By Erik Edoff, Senior Executive Director, Michigan Education Association This week marks Teacher Appreciation Week, a time when we all come together to honor the hard work of our children’s educators. The most important thing we can do to show our appreciation for Michigan’s dedicated teachers is to pay them a competitive wage. Unfortunately, Michigan […]
By Chandra Madafferi, Michigan Education Association President and CEO As we shake off the winter blues and welcome the sunshine and warmth of spring, let’s think back to our childhoods and how it felt to go outside for recess in April without a winter coat. Think of how the sun felt on your face and […]
By Chandra Madafferi, Michigan Education Association President and CEO I’m incredibly proud that a teacher from Michigan was recently selected as the annual winner of a prestigious national educational excellence award, as it highlights that great things are happening in public schools throughout our state. Matt Hamilton, a teacher at East Jordan Middle/High School in […]
Bipartisan coalition shows we can all work together to improve public schools By Chandra Madafferi, Michigan Education Association President and CEO Michigan students need us to cooperate with one another and help improve our local schools because, despite many innovative public education initiatives across the state, we do not have a system of excellence — […]
By Chandra Madafferi, Michigan Education Association President and CEO UPDATE (Jan. 13, 2025) — The new House leadership has yet to present House Bill 6058 to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for her review. This critical legislation, passed by the Legislature last month, would rein in skyrocketing health care costs for teachers, school support staff and other public […]
By Chandra Madafferi, Michigan Education Association President and CEO As we reflect on the recent election results, it’s clear that our country remains deeply divided on many fronts. The diversity of opinions and beliefs that surfaced during this time can sometimes feel overwhelming, and it’s easy to feel uncertain about what lies ahead. Yet during […]
By Chandra Madafferi, Michigan Education Association President and CEO I recently returned from a trip to Norway, where I joined a group of professors from Michigan State University’s College of Education to observe Norwegian schools in action and bring home lessons for our state. For years, I’ve heard the Scandinavian education model produces students who […]
By Chandra Madafferi, Michigan Education Association President and CEO I began my teaching career as a special education teacher, a deeply rewarding experience filled with joys and profound connections hard to match in any other profession. One of the most heartwarming aspects of my job was witnessing academic and personal growth among my students, many […]
By Chandra Madafferi, Michigan Education Association President and CEO On my children’s first day back at high school a few weeks ago, our district’s superintendent pointed out that the effects of the pandemic still linger; far too many students continue to struggle with mental health issues like anxiety and depression, as well as underdeveloped social […]
By Chandra Madafferi, Michigan Education Association President and CEO It’s my favorite time of year, when shopping aisles are once again packed with school supplies from notebooks and No. 2 pencils to graphing calculators and glue sticks. It’s still hard to walk by boxes of crayons, as they call to me. But not everyone feels […]
