defeated in a run for Congress by Democratic U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee. A Walled Lake principal who taught for 22 years, Kennedy says her run for state representative in Davison near Flint has connected her with women across Michigan who are running for office amid successful careers in law, social work, education, and nursing. “I’m part of this wonderful cohort of women who together believe that, if we are elected in November, we are going to hit that Michigan House running and we’re going to get stuff done,” Kennedy said. She wants to see resources redirected away from charter schools and high-stakes standardized testing and back to the classroom, among other priorities. “People feel invested in
Lori Stone House District 28
Dawn Levey House District 93
their public schools, and they recognize the changes that have occurred.
come the first black woman to win a congressional seat in that state.
“They don’t like larger class sizes, they don’t like standardized testing, they don’t like that skilled trades have left public education. They support pre-K as part of public education. We’re in a place now that people are saying, ‘Let’s get our schools where we want them to be.’”
A similar scenario played out on a smaller scale in Michigan. Lori Stone, a fourth-grade teacher from Fitzgerald Public Schools in Warren, upset incumbent Rep. Patrick Green in the August Democratic primary for the blue-leaning 28th House District—despite being outspent 12-1.
The trends in Michigan mirror what’s happening nationally. Record numbers of women are running up and down the ballot in states across the U.S., and an unprecedented number of educators are seeking elected offices at the state and federal level.
It was her second bid for the same seat. She lost to Green in the primary in 2016.
In one high-profile case during the primary season, former National Teacher of the Year Jahana Hayes upset the Democratic frontrunner in blue-state Connecticut to likely be-
Stone said she learned a lot about organizing in her previous run and was better prepared to build a grassroots campaign this time. In addition, being an educator involved in the union for 14 years helped her develop talents in “organization, management, resourcefulness and leadership.”
Help Pro-Public Ed Candidates Win You can help elect candidates who support public education. It’s easy and effective: View MEA recommendations. Go to MEA.YourVoter.Guide and spread the word. Donate to a campaign. Candidates need resources to get their messages out. Give to MEA-PAC. Voluntary donations—not dues dollars— are contributed to candidates. Give now at MEAVotes.org. Volunteer to knock doors. Take a friend. With a few minutes of training, it’s easy, it’s fun, and it works.
MEA VOICE 13
COVER STORY
Jennifer Aniano House District 63
Amber Pedersen House District 57
Craig Beach Senate District 28
She’s seeking office to bring an educator’s voice to Lansing, she said. “The budget, curriculum, evaluations, and unions are all policy areas essential to the success of Michigan’s public schools, but education policy is being passed by our state Legislature with little consideration for education professionals, best practices, or funding necessary to implement.”
gency Medical Technician, and twoterm Michigan United Conservation Clubs president. She is a member or leader in numerous outdoor and conservation organizations, including Michigan Bow Hunters.
57th District House seat, because otherwise no one who valued education would appear on the ballot, she said. Both she and incumbent Bronna Kahle (R-Adrian) ran unopposed in the primary.
“It is time for a change. A person I respect recently stated, ‘You do not win by destroying what you hate. You win by fighting for what you love.’”
“Like many of my coworkers, when I started teaching Michigan schools were some of the best in the country, and I have experienced the direct relationship between Lansing’s poor education policies and our schools’ decline,” Pedersen said.
In Clinton County, Dawn Levey is hoping to pull off an upset in November’s general election. The Ovid-Elsie Alternative High School teacher and director faces a well-funded opponent from the state’s attorney general’s office in a race for the 93rd District House seat being vacated by the term-limited current Speaker of the House, Tom Leonard (R-DeWitt). The rural region north of Lansing is traditionally conservative, but growing suburban areas in DeWitt and Bath may create a more competitive environment, according to the Capitol news service, MIRS. As such, MIRS political analysts concluded, “The 93rd shouldn’t be written off.” Levey wants to give voice to a wider constituency, she says. “As a teacher I am on the front line to see the unintended consequences of the current legislators’ actions, those individuals who have not been in a classroom for years developing policy that lacks educator input and sound research-based outcomes.” She is a triple threat: educator and MEA board member, 30-year Emer14 OCTOBER 2018
Kalamazoo teacher Jennifer Aniano is in a similar position, trying to flip a Republican seat in a red district. Her opponent is a hardline conservative and Donald J. Trump for President congressional district chairman who upset incumbent Rep. David Maturen, (R-Vicksburg) in the Republican primary. Aniano said she stepped up to run because she believes sweeping change is coming and educators need to have a voice in hopeful new policy directions. “We cannot complain if we are not willing to take up the charge,” she said. “I am willing.”
In Rockford, recently retired Rockford High School social studies teacher Craig Beach is challenging incumbent Peter MacGregor (R-Rockford) for the 28th District Senate seat representing northern Kent County and the cities of Wyoming, Walker, and Grandville. Beach said his wife, parents, and sister either are or were educators, but he has discouraged his own children from pursuing the profession, because “years of Republican policies have tarnished education as a career.”
After eight years of teaching in Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo, Aniano said her priorities include overturning the so-called Right to Work law and focusing on equity: “Our schools must be better funded. Our most vulnerable students deserve the same education as our wealthiest, and the children of Flint deserve vindication.”
“It is only through the active participation of citizens that government is by the people and for the people,” he said.
Two other MEA members will face Republican incumbents in heavily conservative districts.
All of the candidates will be making a final push in the last weeks leading up to the Nov. 6 General Election.
Adrian teacher Amber Pedersen chose to seek Lenawee County’s
The former Otisco Township trustee boasts a campaign platform on the economy, education, and environment that prioritizes “people over profits.”
ISSUES & ADVOCACY
Welcome to the first installment in an occasional series on educator leadership, highlighting MEA members of every stripe who are stepping up and showing the way. Whether it’s advocating in the public arena, leading school improvement, or figuring out a new way to tackle a nagging problem, educators are innovators— and we all win when they lead the change.
Why and How I Use My Voice
Teacher voice. We raise our voices for all kinds of reasons every day. Perhaps no one understands the power of voice to influence behavior and effect change better than classroom teachers.
I have reluctantly overcome familiar fears to raise my voice beyond the classroom. I address issues of education policy that affect educators every day. In a system where legislators often make decisions shaped by political, monied interests, teacher voices are critical to the conversation. Educators have an authenticity that can only be acquired through daily work in schools. Who better to speak truth to power—especially regarding education—than teachers? The stakes are high. The education of our children in public schools is core to our democracy. Equitable opportunities for all is an ideal that we educators uphold and defend on a daily basis. Still, the doubts creep in. They are familiar to all of us: No one cares what you think. Who would listen to a teacher? Whatever you say won’t matter. Just shut up and do your job. When these thoughts resurface, I acknowledge and dismiss them. I tell myself that I owe it to my students and families to share my professional realities and raise my voice. As busy as teachers are, how can we find time to speak up? The first thing we all can do is get to know our local legislators. When we meet
By Rick Joseph 2015-16 Michigan Teacher of the Year
or at least call our state senators and representatives, we establish a relationship with them. I learned that Jim Ellison and Marty Knollenberg—my state representative and senator—are real people. They have families and shared interests like me. They truly want to improve the quality of education in Michigan.
The hardest part of maintaining relationships with legislators is finding time to call, meet with, and invite them to visit my classroom. I put a reminder in my phone to connect every couple of months. Relationships require time. I schedule it and do my best to act on my intentions. It’s challenging.
What they lack and admit that they need is the perspective of educators. They need a laser-focused teachers-eye view. This perspective is often valued more than the official position of the MEA, AFT, Michigan Department of Education and other education organizations. When Jim and Marty vote on education bills, I want the stories of my students running through their mind.
Nevertheless, contacting those who make decisions about public education is important and it matters. Jim and Marty appreciate my calls and the time I spend at their constituent coffee hours. They truly do. They’ve told me this in genuine and meaningful ways. This appreciation does not mean they always vote the way I want them to or that they deliver on vague promises. The legislative process is more complicated than that.
The Michigan State Teachers of the Year and Finalists have created the MI-STOY Network to leverage the influence of classroom teachers in more concentrated and directed ways. Our aim is to more consistently support educators to share their stories and develop relationships with legislators. We hope to maintain a more constant presence in the minds of decision-makers in Lansing on behalf of teachers, students, and families.
