MEA Screening and Recommendation

Last month, I had the opportunity to participate in a screening and recommendation interview with the Saline Educators Association and Education Support Professionals. To participate, I needed to complete a candidate questionnaire for the Michigan Education Association Political Action Committee.

I did not earn their endorsement, but I earned their encouragement.

Below are my responses to the Candidate Questionnaire.

Why are you running for this position at this time?

My advocacy in the school board began in December 2016 when Loudoun County Public Schools was considering updating its nondiscrimination policy to include gender identity and sexual orientation. The following month, they voted against this policy change, but instead of giving up, I helped build a movement by relaunching Equality Loudoun. It took 2 years, but we were able to create change, and we didn’t stop there. 

I found myself in the boardroom because I felt powerless in the face of what was happening at the National level. I decided to focus my energy as locally as possible, on the schools. I really fell in love with hearing people give public comments. Even though many of the LCPS board meetings would last for hours with hundreds of people giving public comment, I learned so much about our community and was able to connect with people I wouldn’t have met otherwise.

A school board works to create a shared vision for the community. I want to help expand that vision. Public schools are a child’s first exposure to community and a democratic society. I want our schools to be the heart of our community where everyone feels included, engaged, and cared for. Too many people, including my children, are not engaged in their schools. It is like we are losing shared experiences because we are all in our own bubbles, scrolling on our phones.

While working for Michigan Education Justice Coalition (MEJC) as a school board organizer, I tracked school board elections across Michigan. I have seen too many school board seats on the ballot without candidates. I have also seen voter drop-off at the bottom of the ballot, and it breaks my heart. Too many people are not bothering to vote in elections where they can have an outsized impact. I think it is important that voters have a choice at the voting booth. On the filing deadline, I went to the clerk’s office to ask who had filed. At that time, no one had filed for the partial seat, so I filed. More candidates have gotten into the race, and I am thrilled that voters will have a choice in the upcoming school board election. 

I was devastated when MEJC terminated their school board organizing program because it was my passion. I see a need to educate people about the role of a school board, how to advocate at the state and local level, and encourage people to get involved. I missed working with school board members and wanted to use the skills I have learned to support communities. But I found very few avenues to share these skills.

In your opinion, what are the three biggest issues impacting the ability of school employees to deliver quality public education to students?

The three biggest issues affecting school employees' ability to deliver quality public education to students are a lack of funding, staffing shortages, and workplace violence.

Michigan schools have been underfunded for decades. Education funding has faced cuts at the Federal and state levels. We are also seeing communities unable to raise funds through bonds and millages. And Michigan legislators continue to prioritize attracting business to the state through tax cuts that divert funds from our public schools. The Federal government is pushing to fund schools through block grants, which could come with strings attached, as we have seen with threats against trans students in particular. Block grants could also be diverted to charter schools and programs with less oversight, exacerbating existing funding gaps between wealthy districts and under-resourced districts.

I don’t want our education systems to be funded by box tops, Amazon wishlists, or PTA fundraisers. Educators should have all the supplies they need. Would it be more cost-effective for schools to include this as a budget line item because they can buy in bulk? If we tax it, the burden of providing schools with adequate resources is shared by every taxpayer, rather than relying on teachers and parents to provide necessities like disinfecting wipes, tissues, and PBIS prizes.

Not only are teachers underpaid, but they also pay out of pocket for too many of their classroom needs. Teachers invest in making their classrooms welcoming places, ensuring that every student can see themselves reflected on their classroom bookshelves, and providing basic classroom supplies. Currently, one of the biggest out-of-pocket expenses for educators is health care, as well as the impacts of inflation that are hurting us from the gas pump to the grocery checkout line. People don’t go into teaching to get rich, but we have promised them good benefits and retirement packages that have been chipped away.

We are in a national shortage of trained, certified educators. We need to increase funding to address teacher shortages, ensure educators are properly trained, and reduce the student-to-teacher ratio. We also need to inspire people to enter the teaching profession. We want people to see teaching as a pathway to living a successful, enriching life. 

We need to increase funding for mental health supports to hire school psychologists, social workers, and paraprofessionals. We also need to protect school staff's mental health and personal safety because of the rise in workplace violence in our public schools.

Recent legislation has tried to address the issue of workplace violence in our public schools through behavior threat assessments, standardized terminology, and the MEA has created a task force to address workplace violence in our schools. Educators suffer high rates of verbal abuse, threats against their safety, and physical violence. I have seen teachers destroyed on social media for following district guidelines and supporting all students, like when Ms. Harvey at Pleasant Ridge read A Kid Like Gavin to her classroom. 

