With the passage of Michigan’s new education budget last week, Michigan families and educators have reason to celebrate — and lawmakers have some work to do when they return to the State Capitol.
First, the good news: More than 100,000 school employees across Michigan will receive a much-needed 3% pay increase to address the shortage of qualified teachers and school support staff that is affecting schools across the state.
Hardworking educators have sacrificed 3% of their pay for over a decade to pay off the debt of our state’s school retiree health care system, which is now fully funded, so it makes sense to eliminate that tax on school employees.
The budget also cuts school district severance payroll taxes by 5.75%, allowing local schools to invest an additional $598 million in students and faculty. In total, school districts will receive an average increase of $400 per student to support student learning.
These changes will honor the financial sacrifices educators have made over the past decade to fund a strong retiree health plan and ensure Michigan stays on track to pay off its unfunded school employee pension liability by 2038.
The state budget also includes Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s top priorities: funding free universal community college and increasing funding for Michigan’s public universities and colleges. These investments will help build a trained, educated workforce that can attract new jobs and investment to our state.
But there is still much work to be accomplished, especially when it comes to adequately funding school safety and student mental health.
As a teacher and parent, I know I’m not alone in saying that nothing is more important than the health and safety of our children. Our students have had a tough few years when it comes to their mental health, with the effects of the pandemic, school violence, and the toxicity of social media.
Schools are often the first point of contact for students struggling with mental health issues such as depression or anxiety and can provide early intervention and a supportive environment for children.
Yet Michigan faces a severe shortage of school-based mental health professionals to serve the needs of students. For example, while the American School Counselor Association recommends a ratio of 1 school counselor for every 250 students, Michigan has a ratio of 1 counselor for every 598 students, second-lowest in the nation. Our state continues to face a similar shortage of school-based psychologists and social workers.
There has been some progress in recent years, thanks to efforts by the governor and state legislature to bring more mental health professionals into the education sector: Michigan has added more than 1,000 support professionals to its schools since 2018, according to the state Department of Education.
It’s important to build on this progress, which is why the Michigan Education Association is calling on state lawmakers to pass a back-to-school supplemental budget that increases average per-student funding and invests in student safety and mental health security.
With proper funding for mental health services, our schools would be able to employ more mental health professionals who can identify and address relatively minor issues before they get out of control.
Michigan students are counting on educators and parents to advocate on their behalf.
We look forward to working collaboratively with the Governor and lawmakers this summer, fall and beyond to ensure taxpayer dollars are invested wisely to support the needs of students and the educators who serve them.
Chandra Madafferi is president of the Michigan Education Association.
Voices of workers
The Voice of Labor column is written in rotation by United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain, Michigan Education Association President Chandra Madafferi, Michigan Council of Carpenters and Lumbermen Executive Director/Treasurer Tom Latz, and select members of the Service Employees International Union.