What matters is that they know me and I know them. Despite the power of the DeVos juggernaut, there are many people in Michigan politics who are resisting this agenda on behalf of strong, local public schools. We must always hope for better policy and more equitable governance. In this election year, today and every day we must raise our voice. MEA VOICE 15
ISSUES & ADVOCACY
A few years ago, Jarod McGuffey sat in the staff lounge at his school in Fraser discussing Michigan’s broken school funding system, over-testing, declining enrollment at teacher prep programs in state universities, and other growing concerns. Then he took it to the next step. The 21st-Century literacy teacher at Disney Elementary School decided to get involved in finding solutions by becoming a fellow in a teacher leadership program— Oakland University’s Galileo Teacher Leadership Consortium. Now he’s clearing a path for other educators to follow. McGuffey co-founded a grassroots effort that aims to connect teacher advocates with legislators and other policymakers in dialogue and partnerships. He’s hoping to recruit two teachers from every school in Michigan to join Galileo’s “Trusted Voices” campaign. “One thing we know is these problems won’t fix themselves,” McGuffey said. “It takes extraordinary individuals who are highly skilled, passionate about their profession, and willing to be the change agents our students need. In other words, it takes teachers!” Many school employees feel helpless and voiceless against a tide of bad public policy, so this initiative is about empowering educators to claim a seat at the table, he said. Training and resources are provided.
Help to Become a ‘TrustEd Voice’ 16 OCTOBER 2018
Educators who join the effort are connected to their local elected representatives and senators as expert voices on education policy matters. Lawmakers are encouraged to consult with Trusted Voices leaders on education bills under consideration. In his advocacy work through the campaign, McGuffey is focusing on garnering attention and action on a recent study by a coalition of state business and education leaders that showed Michigan is underfunding public education by nearly $2,000 per student. “This is the perfect time to get out there and make some changes,” he said. Visit TrustedVoicesED.com to learn more and sign up.
ELECTION 2018
Whitmer: An Advocate for Public Education By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor
High school educator Jill Laurin-Maxwell had a special guest tagging along when she went shopping for school supplies this year. The sign language teacher took gubernatorial candidate Gretchen Whitmer with her to buy tissues, paper, pencils, Sharpies, paper clips, binders and lotion—an $84 excursion that Laurin-Maxwell said was the start of classroom spending likely to top out at $400 for the year. “She wanted to know what I was going through,” said Laurin-Maxwell, president of the Northwest Education Association in Jackson County. “I was happy for public education— happy for my colleagues—that a candidate cared enough to listen. It was very touching and uplifting.” At the outset of a video of the shopping trip, Laurin-Maxwell tells Whitmer: “If my students throw out their binders at the end of the year, I pull them out of the trash if they’re not bad.” Whitmer noted that Laurin-Maxwell’s experience is not unique: “It shouldn’t be on teachers to get the supplies that students need to be successful. But here we are, because we don’t have leaders who are supporting the work that is so important that is happening every day in our schools.” Last year, Laurin-Maxwell spent $85 buying lunch for all of her students so they could go on a field trip related to a unit on courts. She shelled out nearly $200 for a fresco art project related to class learning on hear-
Gretchen Whitmer visited with members at the MEA Leadership Conference in August. (L-R) Amy Urbanowski-Nowak of Birch Run, Whitmer, Jill Laurin-Maxwell of Jackson Northwest, and Charles Miller of Fenton. ing-impaired artists, which students look forward to doing, she said. “Our legislators expanded the evaluation system, but they don’t want to pay for teachers to make their classrooms more innovative,” Laurin-Maxwell said. The shopping trip was not the first time Laurin-Maxwell felt heard by Whitmer. She was at the state Capitol in 2012 when Republican leaders rushed passage of so-called “right to work” legislation without hearings— locking the building at one point with 12,000 protesting outside. Laurin-Maxwell recalls Whitmer— then Senate Democratic leader— coming outside with other legislators to talk with the protesters. “She listened to us back then, educators, auto workers, SEIU members. I knew it was real then.” Whitmer proudly notes a lifelong history with public education. She is the daughter and granddaughter of educators, the product of public schools in Michigan, and the mother of two teenage daughters attending East Lansing Public Schools.
“A generation ago, Michigan led the world in public education,” Whitmer notes in her education plan. “This was the state families packed up and moved to because parents knew their children could get a quality education and the skills they needed to get a good-paying job.” Her education plan, Get it Done: Better Schools Now for Michigan Students, focuses on stabilizing school funding, improving compensation and working conditions for school employees, phasing in universal preschool, and investing in wraparound services through partnerships and increased counselors, social workers, and psychologists. “Education shouldn’t be a partisan issue, but Republicans in Lansing have consistently sided with Betsy DeVos to push an education agenda that includes slashing school funding, expanding unaccountable for-profit charter schools, over-emphasizing standardized tests, attacking hard-working educators and adopting a one-size-fits-all approach to education,” she wrote in her plan. MEA VOICE 17
READ / Gretchen Whitmer’s education plan centers around four themes: Quality education from cradle to career; paths to prosperity with a highly educated workforce; respect for educators; and stabilizing school funding and improving accountability. Read the full plan at GretchenWhitmer.com/education.
WATCH / Educator Jill Laurin-Maxwell says of the of the school shopping video she appeared in
with Whitmer: “We were so in-depth in the conversation, it felt like two friends talking and shopping, one who happened to be a politician and one who happened to be a public school teacher.”
Watch the video at tinyurl.com/EduSpend.
REMEMBER / Whitmer’s General Election opponent, Bill Schuette, chose former state Rep. Lisa Posthumus Lyons as his running mate. Recall when Lyons referred to public school employees as pigs and hogs during debate on the House floor. Visit the MEA EdWatch blog at MEA.org/The-Cheap-Shot-I-Never-Forgot.
Her Republican opponent in the Nov. 6 General Election, term-limited Attorney General Bill Schuette, has taken at least $176,000 in political contributions from DeVos since 2010. Like the Education Secretary, Schuette is a proponent of private school vouchers and charter schools and has referred to DeVos as a “smart and gifted leader in education.” He recently appealed a judge’s decision blocking $5 million in state funding from going to private schools. A Court of Claims judge last spring said the $5 million allocation for the cost of state safety and health requirements violates the state constitution’s ban on aid to non-public schools. Schuette also spent six years fighting the return of $550 million in wages illegally seized from school employees’ paychecks from 2010-12. A unanimous Michigan Supreme Court last December found the seizure of 3 percent of school employees’ wages unconstitutional—following an eight-year battle by MEA, AFT Michigan and AFSCME. In contrast, Whitmer voted against the 2010 law that took from current school employees’ paychecks to fund retirees’ health care. She says the multiple legal appeals of the 3 percent case, orchestrated by Schuette through 2016, are part of his political philosophy: “Wear the
18 OCTOBER 2018
little guy down, and then you can do anything you want.” School employees have been disrespected for too long, Whitmer says. “We need to stop attacking educators’ pay, and their benefits, and their ability to determine what’s happening in the classroom. “This Legislature continues to put forth new law after new law impacting the work schools are doing every single day, and they never even talk to a teacher, a parapro, a cafeteria worker, or any of the people who make up our schools.” Whitmer supports closing poor-performing charter schools, using the state budget as a pressure point with university authorizers of the charter companies if necessary. Her plan to beef up wraparound services and support in high-need schools would go a long way to ending the proliferation of charters in impoverished urban areas, she says. “Successful states don’t abandon schools like Governor Snyder proposed doing,” she said. “They wrap great support around traditional public schools.” Her education plan calls for a weighted school funding formula and for lawmakers to stop taking hundreds of millions of dollars from the School Aid Fund to balance the budget. “We are underfunding the education of all of our children right now be-
cause of the continuous raids on the School Aid Fund,” she said. “If we are going to get our house in order here in Michigan and make this the place our kids stay and others come to for opportunity, we’ve got to fix the continuous assault on education funding in our state.” A former interim prosecutor in Ingham County, Whitmer served five years in the state House and nine years in the Senate. She was the unanimous pick of MEA’s Statewide Screening & Recommendation Committee, made up of MEA members across the state from diverse backgrounds and roles within the public education community. Whitmer chose Detroiter Garlin Gilchrist II as her running mate. A former national political organizer, Gilchrist serves as director of University of Michigan’s Center for Social Media Responsibility. He previously worked as director of innovation and emerging technology for the city of Detroit. “I’m a public school product, my wife is public school product, Gretchen is a public school product, my wife works for DPS, and we’re excited to make sure every child in Michigan has access to a high-quality public school that’s convenient for them,” Gilchrist said at a press conference announcing his selection.
