By Chandra Madafferi More than ever, our kids need a running start at a high-quality public education and a boost as they graduate from high school to prepare for the competitive modern workforce. It starts in preschool, which provides the building blocks for student learning and development of essential social skills to last a lifetime. […]
EAST LANSING — Michigan Education Association President Chandra Madafferi, a teacher from Oakland County, issued the following statement Wednesday in response to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s State of the State address: “Gov. Gretchen Whitmer again showed tonight why she’s the most pro public education governor Michigan has ever seen. The governor’s plan to provide every student […]
By Chandra Madafferi I feel optimistic when meeting first-year educators, who tell me they are excited and ready to face the future. Many say they still chose to go into the profession despite others trying to talk them out of it. These are educators we desperately need to keep – for the sake of our […]
By Chandra Madafferi One of the most important things we can do during the holidays is take time to practice gratitude and remind ourselves of all that we are grateful for. This holiday season, Michigan educators, parents and supporters of public education have a lot to celebrate. Thanks to the hard work of Michigan Education […]
EAST LANSING — Michigan educators are facing significant challenges to both student learning and their own workplace satisfaction due to an increase in disruptive student behavior, according to a survey released Tuesday by the Michigan Education Association, the state’s largest educators union. A majority of educators surveyed reported experiencing student outbursts, damaged property or verbal […]
By Chandra Madafferi Michigan educators and communities are doing amazing things with the billions of dollars our state has received in federal school rescue funds. While there’s still plenty of great work to be done, time is running out for school districts to put this one-time funding to good use. Our state received $5.6 billion […]
This Banned Books Week, be sure to check out MEA’s “Freedom to Read” series, which explores how educators across Michigan are fighting back against political extremists and working to protect students’ freedom to read. In the five-part series, MEA Voice Editor Brenda Ortega — a former reporter with the Los Angeles Times — examines growing […]
By Chandra Madafferi and Terrence Martin From small farm towns to the inner city and the suburbs, every student in Michigan deserves an opportunity to succeed, and that’s why education leaders are excited about Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s new initiative designed to keep kids and their parents from falling through the cracks. This summer, Whitmer announced […]
EAST LANSING — Michigan Education Association President Chandra Madafferi, a teacher from Oakland County, released the following statement Friday: “We hope a resolution can be found soon in the contract negotiations between the UAW and the Detroit Three automakers. The economic impacts of a drawn-out work stoppage would be devastating for our local communities, including […]
By Chandra Madafferi From planning a holiday feast or sharing Instagram-worthy photos of an amazing meal, food invokes powerful feelings. But for some families that struggle with food insecurity, those strong feelings aren’t necessarily positive. A student once asked me, “Mrs. M., can you just go to a grocery store and get whatever you want, […]
