Michigan Education Justice Coalition

09/03/2026

We used to be able to say that we helped lead the nation in support for teachers. For decades, Michigan was one of the highest-paying states for teachers. Now, we are far from where we once were.

"Michigan has experienced the largest decline in teacher salaries of any state over the past three decades, while nearly three-quarters of Michiganders say starting teacher salaries should increase, according to a new Michigan State University report.

MSU’s Education Policy Innovation Collaborative, or EPIC, finds that Michigan’s average teacher salary, adjusted for inflation, has fallen 29% since its 1995 peak — from the equivalent of $100,064 to $71,023 in 2025 dollars."

https://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2026/08/michigan-largest-decline-in-teacher-salaries

09/02/2026

Michigan lawmakers commissioned a study in 2023 that found the state’s public schools need ~$22.8 billion in infrastructure money. So even though Michigan awarded 31 school districts a total of $224 million to fix aging infrastructure this past July, it's less than 1% of what is needed.

The gap between need and available funding has a lot to do with how Michigan schools get infrastructure money. Michigan is one of eight states where the primary funding source for school infrastructure is local bonds. From the 2014-2023, Michigan districts paid 98% of their infrastructure costs, with the remaining 2% coming from the federal government.

In 2022, lawmakers funded a statewide school facility study. The subsequent report, released in 2025, assessed conditions in 2,534 school buildings and found that Michigan public school districts needed to spend an estimated $22.8 billion by 2033 to bring their buildings up to “a common standard of health, safety, and wellness.”

https://www.macombdaily.com/2026/08/23/michigan-gave-schools-224m-for-infrastructure-but-they-need-billions/

Thank you Bridge Michigan for laying out the full picture on this crisis 🤲🏾

The gap between need and available funding has a lot to do with how Michigan schools typically get infrastructure money.

09/01/2026

Your town can pass a bond for a new gym — but not one dime of it can legally pay a teacher. That's not a loophole. That's the system working exactly the way it was designed. The school funding system is broken, and it has been for a long time.

Join the Michigan Freedom Coalition and our Deputy Director of Organizing, Drew Hohmann, *tomorrow* to break down where the money actually comes from, who gets shortchanged, why local ballot measures keep failing, and so much more.

To RSVP: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1XcbB-Zk9L8tFzRbeR0IvHeFWMNQJJdSHHGSmHjASAyo/

09/01/2026

We are thrilled to announce the addition of a new member to our MEJC team!

Jess Newman is our new Co-Director, and we are beyond grateful to have her expertise with us. She is a lawyer, community organizer, and policy advocate who brings 20 years of experience fighting for social and economic justice at the local, state, and national levels.

Prior to joining MEJC, Jess held various roles in political and labor organizing. Most recently, she served as United for Respect's National Political Director, fighting for better working conditions for retail workers. She currently serves as Secretary of the Ferndale School Board, and previously worked for the Bernie Sanders 2020 Presidential Campaign, the Michigan Nurses Association, America Votes, and the Communications Workers of America.

Jess is excited to bring her experience to MEJC because she believes public education is the cornerstone of a strong democracy and a vibrant community. She deeply understands the intersection of education policy, community organizing, and convening stakeholders to ensure all students receive a high quality education, no matter their zip code.

Please joining us in offering Jess a very warm welcome!

08/31/2026

This back to school season, we want to acknowledge how incredibly important school board members are. These governing bodies make decisions that directly affect us and our kids, which is why it's so important to elect folks who share your values.

That's why we want YOU to host a school board candidate forum in your community. These forums let voters know who is running and what they stand for. Join us for a training *tomorrow* where we'll help provide you with the information and tools to host one in your district!

School board races deserve so much more attention than they get! School board members represent our communities and make vital decisions that directly affect us and our kids. That's why we want YOU to host your own school board candidate forum in your community to let folks know who is running and w...

08/28/2026

Breaking News 📢 Americans for Citizen Voting - Michigan’s anti-voter, proof of citizenship proposal is headed to the Michigan Supreme Court to determine if it will be on the November ballot.

Let us break this proposal down. It came from an out-of-state group and was backed by an out-of-state billionaire. Their campaign submitted signature sheets written on with crayon and approximately 100,000 signatures were from unregistered voters, which is not allowed. One person was allowed to sign 38 times, and there were tens of thousands of duplicate and outdated signatures. Some of their signature gatherers had been “blacklisted” by the Bureau of Elections.

Americans for Citizens Voting - Michigan did not submit enough valid signatures to qualify for the ballot, but they are still heading to the Michigan Supreme Court to try and get it on the November ballot.

Make no mistake: this anti-voter proposal would make it harder for U.S. citizens to cast their ballots. A driver's license, state ID, or REAL ID should be enough to register to vote. This proposal would change Michigan's constitution so you couldn't use any of those IDs to register to vote.

08/27/2026

08/27/2026

"I built my career studying public education in Michigan. Nothing scares me more for its future than vouchers.

The governor should opt Michigan out of the voucher scheme buried in the federal law known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025. Michigan’s students, families, and educators need strong public schools to power the state’s economy — not another debunked political experiment."

We are so thankful to Tanner Delpier from Bridge Michigan for this information. Tanner grew up in the UP as the son of two educators, and earned a Ph.D. in education policy studying school choice, closure and education finance.

Michigan needs stable, rational policy that supports students and educators. At the very least, education policy should aim to promote the public good, not balkanize our institutions and segregate our students.

08/26/2026

We heard that Governor Gretchen Whitmer is planning to opt in to Trump and DeVos' federal voucher scheme, despite the fact that it violates our state constitution, and Michigan voters rejected vouchers TWICE (in 1978 and 2000).

For decades, certain politicians and the greedy CEOs that bankroll their campaigns have spread lies about these programs, trying to mask them as “school choice”. The real world shows that voucher-style tax credits primarily benefit the wealthiest families already using private schools, diverting resources from public schools that educate over 90% of Michigan’s children.

Tell Governor Whitmer that Michiganders have *already* spoken, and we want to support our kids, not the ultra wealthy: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/urgent-action-tell-gov-whitmer-to-oppose-trump-voucher-scheme

08/25/2026

Michigan education isn't a game, and young people should not be treated like political pawns. Join us for a youth-led candidate forum where our youth organizers will ask candidates about their stances on increasing federal funding for public education, vouchers, fully funding IDEA, and reopening and strengthening the US Department of Education ⚡️

Join us on zoom this Thursday: https://actionnetwork.org/events/back-to-school-michigan-senate-candidate-forum