n o i t c e l E 8 1 0 2 e c i o V MEA e d i u G t u Pull-O t s i l k c e h C n o i t c e l E r u o Y
e t o V o T n e h W & e r Know Whe
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Get Involved
ters about pport talking to vo su ur yo ed ne n io ees, at ds of public educ . As school employ en es fri iti r, un be m m em co ov r N ou d and To win in for our students an r with a campaign ce ee oi nt ch lu ht vo rig to e er th w why they’re —use that po ea.org or senger with voters ling us at pac@m ai es m em d te by us lp tr he a n re ca you’ w you e Vote! Find out ho help to Get Out th e. cal UniServ of fic contacting your lo
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ren & EA Fund for Child N e th d an AC -P es who MEA utions to candidat rib u can contribute to nt yo co g, e or ak s. m te s Vo ee ven mitt At MEA oney cannot be gi litical action com m s po e ue es D Th ls. n. ve le io l at Public Educ friends of l, state and loca ns can help these ation at the federa io uc ut ed rib ic nt bl co pu C oPA pr are luntar y ates—only your vo to political candid ll! fa be successful this public education
n o i t a c u d E c i l b u P f o s d n e i r F r o f e t Vo
mended reened and recom sc ve ha u yo e lik school rs ent, MEA membe sues—have earned m is r rn ve bo la go d of an l n ve io le At ever y ces on educat ates for federal based on their stan mmended candid co re e os th of y candidates who— es man This guide includ employees’ votes. ces. ndidates for your and state-level ra recommended ca e th l al d fin to e elections. .YourVoter.Guide s and local millag ce Go online to MEA ra d ar bo ol ho option, portant sc party voting as an ht ig ra area, including im st t ou ith W ion full ballot this fall. t statewide educat ur an yo rt t po ou l im fil e th to g et in Don’t forg e ballot, includ ol boards and l the way down th dicial races, scho ju d fin ll u’ yo re be sure to vote al whe n-partisan section boards and the no ballot measures. MEA VOICE 19
With the court decision removing straight party voting as an option on this November’s ballot, it’s important to remember to individually vote for all MEA’s recommended candidates on the ballot, including flipping the ballot over for the important non-partisan section where judicial races, school boards and ballot measures appear. MEA’s Screening & Recommendation (S&R) process places control of MEA political recommendations in the hands of MEA members from across the state from diverse backgrounds and roles within the public education community. The process is governed by the MEA Political Action Committee (MEA-PAC) Council, made up of local delegates from MEA’s 62 coordinating councils. Recommendation decisions are based on candidate responses to questionnaires and interviews regarding education and labor issues only. Recommendations at the state level are made by the Statewide S&R Committee, which is composed of elected members from various parts of the state and job classifications. The S&R process for legislative districts is controlled at the local level, where interviews and recommendation votes are taken by MEA members from those jurisdictions serving on local S&R Committees. Recommendations for federal offices must also be confirmed by the board of the NEA Fund for Children and Public Education.
GOVERNOR & LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR Gretchen Whitmer & Garlin Gilchrist gretchenwhitmer.com
SECRETARY OF STATE J ocelyn Benson votebenson.com
ATTORNEY GENERAL Dana Nessel dana2018.com
U.S. SENATE D ebbie Stabenow debbiestabenow.com
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION J udith Pritchett votejudypritchett.com
T iffany Tilley votetiffanytilley.com
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN BOARD OF REGENTS J ordan Acker goacker.com
P aul Brown gobluevotebrown.com
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES B rianna Scott brianna4msu.com
FILL IN FOR YOUR DISTRICT Your local recommended
K elly Tebay kellytebayformsu.com
candidates
Check out the list on the next page or visit MEA.YourVoter.Guide to find MEA recommendations for your area, including important local races like school boards and school millages or bonds.
U.S. CONGRESS ___
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STATE SENATE ___
_______________________
STATE HOUSE ___
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WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY BOARD OF GOVERNORS B ryan Barnhill barnhill4wsu.com
A nil Kumar kumarforwaynestate.com
SUPREME COURT—PICK TWO S amuel Bagenstos bagenstosforjustice.com
Megan Kathleen Cavanagh cavanaghforsupremecourt.com
E lizabeth Clement clementforjustice.com (do not vote for more than two in this section)
20 OCTOBER 2018
U.S. CONGRESS
STATE HOUSE
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Matt Morgan Rob Davidson No recommendation Jerry Hilliard Dan Kildee No recommendation Gretchen Driskell Elissa Slotkin Andy Levin No recommendation Haley Stevens Debbie Dingell Rashida Tlaib Brenda Lawrence
STATE SENATE
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38
Stephanie Chang Adam Hollier Sylvia Santana Marshall Bullock Betty Jean Alexander Erika Geiss Dayna Polehanki Paul Francis Paul Wojno Henry Yanez Jeremy Moss Rosemary Bayer No recommendation Renee Watson Julia Pulver No recommendation Bill LaVoy Jeff Irwin No recommendation No recommendation Ian Haight Adam Dreher Curtis Hertel, Jr. Kelly Rossman-McKinney No recommendation Garnet Lewis Jim Ananich Craig Beach Winnie Brinks Jeanette Schipper Cindy Luzcak No recommendation No recommendation Poppy Sias-Hernandez No recommendation Joe Weir Jim Page Scott Diarda
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54
Tenisha Yancey Joe Tate Wendell Byrd Isaac Robinson Cynthia A. Johnson Tyrone Carter No recommendation Sherry Gay-Dagnogo Karen Whitsett Leslie Love Jewell Jones Alex Garza Frank Liberati Cara Clemente Abdullah Hammoud Kevin Coleman Michelle LaVoy Kevin Hertel Laurie Pohutsky Matt Koleszar Kristy Pagan John Chirkun Darrin Camilleri No recommendation Nate Shannon Jim Ellison Robert Wittenberg Lori Stone Brenda Carter John Spica Bill Sowerby Paul Manley Jeff Yaroch Sheldon Neeley Kyra Harris Bolden No recommendation Christine Greig Kelly Breen No recommendation Mari Manoogian Padma Kuppa Mona Shand Nicole Breadon Laura Dodd No recommendation Mindy Denninger No recommendation Sheryl Kennedy John Cherry Tim Sneller David Lossing Donna Lasinski Yousef Rabhi Ronnie Peterson
55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110
Rebekah Warren No recommendation Amber Pedersen No recommendation No recommendation Jon Hoadley Alberta Griffin Jim Haadsma Jennifer Aniano No recommendation No recommendation Dan Siebert Kara Hope Sarah Anthony Julie Brixie S&R scheduled for October Angela Witwer No recommendation No recommendation No recommendation David LaGrand Rachel Hood No recommendation Dean Hill Joey Andrews No recommendation Joshua Rivard No recommendation No recommendation William Shoop S&R scheduled for October S&R scheduled for October No recommendation No recommendation No recommendation Bradley Slagh Tanya Cabala Terry Sabo Dawn Levey Dave Adams Vanessa Guerra Brian Elder No recommendation Sarah Schulz Kristen Brown No recommendation Kathy Wiejaczka No recommendation Tim Schaiberger Dan O’Neil Melissa Fruge Lora Greene No recommendation S&R scheduled for October Sarah Cambensy Ken Summers MEA VOICE  21
d n a s e r u s a e Ballot M g n i t o V e e t n e Abs MEA has taken a position on two of the statewide ballot measures this fall and MEA locals are supporting many other local measures impacting our schools—visit MEA.YourVoter.Guide to check about measures in your area.
Regarding minimum wage and earned paid sick time MEA also took positions in support of the minimum wage and earned paid sick time initiatives that were passed into law by the Legislature in September. MEA remains committed to these new laws and will oppose efforts to gut them during the upcoming Lame Duck legislative session.
YES ON PROPOSAL 2
YES ON PROPOSAL 3
Voters Not Politicians Redistricting
Promote the Vote Voting Rights
The proposal would amend the State Constitution to create an Independent Redistricting commission comprised of 4 Democrats, 4 Republicans, and 5 Independents to draw congressional and legislative district lines. Currently the state legislature draws district lines and the governor has the authority to veto proposed maps. The commission would be subject to the Freedom of Information Act and required to hold public hearings prior to adopting proposed maps. votersnotpoliticians.com
The proposal would amend the Michigan Constitution to secure the rights of all eligible voters. The proposal would require that eligible citizens: be automatically registered to vote when conducting business at the Secretary of State’s office; can cast an absentee ballot without giving a reason; and can register to vote anytime. The proposal also requires an audit of elections and would allow for straight party voting. promotethevotemi.com
NEED AN ABSENTEE BALLOT? Going to be out of town for the General Election on Nov. 6? Apply now for an absentee ballot to make sure your vote counts for Gretchen Whitmer and other friends of public education.
INSTRUCTIONS Step 1. After completely filling out the application, sign and date the application in the place designated. Your signature must appear on the application or you will not receive an absent voter ballot. Step 2. Deliver the application by one of the following methods to your local clerk’s office (which you can find at mi.gov/vote):
22 OCTOBER 2018
(a) Place the application in an envelope addressed to the appropriate clerk and place the necessary postage upon the return envelope and deposit it in the United States mail or with another public postal service, express mail service, parcel post service, or common carrier. (b) D eliver the application personally to the office of the clerk, to the clerk, or to an authorized assistant of the clerk. (c) I n either (a) or (b), a member of the immediate family of the voter including a father-in-law, mother-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law,
son-in-law, daughter-in-law, grandparent, or grandchild or a person residing in the voter’s household may mail or deliver the application to the clerk for the applicant. (d) I n the event an applicant cannot return the application in any of the above methods, the applicant may select any registered elector to return the application. The person returning the application must sign and return the certificate at the bottom of the application.
