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 […]
By Chandra Madafferi, MEA President and CEO With last week’s passage of the state’s new education budget, Michigan families and educators have cause to celebrate — and legislators have some work yet to do when they return to the Capitol. First, the good news. To help address the shortage of qualified teachers and school support […]
As Michigan’s budget process enters the final stretch, lawmakers must maintain our state’s momentum by passing an education budget that prioritizes increasing educator compensation so we can provide every student with trained, qualified and caring school employees. Thanks to the bipartisan support from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Legislature, Michigan has passed record levels of […]
By MEA President Chandra Madafferi Federal school rescue funds provided by the Biden administration to help Michigan students recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic will run out later this year, and it’s critical that our leaders identify revenue streams to maintain the progress our schools have been making. Michigan received a total of […]
By Chandra Madafferi Ever since I could stand, I knew I wanted to be a teacher. My dad bought a few desks and an old chalkboard and put them in our basement. I even have funny memories of creating “lesson plans” for my sister, and yes, she will tell you I gave her homework. I […]
By Chandra Madafferi Certified school librarians across Michigan are doing amazing work to help increase literacy rates and spark a love of reading among students. As a state, we must work to ensure every student has access to a certified librarian in their school. Certified school librarians run vibrant programs that allow students to learn […]
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. […]
