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LAWMAKERS ID MONEY TO PAY FOR PENSION ATTACK - ACT NOW! By MEA

5/8/2017

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Senate Republicans had a choice to make this week – fixing roads or gutting school employee pensions – and they decided their priority is to eliminate retirement security for the dedicated professionals who staff our public schools.  Remember that the next time you blow out a tire on a two-foot-deep pothole, but meanwhile – Join the fight to stop this latest attack on public education – Contact your lawmakers NOW.

The Senate on Thursday passed a $56.1 billion budget with $542 million left over – money that Sen. Curtis Hertel (D-East Lansing) proposed should be spent on fixing the state’s deteriorated roads. His amendment failed 18-19 – with seven Republicans joining Democrats voting in favor.  Republican leaders in both the House and Senate have said their top priority for those hundreds of millions of dollars is to close the defined benefit retirement system (MPSERS) to all new school employees.

“That has been my absolute top priority since the day I was elected speaker of the House,” Rep. Tom Leonard (R-DeWitt) told reporters last week. “So if that’s an avenue we can go, if that’s something we can get accomplished, I’m ready for it.”  Keep in mind – the $500 million in additional money required this year to close MPSERS to new hires is only the beginning. The extra costs of shifting new school employees to a defined contribution system, such as a 401(k), would continue for decades.

Just this week, two separate studies were released that projected the costs of eliminating pensions for new school employees. Great Lakes Consulting, commissioned by the legislative news service MIRS, estimated the price tag at $20 billion over 30 years.
Anderson Economic Group, hired by the Michigan Association of School Administrators to conduct a study, additionally found dramatically higher costs for school districts of $100 billion over the current amortization schedule through 2048.

The state’s own fiscal experts peg the added financial burden of closing the system at $3.6 billion over the next five years — with costs of up to $26 billion in the next few decades.

“Too much work has gone into stabilizing MPSERS and paying down its unfunded liabilities, while also reducing costs for the state and for school districts,” said Chris Wigent, Executive Director of the Michigan Association of School Administrators. “These proposals will undo all the progress that has been made and kick the can down the road, guaranteeing that a future legislature will have to fix the problems this will create.”

Significant changes were already made in 2012 that eliminated retiree health care and placed new school employees into a “hybrid” system combining elements of both a traditional defined benefit pension and a 401(k)-style defined contribution plan. The hybrid system is fully funded.

Last December, GOP leaders tried but failed to rush a pension-busting bill through the lame duck legislative session – but their own Republican colleagues balked at the costs involved.  We need to drive that message home again – and add in the fact that continuing attacks on teachers and erosion of school employees’ pay and benefits is contributing to teacher shortages that threaten our children’s future.

Act now to stop this pension attack that threatens the future of public education in Michigan – contact your state Senator and Representative TODAY.
 
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Average salary for Michigan teachers drops for fifth straight year By KATHLEEN DAVIS • From NPR Mich. Public Radio MAR 15, 2017

4/30/2017

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Photo by Knitty Marie
Michigan's average teacher salary has dropped for the fifth year in a row, according to data recently released by the state. Public school teachers are hit the hardest.  David Crim is with the Michigan Education Association. He says salary cuts drive young people away from pursuing education as a career.


"We're losing some of the best and brightest young teachers because they can't afford to pay off student loans while paying the cost of housing, food, and other essentials," Crim said.

He says the number of teachers leaving the profession within the first five years is at an all-time high.  Crim thinks state and federal policymakers need to commit to supporting public education.


"In the last 15 years, there's been a spectacular disinvestment in Michigan public education," Crim said, citing Governor Snyder's 21st Century Education Commission as the most recent example.


Crim is not optimistic about the future of public schools under the new presidential administration. He and other public education advocates have spoken out against Michigan native Betsy DeVos's appointment as U.S. Secretary of Education.


"I wish I could give a positive outlook to the Trump administration and Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education, but I can't based on what Mr. Trump and Ms. DeVos have said regarding their plans for education. They have espoused a concept where $20 billion would be put into vouchers and for-profit charters across the country. That's their vision for public education," Crim said.


