Teacher Politicizes Colleagues On Underfunding, Own School’s Funding Up

The Michigan Education Association recently published an article on its website about a Fraser Public Schools teacher who is recruiting colleagues to become more politically active, including asking lawmakers to send more money to public schools.

“A few years ago, Jarod McGuffey sat in the staff lounge at his school in Fraser discussing Michigan’s broken school funding system, over-testing, declining enrollment at teacher prep programs in state universities, and other growing concerns,” the MEA article stated.

McGuffey’s intends to recruit teachers willing to become more politically active and connect them with state politicians and officials in what has been called the “Trusted Voices” campaign.

“In his advocacy work through the campaign, McGuffey is focusing on garnering attention and action on a recent study by a coalition of state business and education leaders that showed Michigan is underfunding public education by nearly $2,000 per student,” the MEA article stated.

If McGuffey, who is an elementary school teacher, wants to learn more about school funding, he may want to start with his own school district.

In the 2010-11 state budget, which was the last one signed by former Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm, Fraser Public Schools had an enrollment of 5,088 students and received $36.6 million in state support. By 2017-18, Fraser enrollment had fallen to 4,976 students, while state support had risen to $43.6 million.

In terms of dollars-per-student, after adjusting for inflation, Fraser Public Schools received the equivalent of $752 more per pupil in 2017-18 than it did in 2010-11.