ABSENTEE BALLOT APPLICATION
MI Absent Voter Ballot Application – November 6, 2018 Election
I am a United States citizen and a qualified and registered elector of the County and jurisdiction in the State of Michigan listed below, and I apply for an official ballot, to be voted by me at the above indicated election.
Applicant Registration Information:
1
Complete
First Name
M.I.
Street Address
Last Name
MI
City
County City Township Jurisdiction
Zip
Precinct #
Year of Birth (Optional)
The reason for my request is (required):
2
Check
I am 60 years of age or older. I expect to be absent from the community in which I am registered for the entire time the polls are open on election day. I am physically unable to attend the polls without the assistance of another. I cannot attend the polls because of the tenets of my religion. I have been appointed an election precinct inspector in a precinct other than the precinct where I reside. I cannot attend the polls because I am confined to jail awaiting arraignment or trial. I certify that I am a United States citizen and that the statements in this absent voter ballot application are true.
3
Sign
X
/ /
Signature Date WARNING: You must be a United States citizen to vote. If you are not a United States citizen, you will not be issued an absent voter ballot. A person making a false statement in this absent voter ballot application is guilty of a misdemeanor. It is a violation of Michigan election law for a person other than those listed in the instructions to return, offer to return, agree to return, or solicit to return your absent voter ballot application to the clerk. An assistant authorized by the clerk who receives absent voter ballot applications at a location other than the clerk’s office must have credentials signed by the clerk. Ask to see his or her credentials before entrusting your application with a person claiming to have the clerk’s authorization to return your application.
Return this application to your local clerk. Find your clerk at mi.gov/vote. Additional Information:
Complete only if you want your ballot sent to a temporary address: Date leaving for temporary address:
4
Additional Other
/
/
Temporary Street Address
/
/
City
Contact Info for Questions Email Address
Date of return:
NOTE: Absentee ballots will not be forwarded by USPS.
Complete only if assisting a voter with return of the application
Wd/Pct Filed
State
Zip
Certificate of Authorized Registered Elector Returning Absent Voter Ballot Application: I certify that my name is ____________________________________________, date of birth is ____/____/____ and my address is _________________________________________________________; that I am delivering the absent voter ballot application of _________________________________________ at his or her request; that I did not solicit or request to return the application; that I have not made any markings on the application; that I have not altered the application in any way; that I have not influenced the applicant; and that I am aware that a false statement in this certificate is a violation of Michigan election law.
X_______________________________________ ____/____/____ Signature of person assisting the voter
Date
Clerk’s Use Only
/
Phone #
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Mailed Ballot No.
/
/
Returned Clerk
SEE PAGE 2 FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS
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MEA VOICE 23
MEMBER HEALTH
New MESSA plan now available for bargaining MESSA is introducing a new medical plan that can help members save money. Essentials by MESSA is a lowdeductible ($375 for individuals and $750 for families) medical and prescription plan. The plan can reduce the amount taken out of members’ paychecks for health coverage, while still providing the same peace of mind, choice of doctors and outstanding service education employees expect and deserve from MESSA. Members get the same, one-onone service from MESSA field representatives and call center staff, worksite wellness support from a MESSA health promotion consultant and personal help with managing chronic conditions from MESSA’s case management nurses. 24 OCTOBER 2018
As with other MESSA plans, Essentials by MESSA provides members with the greatest choice of doctors and access to expert medical care from the best hospitals across the nation. In order to significantly lower both the premium and the deductible, we reduced some benefits that many members tell us aren’t crucial to their health care needs. In addition, most covered medical services and prescriptions are subject to copayments or coinsurance, and the out-of-pocket maximum has been set to the federal limit. Combined, this provides a significantly lower premium in exchange for member cost-sharing at the time services are used. Finally, because it’s a low-deductible plan, Essentials by MESSA is not
compatible with a health savings account. Members who switch to Essentials by MESSA could keep their HSAs but could no longer contribute to them. Depending on the size of the group, Essentials by MESSA can be included as part of a menu of MESSA plan options, which can give employees the ability to choose a plan and premium that best meets their own medical and financial needs. The new Essentials by MESSA plan can be bargained now with an effective date of Jan. 1, 2019. Groups that want more information about Essentials by MESSA should contact their MESSA field representative at 800.292.4910. You can also find more details at messa.org.
STRENGTH IN UNION
Strength in Union
#FairContractFSU The Ferris Faculty Association held a one-day strike on the first day of fall classes at Ferris State University to protest the university’s refusal to bargain in good faith. After a judge ordered them back to work, FFA members continued picketing on campus and holding sit-ins at the office of FSU President David Eisler, whose compensation has increased by 128 percent since 2001. The president also is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on outside legal and public relations firms. Read more about the FFA’s fight at mea.org/ferris-faculty-strike-for-fairness/.
MEA VOICE 25
STRENGTH IN UNION
MEA President Joins Bipartisan Coalition:
‘We’re trying something radical’ Launch Michigan is a new partnership bringing together diverse interests from across Michigan’s political, economic, education, philanthropic and government sectors. MEA President Paula Herbart will be a proud voice of labor on the panel, which is setting out to improve the state’s education system. Read more at LaunchMichigan.org. Here read excerpts from a conversation about the initiative between Herbart and MEA Voice Editor Brenda Ortega.
ernor’s chair or the state Senate’s chairs or the House chairs. Part of what is important here is the breadth of players who are at the table, right? It’s non-profits, school administrators, the business community, foundations, labor.
Why is this coalition important?
We’ve been asking for years to be a part of the solution. It is so imperative that when we’re asked to be a part of something—to bring that voice—that we don’t turn it down because we’re circumspect or afraid. We assume good intention until proven otherwise. If we are true to what our values are, which is providing quality public education for all, then we have to be a part of those conversations. Why does it matter for MEA and AFT Michigan to be at the table?
We have a singular priority, which is ensuring we’re talking about what is best for students who walk through our classroom doors, whether they’re five years old or 55 years old in higher ed. That’s what our unionism and our activism bring to the 26 OCTOBER 2018
table, that we fight for students. Yes, we fight for working conditions. Yes, we fight for salaries and the respect of the professions. But we do that to ensure students have a quality professional working with them and for them. Study after study talks about underfunding of education in Michigan, but nothing changes. How will this effort be different?
Well, one of the principles of Launch Michigan is to have this be a policy blueprint that goes beyond the next governor and the next governor, that this is not a partisan piece. This is a policy piece that says emphatically here is good practice, and we want Michigan schools to follow best practices, and if that means we need to increase the funding then we will do what it takes with whomever is sitting in that gov-
It’s a very deep organization, and there are concerns about it being almost too broad. But there is a steering committee that will be a smaller group of about 20 people. I will be one of three co-chairs that will represent the significant groups. Business, education, philanthropic. The partnership has identified priorities that include listening to educators and working to ensure resources are available for an equitable funding model. What are the most important priorities for leaders interested in making positive systemic change?
I think we need to lay out some really forthcoming ground rules to own the disagreements that we have had in the past. We need to say to the business community, we have been fundamentally opposed to how we get this done for years and if we don’t own that and honor that and work through that, then Launch Michigan will just be a clanging gong.
How do you move on from those disagreements and avoid getting tangled in them?
One of the things that we are committed to is talking about the things that we fundamentally agree on. High-quality professional development for educators, for instance. We know that teachers feel more successful when they have high-quality professional development, and then funding to implement the things they’ve learned and know are best practices. So one of the things we’re starting with is just to ask: How do educators in the classroom feel about the work they do and how they are valued? And using that as a starting point. One thing our business community understands at the outset is that a worker who isn’t satisfied in their work or feels underappreciated does not perform to the best of their ability. And until educators feel like they are a valued and respected member of the education community and play a vital role in all aspects of a student’s education, they will not be as successful as they could be. Won’t a lot of this come back to the big sticking point? Funding? How do you find common ground on that?
One thing we’re doing is looking at the reports that have already been done. The Business Leaders of Michigan and the School Finance Research Collaborative that came out in the spring of 2018 both have evidence of underfunding in Michigan. They come up with very different ways to fill that gap, but I mean if we start by saying to the state government, “Don’t rob from the School Aid Fund,” let’s start there. Over $700 million a year gets
funneled from the School Aid Fund into other areas to buoy up the General Fund. If we only had that, imagine what we could do, right? But we don’t. How we get there is going to be another one of those sticking points, but we all know the teacher in the classroom and those individuals who work outside of the classroom to support student learning make the biggest amount of difference for students. Salaries, working conditions, a say-so in their profession, support resources, all of that is going to be important to address. An issue for many educators is the top-down nature of decisions being made, and never being asked, “What do you need?” What do you need in terms of professional development? Resources? Changes that will remove roadblocks to your job performance?