Michigan has the highest number of charter schools in the United States. Their track record is still controversial, as some investigations have revealed poor academic quality and general lack of regulation and oversight.  For the full article visit:
http://michiganradio.org/post/average-salary-michigan-teachers-drops-fifth-straight-year

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The Latest News on the Long Awaited 3%

4/24/2017

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Sen. David Knezek (D-Dearborn Heights) introduced a resolution late Wednesday demanding Gov. Rick Snyder return money illegally taken from school employees’ paychecks from 2010-12, the subject of a seven-year court battle led by MEA and AFT Michigan.


Three separate court rulings have deemed the law unconstitutional which forced the deduction of 3 percent of school employees’ wages to fund future health care in retirement – a benefit they were not even guaranteed to receive.


In addition to Senate Resolution 37, Knezek is promoting an online petition to pressure the repayment of more than $550 million taken from teachers, counselors, bus drivers, secretaries, custodians, paraeducators, and food service workers, among other school employees.


“This money has been sitting in an escrow account and returning it will not impact our state’s budget in any way – it will simply return this money to its rightful owners,” Knezek said in a Facebook post  pushing his resolution and petition.


Last July, Snyder appealed a court ruling that ordered repayment of the money, despite more than 33,000 petition signatures opposing the appeal and dozens of MEA members protesting outside his office on the filing deadline.


The state Supreme Court has not yet issued an opinion in that appeal, but Knezek’s resolution and petition call for Snyder to immediately drop the case and give school employees their money back.
“This is not how we should treat the people who go above and beyond for Michigan’s children each and every day – the people who rise before dawn to get the sidewalks shoveled and school buses warmed up, and the people who stay late into the evening to advise student clubs and help students with homework,” the online petition reads. “We can and must do better.”


Both the trial court and Court of Appeals agreed the law violated state and federal constitutional protections involving the taking of private property without compensation, due process, and impairment of contracts.


In 2012, state lawmakers passed a replacement law which was upheld by the Supreme Court last April. Under that law, school employees were required to make elections regarding health care in retirement and voluntary deductions.
RELATED STORY: Frequently Asked Questions About the 3% Retirement Case
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3/26/2017

 

Call your State Rep - Protect Local Control Over School Calendars by MEA

3/19/2017

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State representatives are considering a bill that would remove the voices of educators -- and the students and parents they serve -- from the process of establishing school calendars and schedules.  HB 4163 would prohibit collective bargaining about school calendar and schedule.  A similar bill was defeated in the last legislative session, thanks to strong opposition from parents, educators and school administrators.

Educators are the experts on the front lines who know what students need in terms of a calendar and schedule. Prohibiting calendar from bargaining is yet another example of the state overstepping its role and usurping local authority.
 
Even one of the initial sponsors of last year's bill, Republican Ed McBroom, dropped his support for the bill because he’s realized school calendars are a reasonable subject for management and bargaining units to negotiate.  Representative McBroom explained there is a fight in the U.P. every year to preserve local traditions, such as days off for hunting season or the county fair which students want to participate in, because superintendents often are not native to the area. He said, “They don’t know our area and they don’t understand our culture and heritage.  I think local teachers often have a much better perception of that heritage.”

As schools move forward with innovative programs and individualized learning plans, administration and educators need to work together to plan, prepare, and solve problems that achieve best practices and create an effective learning environment for children.  The collective bargaining process is the perfect way to accomplish that -- which is why lawmakers should reject HB 4163.
Please contact your state representative today.  Use the tool to the right to send an email -- or you can look up your representative's phone number to call his/her office instead.
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Huron Valley Pools and Fitness - Take the Fitness Challenge!

3/7/2017

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​March starts our Pools and Fitness Challenge and we could use your help promoting it at your schools!

