MICHIGAN –– The Michigan Education Association (MEA) and American Federation of Teachers Michigan (AFT Michigan) today announced their support for several statewide education board candidates, including:

• Ted Jones and Adam Zemke for State Board of Education
• Rebecca Bahar-Cook and Thomas Stallworth for Michigan State University Board of Trustees
• Denise Ilitch and Shauna Ryder Diggs for University of Michigan Board of Regents, and
• Rasha Demashkieh and Mark Gaffney for Wayne State University Board of Governors.

In light of these recommendations, MEA President & CEO Chandra Madafferi and AFT Michigan President Terrence Martin issued the following joint statement:

“As the state’s two largest unions that represent educators, we are proud to support statewide candidates who will prioritize our public schools, universities, and university-run healthcare systems. Our members continue to face obstacles when it comes to fairness in the workplace and securing equitable contracts, and we need officials in charge who will stand up for students, their families, and the public employees who keep our schools and universities operational.

“These endorsements reflect a need to elect folks who will work to reduce class sizes, prioritize fair pay for faculty and staff, and fight corporate-backed policies from the Betsy DeVos playbook. We’re looking forward to the opportunity to elect these champions in November.”

MEA recommendations for Court of Appeals 2^nd District

MEA also announced its recommendation of two candidates for the Michigan Court of Appeals’ 2^nd District (including Macomb, Oakland and Genesee Counties): Randy Wallace and Latoya Willis.