I 100 percent agree. The frontline person needs to have meaningful input and not just fill out a survey and then it’s, “Best of luck to you.” I mean real integrated understanding of how their destiny is manifested. It’s about being a collaborative partner in what we know works best for student learning and what works best for teacher learning to impart student learning. Because the educator in the classroom is never not learning. They’re like millwrights, retooling, retooling, retooling. This is why we’re a union, to ensure that voice remains in the room. That we have an opportunity to say, “We have an important role to play in decision-making and professional development. We are the creators of best practices based on what we know pedagogically works the best with this demographic of students.”
Are you hopeful this initiative can move us toward an approach that is positive and collaborative rather than negative and top-down?
I think that all of us need to be open to the fact that we’re trying to do something pretty radical—having these groups of people come together and work together. If we haven’t made some real movement toward attaining our goals, whether it’s coming up with one thing we can work on and lobby together and the strategies behind that, then we might have to say, “This was a great idea whose time was not here.” We can’t keep doing Launch Michigan because we told people we would. If it isn’t doing the things that we want it to do, which is make real change for public education in Michigan, and if we can’t accomplish that, then we need to consider why that is. It could be minimal. It could be, “Oh, we didn’t look at the X factor.” I don’t know what that is. Or it could be as large as, “We’re not working together as a group. We’re grinding our wheels everywhere we go, and it isn’t working.” Then we need to talk about that. What do you think will be the key to Launch Michigan accomplishing meaningful goals?
We have to decide what’s the most important. And right now, I think for me it’s creating an environment and a space where educators feel empowered and feel honored. And by honored, I mean of value to real education policy. I want their voices to be the voices we listen to and lift up in a way that they know the state of Michigan values their work and what they do for the good of all of the state’s people.
MEA VOICE 27
STRENGTH IN UNION
Second-year MEA member Jaimi Nedziwe, a teacher at Lansing’s Willow Elementary School, receives a bag of school supplies at the 8ABF Coordinating Council’s Back to School Bash.
Bailey Rothe graduated from Northern Michigan University in 2017 with certification to teach English and social studies. Now she has a job— and a union family. Rothe accepted a position with Lansing Public Schools in March and joined MEA for the member benefits, job protections and sense of community it provides, she says. “Lansing is such a big district, it’s nice to have a good support system. I know help is there if I need it.” Rothe took part in a social event that brought together 500 members and their families from St. John to Holt, Okemos and Lansing. “It’s really nice seeing all these teachers with their families outside of the classroom,” she said. Local leaders and staff from across Michigan have launched an unprecedented effort to introduce newly hired school employees and early career educators to MEA and all that a union stands for and provides. 28 OCTOBER 2018
In Okemos, the festivities for members of capitol-area locals included a bag of classroom supplies, music, face-painting, food and giveaways. “We had new people signing up just so they could attend this event,” said LSEA President Chuck Alberts. MEA President Paula Herbart said she is seeing heightened energy at new member events she has attended this summer and fall. She tells new members that 26 years ago she was filling out a new member form and jumping into union activity. “Fundamentally this kind of organizing is the only way that we are going to do anything that makes a difference for our students,” Herbart said, adding it develops future leaders and builds strength for advocacy. “A change is in the air,” she said. “People want to be part of something bigger than themselves. They want to be involved with the change-makers, and the union is a change-maker. I’ve experienced it my whole career.”
In Grand Rapids, newly hired middle school teacher Erin Murphy joined the GREA at a recent orientation event. She appreciates the union’s strength in advocating for public education—which she saw firsthand in New York during a three-year teaching stint there. “This is such a big voice in policymaking to make things better,” said Murphy, who hopes to try out leadership roles in the local association in coming years. That was the point made by GREA Secretary Dan Slagter, a Grand Rapids art teacher who serves in various leadership roles at the local, county, state and national levels. Slagter told more than 90 new hires assembled for the meeting that MEA is a vehicle for making students’ lives better. “As a union, we are the biggest collective voice out there talking about social justice and working to address the inequalities our students are facing,” he said.
Grand Rapids Education Association Secretary Dan Slagter talks with new hires about the collective voice that MEA brings to social justice and equity issues in education.
MEA Vice President Chandra Madafferi said advocacy around issues is what many new educators want from MEA. “Those people who are about the cause and the profession and advocating for kids, I tell them, ‘The union was my safe place to fight for my students.’” For others, particularly those who previously worked in low-paying, non-union charter schools, Madafferi said their interest tends to be more in the issues of compensation and working conditions. “They have a different lens because they have had no security, no rights, so now they can step back and realize they have some protection.” Ann Arbor Education Association President Fred Klein said he has heard awful stories from new hires coming from states without unions or collective bargaining or from nonunion for-profit charter schools. “Now it is more important than ever to organize, join together, and fight
for our students, our jobs, and our public schools,” he said.
said Okemos Education Association President Lisa Crites.
As in many school districts across the state in recent weeks, local leaders in Clarkston welcomed new employees with a luncheon that included member information packets and get-to-know-you talks with building representatives, said MEA UniServ Director Terese Fitzpatrick.
MEA Secretary Treasurer Brett Smith said he has seen great turnout and interest in the union during his travels around the state to speak to members at orientations, social gatherings, and trainings.
Additional plans included a meetand-greet on opening day, a homecoming tailgate, and other get-togethers to build community and networking, in addition to ongoing conversations between veteran and newer colleagues. In addition, leaders across the state are planning professional development for new members on topics that include evaluations, certification, financial planning, and other issues of interest to early career educators. “We want to show folks that this is what we do—we’re here for you, and we can help in any way you need,”
“It’s powerful to bring everybody together where they can talk about common purpose and goals.” Smith enjoys helping new and existing members understand all that the union does at the local, state and national levels. Many see the value of collective bargaining and advocacy for members at the local level, but do not know the bigger picture, he said. “What we’re getting from people is that ‘Aha’ moment. The union is about fighting the good fight together. It’s something I truly believe in, so it’s a very easy conversation for me to have no matter where I go.”
MEA VOICE 29
Summer Science instructor Andrew DeWitt talks with students about the geology of the Grand Tetons.
MEMBERS AT WORK
Rescue Saga Reveals Larger Truths By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor
Students from Hudsonville High School returned from a Summer Science course out west with a tale of helping to rescue an incapacitated hiker in South Dakota’s Badlands National Park. Yet for me, the lifesaving adventure was not the most moving part of this story. When I contacted MEA member Chris Bolhuis, he told me how his Summer Science co-teacher and 26 students formed a human chain to carry the injured woman out of a ravine in blistering heat. (You can read more and view pictures of what happened at mea.org/ rescue-saga-reveals-largertruths/.) However, the more we talked, the richer the story became. Bolhuis just finished his 17th year leading the trip to several nation30 OCTOBER 2018
al parks, an intensive three-week course culminating in a final exam that earns students both high school and college science credits. More than 70 Hudsonville students typically apply for 26 spots. The field-experience science class with tent camping and mountain hiking—a first encounter with natural wonders for many students—has become one of the Hudsonville district’s flagship programs. Hearing about it, I saw a different story than I set out to write.
First I learned
Bolhuis took over the class from his father David, who started the program 40 years ago in 1978—which is also the first year Chris went on the trip at the age of six. Since then his own children have also attended, including his now-17-year-old daughter for the first time at six months old.
“Growing up with my dad and Summer Science, I spent a lot of time in the mountains, and I feel at home there; I love them,” he said. His dad retired in 2009 after 46 years in the district, and Chris is the “homegrown guy” who followed in his father’s footsteps. But initially, he took an industry job after graduating from Grand Valley State University with a degree in geology. He and his wife moved to Oregon. “I had no plans at all of going into teaching,” he said. “I wanted to make more money. My dad was a teacher, and my mom stayed at home, and money was always tight in our house.” The move to Oregon, however, was not the right fit. The couple missed being close to family and decided to come back home. That’s when his “deep respect and love for geology” brought him back to college for a
Summer Science students hike to Lake Solitude in Grand Teton National Park, a 20-mile round trip.
teaching credential. He’s been at Hudsonville High School since 1997. “It’s not a bad life at all,” he said. “Over time I’ve gotten into climbing and mountaineering, and now my wife and my own two kids have got a lot of experience being out west in the mountains doing these kinds of things,” he said. “But it’s also about being a geologist. It makes everything make sense, and that is what I love about earth sciences. I absolutely have a passion for it.”