Dates: March 1 - 31, 2017

Description:  If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you!
Calendar includes activities to complete for each day of the month.
Calendar pick up: Anytime.  Calendars due: Monday April 3rd
Prizes for all who participate!  Multi level Calendars available to accommodate beginners and experienced exercisers

Fee $20 - includes the calendar of activities and access to unlimited water and land fitness classes (on top of your already unlimited access to the fitness center and pools).  This is a STEAL!!  Normally it's $120 for 15 classes and you can go as much as you want for $20 and get additional items and fabulous prizes for participating.  We really do have some neat prizes for this year's challenge.

So join us by stopping by the Pools & Fitness front desk and get registered!  You'll get your participation band and your calendar when you register.

Let me know if you have any questions!  
Shannon Loso <shannon.loso@hvs.org>
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What is HR 610 and How Will It Affect Education? by Jessica Todd

2/25/2017

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In January of 2017, House Resolution 610 was introduced, and it has the potential to change American education as we know it. This video explains why. Click on this link to watch a youtube video on it:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phDZh3aUzu8&feature=youtu.be See the bill itself here: https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-c...
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So Far, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is just what her critics feared by Valerie Strauss in the Washington Post

2/24/2017

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Michigan billionaire Betsy DeVos has been U.S. education secretary for only a few weeks, but already she has shown herself to be exactly what her critics feared. In her brief time running the Education Department she has (among other things):
*insulted teachers at a middle school
*bashed protesters, saying they are “hostile” to change and new ideas
*said she would be fine if the department she runs is shut down
*complained that critics want “to make my life a living hell”
*did not participate in the first Twitter chat her department had for teachers on Feb. 21
*suggested schools should be able to compensate for troubles children have at home, such as absent fathers
*had U.S. marshals protect her after protesters blocked her entrance to a D.C. school door
*made a confusing statement about the Common Core State Standards
*made crystal clear that a top priority will be pushing for alternatives to traditional public schools, otherwise known as “school choice.”

For the full article, click here:
www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2017/02/22/so-far-education-secretary-betsy-devos-is-just-what-her-critics-feared/?postshare=1741487821399416&tid=ss_mail&utm_term=.5d80cd67564e
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The Disappearing Educator by Brenda Ortega 

2/16/2017

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EAST LANSING, Mich. – The *Michigan Education Association* yesterday released the February edition of the *MEA Voice* magazine, featuring an article that explores Michigan’s growing school employee shortage crisis.  The article, “The Disappearing Educator,” investigates why experienced teachers are leaving early and why young people aren’t pursuing the education profession.

“In an era of ever-rising job demands, teacher scapegoating, loss of autonomy, budget cuts, and over-testing, teachers are leaving early—and young people are turning away from the profession,” according to one excerpt from the article*. *

The article includes in-depth interviews with public school administrators, teachers and support staff who tell their stories and share their thoughts about the growing shortage. Adverse conditions, lack of support from Lansing policymakers and chronically inadequate state funding for schools are causing applicants for education positions to decline. In addition, enrollment in teacher prep programs at colleges and universities dropped 40 percent between 2008 and 2013.

Kathren O’Brien is a special education teacher in Walled Lake who says she will retire several years earlier than planned – contributing to a brain drain of veteran educators from a critical shortage area. She said, “I knew since I was in second grade I wanted to be a teacher—I remember my dad saying, ‘You need to have a passion for whatever job you have’—and I have absolutely loved this job. I love working with kids, and other teachers, and parents. But I don’t feel I can continue.

“What’s hard is I’m a glass-half-full type of person, but morale in the buildings is so bad,” she said. “It’s not a fun place to be. The lack of respect from the state, and the control of education by people who are not even educators, is just so extremely frustrating.”

According to the Center for Educational Performance and Information, average teacher pay in Michigan has steadily declined the past four years.

“Michigan school employees face pay cuts, freezes and other attacks from Lansing year after year, causing early retirement and disinterest in education professions,” said *MEA* *President* *Steven Cook*. “Policymakers in Lansing should listen to public school employees to understand the challenges they face and make sure our children receive a high quality education that prepares them for the future.”

Last spring, the MEA and American Federation of Teachers Michigan surveyed 11,000 of their members via an anonymous online survey. The results from
the survey echo problems revealed in “The Disappearing Educator” article. For instance, 80 percent of school employees said they are under-compensated for the job they do. In fact, many said they take home several thousand dollars less per year compared to five years ago, often due to pay freezes and skyrocketing health care premiums and deductibles.

