The following statement can be attributed to MEA President & CEO Chandra Madafferi and AFT Michigan President Terrence Martin regarding ongoing education budget discussions in Lansing:

Michigan students and the educators who serve them every day deserve a budget that invests in their success. Lawmakers shouldn’t settle for an education budget that doesn’t invest every dollar possible toward providing every student — in rural, urban and suburban communities alike — the opportunity to succeed.

The fact is that Michigan still ranks in the bottom half of school funding nationally. For our students and economy to thrive, we need every level of education — from preschool to K-12 to higher education — to have the resources necessary for success.

We urge House Republican leaders to engage in thoughtful negotiations with their Senate counterparts and the Governor’s office to deliver a budget that ensures that every student gets a quality public education, no matter where in Michigan they’re from and what their individual education needs are. Getting funding right for our students is more critical now than ever.