Next he told me
The new co-teacher running the course with him is a former student whose life was changed by the Summer Science trip he attended as a high school senior in 2004. Andrew DeWitt went on to earn two degrees in geology. He now works at a global environmental company based in Holland. I called DeWitt to ask him about the class. When he was a student in Summer Science 13 years ago, it was the first time he’d set foot in mountains, DeWitt said. “I immediately fell in love, and I knew I wanted to learn more about the science and the history.” He works for Environmental Resource Management (ERM) doing environmental assessment and contaminated site management, a career that allows him to travel and work on interesting projects, including the Keystone XL Pipeline and a wind farm off the coast of Massachusetts. In college he wanted to be a high school teacher, but he was drawn to private industry by the opportunities for field work and higher pay that would allow his wife to be a stay-athome mother if she desired. “I wanted to set myself up for success and be financially stable,” he said.
DeWitt brought his wife and two toddler sons on this year’s trip, his first as a colleague of his former high school mentor. “I’m not a teacher, but being around kids and having an influence on kids has always been a passion of mine, so this is a great opportunity,” he said. He knows how much students on the trip discover through experiencing geology in the field, “but they learn just as much about themselves and about teamwork. It’s academic, but the hiking and adventure side is a really cool thing too.” Bolhuis says having a student take up geology, follow it into a career, and return to share his love and knowledge with young people, is “like a payday” for an educator.
Finally he shared
The hardest part of the program is having to turn kids away in a competitive application process, but
space is limited. He has expanded the number of students allowed to attend in recent years by learning to drive a bigger vehicle. Both he and DeWitt earned their Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) to be able to take a school bus for the trip, and he said, “I don’t know if you are aware, but getting a bus driver’s license is not a fun thing to do. It’s a pretty big ordeal.”
Maybe that’s why
My spine tingled most as I heard the quieter story of the program behind the saga of dramatic rescue in the Badlands—because it reveals the simple beauty of public education. Day after day, year after year, educators bring learning to life and vice versa. Inside the classroom and out, they share their passions, live their ideals, and shape young lives. And that looks an awful lot like walking on mountain tops. MEA VOICE 31
REGION ELECTIONS
18
Region Election Information
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15 Following is a description of the election procedures to be followed in the regions. This process complies with relevant federal laws. (See positions to be elected following this section.)
12 13
Election dates for regions using online voting are 8 a.m., Monday, March 4, 2019 through 3:59 p.m., Monday, March 18, 2019.
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1. The region at-large election shall be conducted on March 5, 6, and 7, 2019.
5
2. If your unit is not scheduled to work during the above days, the election shall be conducted on March 12, 13 and 14, 2019. 3. If inclement weather or another emergency interrupts the election listed above, it shall be completed on the next consecutive workday(s), but no later than March 24. The candidates for the region atlarge positions shall be printed in the February edition of the MEA Voice. Persons interested in running for a position should contact their region elections chairperson or nominations chair. If a Region does not have a December meeting they cannot use acclamation. 32 OCTOBER 2018
6
8
Election dates for regions using paper ballots
Absentee balloting (From the Region Council Constitution, Article VIII, Sec. 3.f.) The region at-large election is an on-site election. However, eligible voters who are not able to vote on site during the election period may notify their local association president of their need to vote by absentee ballot. The request must be in writing, include the specific reason necessitating an absentee ballot and be received no later than February 21 by the local association president. Eligible voters requesting an absentee ballot and complying with the above requirements shall
4
7 3
2
be mailed an absentee ballot by the local association election committee. An absentee ballot must be returned by U.S. mail and received by the local association no later than the last day of the election. Late absentee ballots shall be unopened and set aside as void ballots. Eligible voters Voter eligibility listings will be created from information received by the MEA Membership Department from the local associations by December 31, 2018. KEY: * is used to represent a Representative of Minority 3-1(g) seat
REGION 2
Position 1-MEA Board of Director/ NEA RA Delegate 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/19 Position 4-MEA RA At-Large AlternateRepresenting Minority 3-1(g) 2 positions*, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 6-EA NEA RA At-Large AlternateRepresenting Minority 3-1(g) 2 positions*, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 7-EA/ESP NEA RA At-Large Delegate 1 position, immed. thru 8/31/19 Position 8-EA MEA RA Cluster Delegate 1 position, immed. thru 8/31/20 Position 9-EA MEA RA Cluster Alternate 1 position, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 10-ESP MEA RA Cluster Delegate 3 positions, immed. thru 8/31/21 1 position*, immed. thru 8/31/21 Position 11-ESP MEA RA Cluster Alternate 4 positions, immed. thru 3/31/20 1 position*, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 12-EA NEA RA Cluster Delegate 1 position, immed. thru 8/31/21 Position 13-EA NEA RA Cluster Alternate 1 position, immed. thru 3/31/21 Position 14-ESP NEA RA Cluster Delegate 3 positions, immed. thru 8/31/20 1 position*, immed. thru 8/31/20 Position 15-ESP NEA RA Cluster Alternate 3 positions, immed. thru 3/31/20 1 position*, immed. thru 3/31/20 Elections Chair: Tov Pauling, tov0727@gmail.com
REGION 3
Position 4-MEA RA At-Large AlternateRepresenting Minority 3-1(g) 2 positions*, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 5-EA NEA RA At-Large DelegateRepresenting Minority 3-1(g) 1 position*, immed. thru 8/31/20 Position 7-EA/ESP NEA RA At-Large Delegate 1 position, immed. thru 8/31/19 Position 8-EA MEA RA Cluster Delegate 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/19 1 position, immed. thru 8/31/20 1 position*, immed. thru 8/31/20 Position 9-EA MEA RA Cluster Alternate 3 positions, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 10-ESP MEA RA Cluster Delegate 1 position, immed. thru 8/31/20 1 position, immed. thru 8/31/21 1 position*, immed. thru 8/31/21 Position 11-ESP MEA RA Cluster Alternate 5 positions, immed. thru 3/31/20 1 position*, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 12 -EA NEA RA Cluster Delegate 1 position*, immed. thru 8/31/20 Position 13-EA NEA Cluster Alternate 1 position, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 14-ESP NEA RA Cluster Delegate 1 position*, immed. thru 8/31/21 Position 15-ESP NEA RA Cluster Alternate 2 positions, immed. thru 3/31/20 Elections Chair: D’Andra Clark, dandra.clark23@gmail.com
REGION 4
Position 4-MEA RA At-Large AlternateRepresenting Minority 3-1(g) 1 position*, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 6-EA NEA RA At-Large AlternateRepresenting Minority 3-1(g) 1 position*, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 7-EA/ESP NEA RA At-Large Delegate
1 position, immed. thru 8/31/19 Position 8-EA MEA RA Cluster Delegate 1 position, immed. thru 8/31/20 Position 9-EA MEA RA Cluster Alternate 2 positions, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 10-ESP MEA RA Cluster Delegate 3 positions, immed. thru 8/31/21 Position 11-ESP MEA RA Cluster Alternate 3 positions, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 12 -EA NEA RA Cluster Delegate 1 position*, immed. thru 8/31/20 1 position, immed. thru 8/31/21 Position 13-EA NEA RA Cluster Alternate 1 position, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 14-ESP NEA RA Cluster Delegate 2 positions, immed. thru 8/31/21 1 position*, immed. thru 8/31/20 Position 15-ESP NEA RA Cluster Alternate 2 positions, immed. thru 3/31/20 Elections Chair: Not Available
REGION 5
Position 1-MEA Board of Directors/ NEA RA Delegate 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/19 Position 4-MEA RA At-Large AlternateRepresenting Minority 3-1(g) 1 position*, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 6-EA NEA RA At-Large AlternateRepresenting Minority 3-1(g) 1 position*, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 8-EA MEA RA Cluster Delegate 2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/19 Position 9-EA MEA RA Cluster Alternate 1 position, immed. thru 3/31/20 1 position*, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 10-ESP MEA RA Cluster Delegate 1 position, immed. thru 8/31/21 Position 11-ESP MEA RA Cluster Alternate 3 positions, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 12-EA NEA RA Cluster Delegate 1 position*, immed. thru 8/31/19 1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/19, same seat as above 2 positions*, immed. thru 8/31/21 1 position, immed. thru 8/31/21 6 positions, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/19 Position 13-EA NEA RA Cluster Alternate 4 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/19 1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/19 Position 14-ESP NEA RA Cluster Delegate 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/19 2 positions, immed. thru 8/31/19 2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/19, same seats as above 1 position*, immed. thru 8/31/19 1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/19, same seat as above Position 15-ESP NEA RA Cluster Alternate 2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/19 1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/19 Elections Chair: Mary Cooper, mcooper@mymea.org
