By Chandra Madafferi MEA President Chandra Madafferi addresses young aspiring educators at the inaugural Educators Rising conference at Wayne State University 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…

Students deserve a stable environment where they can count on having a fully qualified teacher in their class from the start of the year to the last day. EAST LANSING — Michigan Education Association President Chandra Madafferi released the following statement Wednesday in response to the Flint Board of Education’s monthslong refusal to ratify a settlement agreement reached between Flint…

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 more about the world around…

EAST LANSING – The Michigan Education Association announced Wednesday the following recommendations of candidates for Michigan Congressional districts: 3rd District: Rep. Hillary Scholten 6th District: Rep. Debbie Dingell 7th District: Curtis Hertel Jr. 10th District: Carl Marlinga 12th District: Rep. Rashida Tlaib 13th District: Rep. Shri Thanedar “MEA members at the local level have carefully chosen our recommended congressional candidates…

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. It continues in our K-12…

Governor Gretchen Whitmer 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 with universal…

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 students. Thankfully, we are seeing…

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 Association members working together as…

Photo: Vecteezy 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 threats, and more…

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 in federal school rescue funds…