YOUR HELP IS NEEDED TODAY!
Imagine the impact of 900 LETTERS or PHONE CALLS!!
This is a LEGISLATIVE BLAST DAY!
TODAY the House Education Committee will take up House Bill 4241, a bill to eliminate teacher tenure. They may vote on it AS SOON AS TODAY!!!
Sponsored by Rep. Bill Rogers, R-Brighton (some of you will remember him from last Friday), the legislation would repeal Michigan’s tenure law ENTIRELY. It is unclear whether the committee will vote Tuesday or only take testimony.
MEA strongly opposes House Bill 4241. Tenure guarantees due process to ensure a teacher isn’t dismissed for personal or political reasons. The union supports tenure law changes to streamline the process of discharging teachers to cut time and costs.
Below you will find key members of the House Education Committee and their email addresses.
A SAMPLE LETTER IS INCLUDED AFTER THE EMAIL ADDRESSES!
Cut and Paste the letter into an email and send it to ANY OR ALL House members!
Please use your home email accounts or cell phones!!!
Bill Rogers – Republican, Brighton – SPONSOR of House Bill 4241
BillRogers@house.mi.gov
517-373-1784
Paul Scott – Republican, Grand Blanc – Chair of House Education Committee
PaulScott@house.mi.gov
517-373-1780
Rep. Hugh Crawford - - Republican, Wixom – House Education Committee Member
HughCrawford@house.mi.gov
517-3730827
Rep. Lisa Brown – Democrat – West Bloomfield, Bloomfield Hills, Walled Lake
Ranking Member of House Education Committee (A FRIEND OF EDUCATORS!!!)
LisaBrown@house.mi.gov
517-373-1799
Rep. Thomas Hooker – Republican, Byron Center
ThomasHooker@house.mi.gov
517-373-2277
SAMPLE LETTER:
Dear Education Committee Representative,
I am writing today to urge you to vote NO on House Bill 4241 – the bill sponsored by Bill Rogers that is meant to abolish teacher tenure.
While I support streamlining the process for discharge of ineffective teachers, tenure is a system that provides a systematic way to handle teacher evaluation and teacher placement. It is a system that ensures that teachers are allowed due process and are not dismissed for personal or political reasons.
The new Race to the Top legislation addresses many of the concerns regarding teacher evaluation that I believe the legislature has. Our school district already has policies in place to provide a “Guided Practice” or a “Plan of Improvement” for teachers who are identified as needing extra help in perfecting their performance.
Abolishing tenure altogether would be MANY steps back, rather than a positive move toward improving public education
MEA
About Me
- Tfitzjake
- I wrote this introduction 6 years ago, and it is even more important today than ever. The voices of educational employees need to be heard above the roar of public school attacks in this country. We are on the front line; we are highly educated and trained professionals. Why are we being ignored? I am an educator. I was the president of the Walled Lake Education Association for over 6 years, and before that, the treasurer for 8 years. I have been on the bargaining team for 15 years. I am now the MEA UniServ Director for 7K and parts of IJ. I want our voice to be heard! Today's educational climate requires that we all stay informed regarding the issues affecting our chosen profession!