Full results from the survey can be found here
<https://mea.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Voice_Oct_2016_survey.pdf>.

Low morale is also causing public school employees to leave their jobs. According to a 2016 study by the Learning Policy Institute, retirements account for less than one-third of teachers who leave the classroom each year. Among those who leave the profession, job dissatisfaction is most often cited as a very important or extremely important reason for leaving. 

“The teachers currently teaching in our public schools—if they can find a job outside of education where they’re appreciated and where they can have a career without being constantly attacked by outside sources, then they’re going to make that move and go to other professions,” said *Michael Shibler 
*in the article, *superintendent of* *Rockford Public Schools*.

The full article can be found here.
<https://mea.org/the-disappearing-educator/
>
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Winter Warm Up at M59 West FEBRUARY 23!

2/15/2017

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THE Winter Warm Up has been changed to Thursday February 23, 2017 at
M 59 WEST    3:00 - 6:30 p.m.


On behalf of your HVEA Executive Board and Representative Council, I would like to invite you to our Winter Warm-Up Party. It will be a fun time and a great opportunity to hang out with your friends and to make new friends!  We have invited HVS school board members so come meet your new school board.  Please join us on Thursday, February 23 between 3:00 - 6:30pm at M59 West in Highland.  We look forward to sharing food, drink and good times with you!
Yours truly,
Denise​
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Teachers Under Attack - ACT NOW!

12/1/2016

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Once again, we are under fire from our lawmakers in Lansing. This time they are even more emboldened to act impulsively and dangerously in this Lame Duck session.

President-elect Trump’s appointment of Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education.

At the behest of the DeVos family, the Republican leadership in the Senate has passed SB 102, which will put our new teachers on a defined contribution plan, which cuts out ANY MATCHING FUNDS the district currently contributes in the hybrid plan rolled out to new hires in 2012. The bill passed in the senate appropriations committee by a 9-8 vote, with three Republican Senators breaking ranks, they are Hansen, Nofs and Knollenberg. These senators deserve our thanks on this one. SB 102 is on the Senate floor for full debate. As of this communication, it is day two of these deliberations. Our voices are being heard, so the letter writing and phone calling is working and needs to continue, so please take action. Click here to find your senator’s phone number.
FYI click on this link to see what other states have expanded or preserved their public employees Defined Benefit pension plan.

Below is an article from Capital Comments…

A message from your MEA lobbyists, with talking points.
 
We have been informed by several sources that the calls and emails to state senators are working. Your communications blitz is also getting the attention of legislators in the House. Even if SB 102 passes the Senate, your calls and emails are helping us set up a firewall in the House.
 
Keep calling and emailing!
 
Remember-threats, yelling, and general abuse don't help at all. As the old saying goes, "You get more flies with honey than vinegar." That sentiment couldn't be truer than when dealing with elected officials.
 
KEY POINTS TO MAKE IN YOUR COMMUNICATIONS WITH LAWMAKERS
How will you pay for the financial hole that will be created if you move new hires to a DC plan?
   • Raise taxes?
   • General Fund cuts?
   • School Aid Fund cuts?


If the answer is to cut the School Aid Fund, our schools can't afford more cuts (and tell the story of effects from recent cuts or plug in budgetary numbers from below).

Then you can point out that failing to fill the financial hole will destabilize the pension of current school employees and those already retired - and that's not fair.

Your messages in calls and emails must follow this order. If you start with "You are taking away my pension," or some version of that, lawmakers shut down and don't listen because they believe they are only impacting new hires. You have to make the connection for them if you want to stop this from happening.

 
If the Legislature doesn't accelerate the funding as they should, according to state budget analysts, there will be an average per pupil cut of $1,110 per student over the next five years. If you want exact numbers for cuts that would happen in your district, click here.
 
Join our Action Network letter writing campaign here.
And you can find contact information for your lawmakers here.


