MEA Resources for Census 2020
While state education budget is finished, Legislature’s work has just begun
Lawmakers came together last week to pass an education budget that provides needed investments for students and educators. After months of delays and missed deadlines, the budget provides positive improvements for our schools in some areas while falling short in others. Hopefully, lawmakers can build on this bipartisan solution and move forward to tackle critical classroom issues affecting Michigan…
State budget compromise includes both positives and negatives
The 2026 Michigan state budget that resulted from last-minute negotiations spilling into the new fiscal year works out to be a net positive for public education, according to an initial MEA analysis. Educators from across the state held steady pressure on lawmakers to help break the months-long budget stalemate, including several dozen who descended on the Capitol in the shadow…
MEA statement on passage of 2025-26 education budget
The following statement can be attributed to MEA President & CEO Chandra Madafferi regarding the Legislature’s passage of the 2025-26 education budget: “While overdue and still with areas of concern, the education budget for this school year is finally complete and makes important investments in the success of Michigan’s students and the educators who serve them. “This budget significantly increases…
Keep the pressure on for quality education budget for students
On Thursday night, word came in Lansing that a budget deal was reached for the state’s new fiscal year that starts this Wednesday, Oct. 1. Related to that deal, the House passed several revenue enhancing bills for road funding. Details about what is in the education budget for preK-12 and higher education are unknown as of this writing. MEA is…
Educators descend upon Capitol urging quick passage of the quality education budget students deserve
UPDATE 9/26: On Thursday night, word came in Lansing that a budget deal was reached for the state’s new fiscal year that starts this Wednesday, Oct. 1. Related to that deal, the House passed several revenue enhancing bills for road funding. Details about what is in the education budget for preK-12 and higher education are unknown as of this writing.…
RSVP Now for Sept. 24 Education Budget Lobby Day
Plan now to join MEA and AFT Michigan for an education funding lobby day in Lansing next Wednesday, Sept. 24. With the budget deadline looming, we need union members and supporters in Lansing to tell lawmakers to fund our schools, including critical programs like free school meals and mental health supports. Our students deserve to be Michigan’s top priority, with…
Educator joins ‘Art of Democracy’ exhibition
Sarah Ellis For MEA member Sarah Ellis, making art is essential to being alive and human — like breathing. “For as long as we’ve been able to recognize that humans have existed, we’ve found art alongside them,” she says. In a time of deep societal divisions, Ellis wants art to be a source of hope and empowerment — and she…
Union of Tenure System Faculty Win Recognition at MSU
Clear majority of faculty unite to support historic unionization The Union of Tenure System Faculty (UTSF) won recognition from Michigan State University (MSU) yesterday after years of organizing and hard-fought legal battles. A recognition agreement was signed by both parties following a neutral party verification confirming that a clear majority of eligible faculty submitted authorization cards in support of union…
House budget cuts $1.4 billion from schools as educators work without contracts
By Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor UPDATE 9/16: Join us on Wednesday, Sept. 24 in Lansing for an Education Budget Lobby Day — RSVP now! A deep dive into the state budget passed by Michigan House Republicans shows their aim is to cut $1.4 billion from schools and $1.6 billion from other state programs to boost spending on roads by $3…