REGION 6
Position 1-MEA Board of Directors/ NEA RA Delegate 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/19 Position 8-EA MEA RA Cluster Delegate 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/19 Position 9-EA MEA RA Cluster Alternate 1 position, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 10-ESP MEA RA Cluster Delegate 2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/19 1 position*, immed. thru 8/31/21 Position 12-EA NEA RA Cluster Delegate
1 position*, immed. thru 8/31/20 Elections Chair: Heather Schulz, hschulz28@gmail.com
REGION 7
Position 1-MEA Board of Directors/ NEA RA Delegate 1 position, immed. thru 8/31/19 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/19, same seat as above Position 3 -MEA RA At-Large DelegateRepresenting Minority 3-1(g) 1 position*, immed. thru 8/31/21 Position 4-MEA RA At-Large AlternateRepresenting Minority 3-1(g) 4 positions*, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 10-ESP MEA RA Cluster Delegate 1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/19 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/19 2 positions, immed. thru 8/31/21 Position 11-ESP MEA RA Cluster Alternate 4 positions, immed. thru 3/31/20 1 position*, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 14-ESP NEA RA Cluster Delegate 2 positions, immed. thru 8/31/20 1 position*, immed. thru 8/31/20 Position 15-ESP NEA RA Cluster Alternate 4 positions, immed. thru 3/31/20 2 positions*, immed. thru 3/31/20 Elections Chair: Thomas Silak, northvilleea@gmail.com
REGION 8
Position 1-MEA Board of Directors/ NEA RA Delegate 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/19 Position 6-EA NEA RA At-Large AlternateRepresenting Minority 3-1(g) 1 position*, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 7-EA/ESP NEA RA At-Large Delegate 1 position, immed. thru 8/31/19 1 position, immed. thru 8/31/21 Position 8-EA MEA RA Cluster Delegate 3 positions, immed. thru 8/31/21 Position 9-EA MEA RA Cluster Alternate 2 positions, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 10-ESP MEA RA Cluster Delegate 1 position, immed. thru 8/31/19 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/19, same seat as above 2 positions, immed. thru 8/31/21 Position 11-ESP MEA RA Cluster Alternate 5 positions, immed. thru 3/31/20 1 position*, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 12-EA NEA RA Cluster Delegate 1 position*, immed. thru 8/31/19 1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/19, same seat as above 4 positions, immed. thru 8/31/21 Position 13-EA NEA RA Cluster Alternate 4 positions, immed. thru 3/31/20 1 position*, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 14-ESP NEA RA Cluster Delegate 1 position, immed. thru 8/31/19 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/19, same seat as above 3 positions, immed. thru 8/31/21 2 positions*, immed. thru 8/31/21 Position 15-ESP NEA RA Cluster Alternate 5 positions, immed. thru 3/31/20 2 positions*, immed. thru 3/31/20 Elections Chair: Lance Little, llittle@mea.org
REGION 9
Position 1-MEA Board of Directors/ NEA RA Delegate 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/19
MEA VOICE 33
Position 2-MEA Board of Directors/ NEA RA Delegate-Representing Minority 3-1(g) 1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/19 Position 4-MEA RA At-Large AlternateRepresenting Minority 3-1(g) 1 position*, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 8-EA MEA RA Cluster Delegate 1 position, immed. thru 8/31/20 1 position, immed. thru 8/31/21 Position 9-EA MEA RA Cluster Alternate 2 positions, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 10-ESP MEA RA Cluster Delegate 5 positions, immed. thru 8/31/21 1 position*, immed. thru 8/31/21 Position 11-ESP MEA RA Cluster Alternate 3 positions, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 12-EA NEA RA Cluster Delegate 3 positions, immed. thru 8/31/21 1 position*, immed. thru 8/31/21 Position 13-EA NEA RA Cluster Alternate 2 positions, immed. thru 3/31/21 Position 14-ESP NEA RA Cluster Delegate 5 positions, immed. thru 8/31/21 1 position*, immed. thru 8/31/21 1 position*, immed. thru 8/31/20 Position 15-ESP NEA RA Cluster Alternate 5 positions, immed. thru 3/31/21 2 positions*, immed. thru 3/31/21 Elections Chair: Joe Guy, josephguy@ymail.com
REGION 10
Position 4-MEA RA At-Large AlternateRepresenting Minority 3-1(g) 1 position*, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 6-EA NEA RA At-Large AlternateRepresenting Minority 3-1(g) 2 positions*, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 8-EA MEA RA Cluster Delegate 2 positions, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/19 Position 9-EA MEA RA Cluster Alternate 2 positions, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 10-ESP MEA RA Cluster Delegate 2 positions, immed. thru 8/31/20 1 position, immed. thru 8/31/21 Position 11-ESP MEA RA Cluster Alternate 3 positions, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 12-EA NEA RA Cluster Delegate 2 positions, immed. thru 8/31/21 1 position*, immed. thru 8/31/21 Position 13-EA NEA RA Cluster Alternate 2 positions, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 14-ESP NEA RA Cluster Delegate 1 position*, immed thru 8/31/19 1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/19, same seat as above 1 position, immed. thru 8/31/20 2 positions, immed. thru 8/31/21 Position 15-ESP NEA RA Cluster Alternate 2 positions, immed. thru 3/31/20 1 position*, immed. thru 3/31/20 Elections Chair: Karen Christian, kchristian@mea.org
REGION 11
Position 8-EA MEA RA Cluster Delegate 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/19 Position 10-ESP MEA RA Cluster Delegate 1 position, immed. thru 8/31/19 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/19, same seat as above 1 position, immed. thru 8/31/20 1 position, immed. thru 8/31/21 Position 11-ESP MEA RA Cluster Alternate 3 positions, immed. thru 3/31/20
34 OCTOBER 2018
Position 14-ESP NEA RA Cluster Delegate 2 positions, immed. thru 8/31/21 1 position*, immed. thru 8/31/21 Position 15-ESP NEA RA Cluster Alternate 2 positions, immed. thru 3/31/20 1 position*, immed. thru 3/31/20 Elections Chair: Jason Ostrander, jostrander@mymea.org
1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/19, same seat as above Position 15-ESP NEA RA Cluster Alternate 3 positions, immed. thru 3/31/20 1 position*, immed. thru 3/31/20 Elections Chair: Sally Purchase, sally.purchase@gmail.com
REGION 12
Position 1-MEA Board of Directors/ NEA RA Delegate 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/19 Position 4-MEA RA At-Large AlternateRepresenting Minority 3-1(g) 2 positions*, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 6-EA NEA RA At-Large AlternateRepresenting Minority 3-1(g) 2 positions*, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 9-EA MEA RA Cluster Alternate 3 positions, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 11-ESP MEA RA Cluster Alternate 3 positions, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 12-EA NEA RA Cluster Delegate 1 position, immed. thru 8/31/19 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/19, same seat as above 1 position, immed. thru 8/31/20 1 position*, immed. thru 8/31/20 2 positions, immed. thru 8/31/21 Position 13-EA NEA RA Cluster Alternate 3 positions, immed. thru 3/31/20 1 position*, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 14-ESP NEA RA Cluster Delegate 2 positions, immed. thru 8/31/20 1 position*, immed. thru 8/31/21 Position 15-ESP NEA RA Cluster Alternate 2 positions, immed. thru 3/31/20 1 position*, immed. thru 3/31/20 Region 14 MAHE EA RA Cluster Alternate 1 position, immed. thru 3/31/20 Elections Chair: Greta Brock, yooperntroll@gmail.com
Position 4-MEA RA At-Large AlternateRepresenting Minority 3-1(g) 1 position*, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 6-EA NEA RA At-Large AlternateRepresenting Minority 3-1(g) 2 positions*, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 7-EA/ESP NEA RA At-Large Delegate 1 position, immed. thru 8/31/19 1 position, immed. thru 8/31/21 Position 8-EA MEA RA Cluster Delegate 1 position, immed. thru 8/31/20 Position 9-EA MEA RA Cluster Alternate 1 position, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 10-ESP MEA RA Cluster Delegate 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/19 Position 11-ESP MEA RA Cluster Alternate 1 position, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 12-EA NEA RA Cluster Delegate 2 positions, immed. thru 8/31/20 1 position*, immed. thru 8/31/19 1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/19, same seat as above Position 13-EA NEA RA Cluster Alternate 2 positions, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 14-ESP NEA RA Cluster Delegate 1 position, immed. thru 8/31/19 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/19, same seat as above 1 position, immed. thru 8/31/20 1 position, immed. thru 8/31/21 1 position*, immed. thru 8/31/21 Position 15-ESP NEA RA Cluster Alternate 3 positions, immed. thru 3/31/20 1 position*, immed. thru 3/31/20 Elections Chair: Jenny Oster, jjvandui@svsu.edu
REGION 13