If you are a student watching your teacher be attacked by students and parents, why would you even consider going into the teaching profession? 

Considering the position for which you are running, what role does local/state/federal government play in public education?

The school board is a link between the hyper-local level and state and federal representatives. School board members need to connect with their state and federal representatives to advocate for laws that will protect and bolster public education. School board members should also inform their community about what is happening in education at the state and federal levels. 

I have lobbied the Michigan legislature to increase school funding, pass the state budget before schools are legally required to submit their budgets to the state, and close the dark-store loopholes. I have organized school board members to pressure the MI Congressional delegation to protect the Dept of Ed. 

Local governments can impact public schools when planning new housing developments. Are they planning to create a mixed-income community or allow single-family homes priced over $300k? This determines who can live in the community and contributes to the tax base that funds public schools. Local governments can also lead safety initiatives, such as safe storage for firearms and media programming, and facilitate collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce. 

The state of Michigan allocates funding to public schools in the yearly budgeting process. The Michigan legislature also sets laws regarding academic standards. The Governor and the State Board of Education can release Executive Orders to provide guidance on how to apply or interpret laws. At the Federal level, they can decide how funds are distributed to states and how they can be used. They can decide to use a weighted funding formula that increases funding for students with disabilities or living in low-income areas, or disperse the funds through block grants.

The person with the most power in the Michigan legislature is the speaker of the House, Matt Hall. We have seen him withhold bills that were passed by the legislature to prevent them from being signed into law. On the same day the Michigan Supreme Court ruled his actions unconstitutional, Governor Whitmer vetoed the bills that had been passed by the legislature. One of these bills, HB 6058, would have corrected Public Act 152, which Gov. Snyder signed into law in 2011. This act limited the amount employers could pay toward health care costs for teachers, school support staff, and other public employees. This has directly contributed to the skyrocketing cost of healthcare expenses for school employees. 

At the Federal level, the US Department of Education has historically helped identify gaps in public school funding, provided targeted funding for low-income Title I schools, managed IDEA to provide funding for students with disabilities, and distributed funding for higher education, such as the Pell Grant. The Department of Education was a watchdog for accountability, transparency, and enforcing non-discrimination laws like Title IX. 

Michigan is a collective bargaining state. How does collective bargaining enhance public education?

The MEA is the 2nd-largest union in Michigan, with over 120,000 members. Studies have shown that union members earn higher pay and benefits through collective bargaining. This contributes to a better workplace environment that benefits students and teachers. As union membership has dwindled, income inequality has increased.

Collective bargaining allows those directly impacted to have a voice in any changes made to their contracts. This allows for better working conditions, benefits, and hours. Those closest to a problem are best suited to solve it because they have the most knowledge and experience.

It benefits the public by securing resources to improve the community and ensure economic security. Collective bargaining has secured 271 funding to help offset out-of-pocket expenses, won pay raises in 2024, and expanded the subjects of bargaining to include outsourcing jobs, teacher placement, and the recall of educators. It also allows for local control of the school calendar. 

The Economic Policy Institute found that teachers, on average, are paid 20% less than other professionals with similar levels of education. Collective bargaining helps to equalize economic security across professions. Collective bargaining improves the lives of staff, students, and the community at large. It allows them to have a seat at the negotiating table. 

The collective bargaining process also involves the community. When SAS was fighting for a new contract, our community came together to show support for teachers and our district. It is unfortunate that teachers often work without a contract for so long and have to fight so hard.

Collective bargaining is a civil right and a matter of social and racial justice. It allows communities with unique needs to advocate for improvements that benefit their community and level the field for all students, regardless of differences in race, income, or nationality.  

The repeal of Right-to-Work in Michigan took effect in 2024. This allowed people to opt out of paying union dues, weakening the power of collective bargaining. When this law went into effect in 2012, Michigan had the 7th-highest percentage of unionized workers, but that percentage has been falling steadily ever since. Since the repeal, we have seen an increase in union membership, which increases their collective bargaining power.

It is important to push back against anti-union legislation that has already passed and new legislation on the horizon. We need to expand the areas for collective bargaining. In 2012, when Gov. Rick Snyder was in office, a slew of anti-labor bills were passed. We are still working to reverse the harm of these bills.