Gary Abud, Jr., and I joined Tony for new episodes of his podcast series, to educate the public on issues of importance to each of us. Earlier this week, Tony Trupiano was kind enough to invite two members of Team Eclectablog to speak with him on his new podcast series. In our podcast, Tony and I discussed the new abortion […]

Who better to discuss education issues than the Teacher of the Year?! I am honored and exceedingly pleased to announce Eclectablog’s newest contributor, Michigan 2013-2014 Teacher of the Year Gary Abud, Jr. I normally introduce new contributors with an interview but Gary and I have already done an extensive interview (which you can read HERE.) Gary and I first connected […]

Hero of the Year more like it

The same day that my good friends Rochelle Noel and Betsy Coffia and their team were pulling off a highly successful rally to support public education in Michigan, Gary Abud was being crowned as the Michigan 2013-2014 Teacher of the Year. My interview with Gary last week has created what I think is an important conversation about merit pay and the use of Gary’s story and situation against his will to support an agenda he does not support.

Dale Hansen who blogs for the Detroit News wrote what I think is an important piece titled “Teacher of the Year: The merit pay disconnect” and was on Tony Trupiano’s Night Shift radio show to discuss it.

Last night, Gary Abud himself was on Tony’s show. It’s a fantastic interview and gives you real sense of just how eloquent, smart, and talented Mr. Abud is. Enjoy after the jump.

This story has legs

After my piece on the exploitation of Michigan 2013-2014 Teacher of the Year Gary Abud by anti-union groups like the Mackinac Center and StudentsFirst to promote their anti-union agenda, I was interviewed by Tony Trupiano on his Night Shift radio show about it. The segment ran Friday evening and you can listen to it after the jump.

Michigan’s ‘Teacher of the Year’ deserves better than this

In May of this year, Gary Abud, a science teacher at Grosse Pointe North High School, was chosen as Michigan’s 2013-2014 Teacher of the Year by State Superintendent Mike Flanagan. It’s an amazing accomplishment for a teacher who has only been at it for six years. Well-respected by both his students and his coworkers, Mr. Abud was a worthy choice.

To reward him for his outstanding achievement, the anti-union corporatist Mackinac Center — an ALEC and State Policy Network affiliate that is funded, in part, by the Koch brothers — did a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to find out how much money Mr. Abud makes. Once they found out, they proceeded to use him to promote passage of House Bill 4625, a bill I call the “‘Teach to the Test’ Teacher Pay Act”.

Click through for my interview with this amazing educator.