Position 1-MEA Board of Directors/ NEA RA Delegate 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/19 Position 4-MEA RA At-Large AlternateRepresenting Minority 3-1(g) 1 position*, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 6-EA NEA RA At-Large AlternateRepresenting Minority 3-1(g) 1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 4/1/19 2 positions*, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 8-EA MEA RA Cluster Delegate 1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/19 Position 9-EA MEA RA Cluster Alternate 3 positions, immed. thru 3/31/20 1 position*, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 10-ESP MEA RA Cluster Delegate 1 position, immed. thru 8/31/21 Position 12-EA NEA RA Cluster Delegate 2 positions, immed. thru 8/31/21 1 position*, immed. thru 8/31/19 1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/19, same seat as above Position 13-EA NEA RA Cluster Alternate 2 positions, immed. thru 3/31/20 1 position*, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 14-ESP NEA RA Cluster Delegate 2 positions, immed. thru 8/31/21 1 position, immed. thru 8/31/19
REGION 14
REGION 15
Position 1-MEA Board of Directors/ NEA RA Delegate 1 position, immed. thru 8/31/20 Position 8-EA MEA RA Cluster Delegate 2 positions, immed. thru 8/31/21 Position 9-EA MEA RA Cluster Alternate 2 positions, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 10-ESP MEA RA Cluster Delegate 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/19 Position 12-EA NEA RA Cluster Delegate 1 position, immed. thru 8/31/21 1 position*, immed. thru 8/31/21 Elections Chair: Harvey Miller, hmiller@netonecom.net
REGION 16
No region positions to elect except for Region 50 NEA ESP delegates Elections Chair: Al Beamish, abeamish@mymea.org
REGION 17
Position 1-MEA Board of Directors/ NEA RA Delegate 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/19 Position 9-EA MEA RA Cluster Alternate 1 position, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 12-EA NEA RA Cluster Delegate 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/19 1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/19 Position 13-EA NEA RA Cluster Alternate 1 position, immed. thru 3/31/20 1 position*, immed. thru 3/31/20
Position 15-ESP NEA RA Cluster Alternate 1 position, immed. thru 3/31/20 Region 17 MAHE Cluster Alternate 1 position, immediate thru 3/31/21 Elections Chair: Lisa Carubini, lcarubini@gmail.com
REGION 18
Position 1-MEA Board of Directors/ NEA RA Delegate 1 position, immed. thru 8/31/20 Position 9-EA MEA RA Cluster Alternate 1 position, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 11-ESP MEA RA Cluster Alternate
2 positions, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 12-EA NEA RA Cluster Delegate 1 position*, immed. thru 8/31/19 1 position*, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/19, same seat as above 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/19 1 position, immed. thru 8/31/20 Position 13-EA NEA RA Cluster Alternate 2 positions, immed. thru 3/31/20 1 position*, immed. thru 3/31/20 Position 15-ESP NEA RA Cluster Alternate 2 positions, immed. thru 3/31/20 Region 18 MAHE Cluster Alternate 1 position, immed. thru 3/31/20
Elections Chair: Steve Elenich, selenich@copperisd.org
REGION 50
Region 50-ESP NEA RA At-Large Delegate 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/19 Region 50-ESP NEA RA At-Large DelegateRepresenting Minority 3-1(g) 3 positions*, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/19 Region 50-ESP NEA RA At-Large DelegateRepresenting Minority 3-1(g) 1 position*, immed. thru 8/31/19
ATTENTION ESP MEMBERS—2019 REGION 50 STATEWIDE ELECTION FOR ESP ONLY ESP members of MEA send delegates to the National Education Association Representative Assembly, which will be held next year in Houston, TX. Expenses to attend the RA are reimbursed according to the state delegate expense policy. All Michigan ESP candidates for NEA statewide at-large delegate seats run as delegates for Region 50. All Michigan ESP members vote as part of Region 50 to elect statewide at-large delegates to the NEA RA. A secret ballot is required. Elections are held at the region level and results forwarded to MEA for counting. Each nominated candidate may submit a biographical statement of 150 words or fewer to be printed and distributed with ballots to the regions. Statements must be in paragraph form and will be printed as received by Dec. 31, 2018. Photos and lists will not be printed for regions using paper ballots, but pictures can be submitted for regions participating in online elections. Statements can be emailed to mostertag@mea.org, or mailed to MEA Executive Office c/o Mike Ostertag, PO Box 2573, East Lansing, MI 48826-2573. MEA ESP members in good standing are eligible to be nominated or to self-nominate at the region nominations meeting or by using the nomination form. Additional forms are available from your region president or region election chairperson. A candidate’s consent must be secured before that name is placed on a ballot. Mail the form to Mike Ostertag at MEA Headquarters no later than Dec. 31, 2018. Late nominations will not be accepted. If you have questions, contact your region elections chairperson or call Mike Ostertag at MEA Headquarters, 800-292-1934, ext. 5411, before Dec. 15, 2018.
REGION 50—NEA RA ESP DELEGATE AT LARGE NOMINATION FORM Supply the following information regarding the nominee. Remember, the consent of a candidate must be secured before that name is placed on any ballot. PLEASE PRINT. Name ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Home address ____________________________________________________________________________________ City _______________________________________________________ State __________ Zip ___________________ Home phone _____________________________ Work phone _____________________________ Local ESP association ______________________________________________________________________________ Nomination form must be received no later than Dec. 31, 2018. Mail to: Mike Ostertag, MEA, PO Box 2573, East Lansing, MI 48826-2573. Nomination forms received after Dec. 31, 2018 will not be accepted. The named candidate is nominated for the following position(s): ESP NEA RA at-large delegate: 1 position, 3 yr. term begins 9/1/19 ESP NEA RA at-large delegate-Representing Minority 3-1(g): 3 positions*, 3 yr. terms begin 9/1/19 ESP NEA RA at-large delegate-Representing Minority 3-1(g): 1 position*, immediate thru 8/31/19 Biographical statements of no more than 150 words may be submitted. Statement must be in paragraph form. Lists are not accepted. Pictures will not be accepted for regions using paper ballots. Pictures will be accepted for regions participating in the online elections. MEA VOICE 35
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36 OCTOBER 2018
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MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Cassandra Joss, a third-grade teacher in Utica Community Schools, recently made a video to show how much teachers spend on their classrooms, and she appeared on Michigan Radio’s Stateside program to talk about it.
How did you get the idea for a video of your classroom with and without teacher-provided materials? My district did some remodeling, so our classrooms had to be completely empty for the summer. Last June I was packing up boxes, thinking, This is insane. Fifty percent of this is school stuff and 50 percent is mine. I knew going in this year that I was going to unpack the school-labeled boxes first and go from there. What motivated you beyond the fact that you could do it with the empty room? Most people say, “Oh yeah, we know teachers spend their own money,” but I don’t think they get exactly how much money we spend and what little we’re provided to do a job. Most people assume when you go into a profession you’re going to be given the resources you need, and we are not. It’s never been that way, and it’s gotten worse, which is crazy to me. I thought maybe I could use that visual to really drive it home. What kinds of materials do you buy for your classroom? Borders, decorations, posters, bins to hold my books, shelving units to hold my books. In the beginning of the year, we’re pretty good on paper, pencils, crayons, scissors, glue. But by January, that stuff ’s gone, so I’m replenishing that. I’m buying snacks for kids that 38 OCTOBER 2018
don’t have snack. If we have a kid here and there who doesn’t have a backpack or a coat, you get them a backpack or a coat. Another thing dawned on me: indoor recess. What are they going to do at indoor
recess? I have to buy board games, I have to buy blocks and Legos. And that may seem silly to somebody else, but really—are they going to sit at their desks for a 20-minute recess? How much do you spend each year would you guess? I’d guess around $500. Why do you do it? Because it’s not my kids’ fault. It’s not their fault the state isn’t funding us properly, and they deserve to have a binder and a backpack to keep their things in and a coat to keep them warm. And they deserve to have a Valentine’s Day party and a Halloween party. I am in a Title I school so the parents are struggling themselves. They do what they can, but that doesn’t make it enough and that’s by no fault of theirs. The kids deserve a well-rounded third-grade education and memories. Should you have to spend your own money on your classroom? No. I shouldn’t. I will, and all teachers do. And we will continue to because we have children at the heart of what we’re doing. But we never should have to. View before-and-after video of Cassandra’s classroom at mea.org/Cassandra-Joss, and listen to her appearance on Stateside at MichiganRadio.org.
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and home quote – 800-292-1950, option 1 Meet with an MEA Financial Services Representative Learn more about the new long term care program at meafs.ltcoptions.com Apply for the new MEA Visa at meavisa.org Contact us today at 800-292-1950 or visit us at www.meafs.com to find your representative. Securities offered through Paradigm Equities, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of MEA Financial Services, 1216 Kendale Blvd., East Lansing, MI 48823
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