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Talking Points for Preserving our Pension Plan MPSERS

11/30/2016

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MPSERS talking points
Any further reforms should be carefully measured and planned, with an eye toward long-term stability, not rushed through during lame duck.
Undertaking reforms of this magnitude during a lame duck session would be irresponsible and runs the risk of creating problems down the road if not done properly.
Such reforms will have wide-ranging effects on many Michigan workers, and must be done with proper public debate and input.
Lt. Gov. Brian Calley has said that it’s unrealistic to rush through further reforms during lame duck because of their sizeable scope compared to the short time allowed by lame duck,

There is no problem to fix. The MPSERS reforms that were put in place in 2012 eliminated $12 billion in debt and stabilized the system for the future.
These reforms, sought by Gov. Snyder, strengthened the financial health of the system by paying down debt and reducing future obligations.
The Pension Plus plan (Hybrid Plan) created in 2012 for school employees is 100% funded and carries less risk than the MPSERS Legacy plans.
The hybrid plan is financially manageable with a cost to employers of just over 4 percent of payroll.
Replacing the hybrid plan with a defined contribution plan – whether it’s modeled after the state employee plan or the plan proposed in Senate Bill 102 or House Bill 5218 – will cost more, and begs the question of where the money will come from to pay for it.
Gov. Snyder has defended the hybrid system calling it, “A good program,” signaling he has no “intention to…talk about changing it at this point,” while acknowledging the major upfront costs associated with a change.


Closing MPERS is unnecessary and will cost the state over $2.5 billion over the next five years.
Closing MPSERS comes with a high price tag and does not eliminate one dime of existing liability. There will be zero savings over the next 30 years.
Costs associated with closing the system are estimated to be $550 million in 2017 alone, and an additional $2 billion over the next five years.
Closing the system would result in a 67% increase in the money paid by school districts to fund retirement. This will result in higher costs for schools in the short term, and will impact kids in the classroom immediately.
Failing to address these costs would hearken back to the days of accounting gimmicks that led to Michigan’s structural deficit. We cannot afford to move backwards.

MPSERS talking points
Any further reforms should be carefully measured and planned, with an eye toward long-term stability, not rushed through during lame duck.
Undertaking reforms of this magnitude during a lame duck session would be irresponsible and runs the risk of creating problems down the road if not done properly.
Such reforms will have wide-ranging effects on many Michigan workers, and must be done with proper public debate and input.
Lt. Gov. Brian Calley has said that it’s unrealistic to rush through further reforms during lame duck because of their sizeable scope compared to the short time allowed by lame duck,

There is no problem to fix. The MPSERS reforms that were put in place in 2012 eliminated $12 billion in debt and stabilized the system for the future.
These reforms, sought by Gov. Snyder, strengthened the financial health of the system by paying down debt and reducing future obligations.
The Pension Plus plan (Hybrid Plan) created in 2012 for school employees is 100% funded and carries less risk than the MPSERS Legacy plans.
The hybrid plan is financially manageable with a cost to employers of just over 4 percent of payroll.
Replacing the hybrid plan with a defined contribution plan – whether it’s modeled after the state employee plan or the plan proposed in Senate Bill 102 or House Bill 5218 – will cost more, and begs the question of where the money will come from to pay for it.
Gov. Snyder has defended the hybrid system calling it, “A good program,” signaling he has no “intention to…talk about changing it at this point,” while acknowledging the major upfront costs associated with a change.

Closing MPERS is unnecessary and will cost the state over $2.5 billion over the next five years.
Closing MPSERS comes with a high price tag and does not eliminate one dime of existing liability. There will be zero savings over the next 30 years.
Costs associated with closing the system are estimated to be $550 million in 2017 alone, and an additional $2 billion over the next five years.
Closing the system would result in a 67% increase in the money paid by school districts to fund retirement. This will result in higher costs for schools in the short term, and will impact kids in the classroom immediately.

