As both a labor leader and longtime teacher in Michigan, I’ve seen firsthand the struggle our students, families, and educators face when politics gets in the way of progress. This moment is one of the most dangerous I’ve witnessed. As students head back to the classroom this fall, teachers and staff are preparing to give them the best education possible. But instead of focusing on learning, they’re forced to ask: will Lansing pass a budget that keeps schools running past September?
This shouldn’t be a question. Every parent deserves to know their child will be safe and supported in the classroom, with the resources they need to succeed — from books and food to the education professionals who provide essential services. But right now, Republican lawmakers led by House Speaker Matt Hall are holding all of that in limbo.
The state House passed a budget at the top of the summer that cuts deep into the very programs families rely on. It would strip away universal school meals, underfund special education, force layoffs of educators, and push districts to choose between essentials like after-school programs and mental health services. All that will accomplish is shifting the burden onto working families. We cannot pretend this is anything but a direct attempt to undermine the very foundations of public education in Michigan. We’ve seen it happening in Washington, D.C. and now we’re seeing it in Lansing.
Districts are already preparing contingency plans and administrators are making impossible decisions. Do they pay teacher’s aides or keep the lights on? Do they protect after-school programs or mental health services? Do they serve kids breakfast and lunch or maintain basic classroom resources? These are not hypothetical scenarios. They are the direct and devastating consequences of the political games being played by House Speaker Matt Hall and House Republicans.
Meanwhile, the state Senate has moved forward with a budget that makes real investments in our students, educators, and communities. But without action in the House, the clock is ticking. It has been common practice for several years now that a budget is passed by July 1, allowing school districts the time needed to plan for return to school. This year it appears that House lawmakers in Lansing are going to run out the clock, all the way to the October 1 deadline that marks a state government shutdown.
Every day of delay forces superintendents and school boards into choices that will undoubtedly impact students and their families. Do they cut buses in rural townships, forcing kids to travel miles on foot or parents to be late for work? Or do they cut back on staff and after-school support, leaving already underfunded classrooms without the help they need?
This crisis doesn’t stop at K-12. The disastrous House budget proposal devastates higher education, completely eliminating funding for community colleges, slashing funding for Michigan State University’s budget by 18 percent and gutting the University of Michigan by 65 percent. For working-class families, that means tuition hikes, fewer opportunities, and the dream of college stripped away. On top of that, Republican leaders are trying to penalize universities for offering diversity, equity and inclusion programs as well as gender-inclusive facilities, an outright assault on freedom of expression and on our values of justice and equity.
We should also consider the impact of potential education job losses in our communities. Fewer teachers, fewer support staff, fewer bus drivers, fewer cafeteria workers. That doesn’t just weaken our schools, it weakens the working class and drives even more families into instability in an already troubled economy.
What’s happening here isn’t just a budget battle between political leaders, it’s a test of our values as Michiganders. Do our elected officials believe every child, no matter where they live, deserves access to safe classrooms, healthy meals, and a pathway to a prosperous future? Or are they willing to let their political allegiances to corporations and wealthy families like the DeVoses push some students aside while billionaires thrive?
From rural townships to urban neighborhoods, Michganders share a simple belief: every child deserves an opportunity to thrive in school. Our children don’t have time for political stunts and shows. They need action now.
Michigan educators and families can’t wait. Lawmakers must pass a fully-funded, equitable school budget. Not in the 11th hour, not with last-minute cuts, but with the urgency and full support our kids deserve. Anything less is a betrayal of Michigan’s students, Michigan’s families, and Michigan’s future.