Failing to address these costs would hearken back to the days of accounting gimmicks that led to Michigan’s structural deficit. We cannot afford to move backwards. MPSERS talking points
Any further reforms should be carefully measured and planned, with an eye toward long-term stability, not rushed through during lame duck.
Undertaking reforms of this magnitude during a lame duck session would be irresponsible and runs the risk of creating problems down the road if not done properly.
Such reforms will have wide-ranging effects on many Michigan workers, and must be done with proper public debate and input.
Lt. Gov. Brian Calley has said that it’s unrealistic to rush through further reforms during lame duck because of their sizeable scope compared to the short time allowed by lame duck,

There is no problem to fix. The MPSERS reforms that were put in place in 2012 eliminated $12 billion in debt and stabilized the system for the future.
These reforms, sought by Gov. Snyder, strengthened the financial health of the system by paying down debt and reducing future obligations.
The Pension Plus plan (Hybrid Plan) created in 2012 for school employees is 100% funded and carries less risk than the MPSERS Legacy plans.
The hybrid plan is financially manageable with a cost to employers of just over 4 percent of payroll.
Replacing the hybrid plan with a defined contribution plan – whether it’s modeled after the state employee plan or the plan proposed in Senate Bill 102 or House Bill 5218 – will cost more, and begs the question of where the money will come from to pay for it.
Gov. Snyder has defended the hybrid system calling it, “A good program,” signaling he has no “intention to…talk about changing it at this point,” while acknowledging the major upfront costs associated with a change.

Closing MPERS is unnecessary and will cost the state over $2.5 billion over the next five years.
Closing MPSERS comes with a high price tag and does not eliminate one dime of existing liability. There will be zero savings over the next 30 years.
Costs associated with closing the system are estimated to be $550 million in 2017 alone, and an additional $2 billion over the next five years.
Closing the system would result in a 67% increase in the money paid by school districts to fund retirement. This will result in higher costs for schools in the short term, and will impact kids in the classroom immediately.
Failing to address these costs would hearken back to the days of accounting gimmicks that led to Michigan’s structural deficit. We cannot afford to move backwards.

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Pension Fight: Be our Eyes and Ears on Social Media

11/14/2016

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We need your help! Consider it virtual lobbying - with a twist. As MEA and
its partners gear up for a post-election pension battle, we need
information. We're asking you to seek it out via Twitter, Facebook
messaging, or good old-fashioned email.

Our understanding of the impending pension attack is that it is coming from
the top-down, and many legislators don't know anything about it. Republican
leadership in the House and Senate are keeping their plans under wraps.

The focus of this communication is to learn what your lawmakers know.

Here's what we want you to do: Find your representative's and/or senator's
public Facebook page and like it, then open up a private message; or search
for his or her Twitter handle and tag it using "@." Once you're connected:

   - Ask if the rumors are true, if lawmakers really are planning to change
   the Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System (MPSERS) again.
   - Ask if school employees have been consulted about this.
   - Ask if plans include opportunities for public comment.
   - Ask if they truly plan to do it during lame duck, an abbreviated
   three-week legislative session that falls after the election and before the
   newly elected Legislature is seated.

If Facebook messaging and tweets don't work, send an email. Then report
back anything you hear to MEA lobbyist Christina Canfield at
ChCanfield@mea.org
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VOTE!

11/7/2016

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Has your health insurance cost gone up?
Are you paying more into retirement?
Do you have staggering student loan debt?
Are you afraid of your new evaluation system?
These, and many more assaults on Michigan educators, are the results of
political decisions. It's not a matter of wanting to be involved in
politics, we have no choice because politicians make decisions that impact
our jobs and our students' educations.
Make a plan NOW to vote Tuesday. Before work? After work? Remember, you can
review MEA's recommended candidates specifically for YOUR area by visiting
www.MEA.YourVoter.guide
.

Thanks
Denise Forrest
HVEA President
248-701-7553
forrestdenise24@gmail.com
please like us on Facebook:
Huron Valley Education Association
Twitter: @HuronValleyEA
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MEA Recommends Hilary Clinton

10/16/2016

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It's time to make a difference!  As Mr. Perez implores in this speech, please sign up to volunteer and help with the campaign in these closing four weeks.  

You can do so online at 
www.mea.org/volunteer!


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