Originally published on Dearborn Blog: https://dearbornblog.com/2026/09/06/why-i-am-running-for-the-michigan-state-board-of-education/
I have decided to run for the Michigan State Board of Education because I believe public education is one of the most important moral, economic, cultural, and democratic responsibilities we share.
Education is not just about test scores. It is about whether a child in Dearborn, Detroit, Hamtramck, Livonia, Grand Rapids, Flint, or the Upper Peninsula has a real chance to live with dignity in the future that is already arriving. It is about whether teachers are respected as professionals. It is about whether parents are treated as partners. It is about whether our schools prepare students for technology, democracy, work, family, citizenship, and life.
Michigan needs schools that innovate, include, and empower.
That is the heart of my campaign.
I am running with Green values: equity, sustainability, peace, democracy, local empowerment, public accountability, and human dignity. For me, Green politics is not a slogan. It is a way of asking a simple question: are our systems serving people, communities, and the future, or are they serving bureaucracy, corporations, and short-term politics?
Public education should serve children, families, teachers, and communities. Period.
My Vision for Michigan Education
My top priority is to make Michigan public education future-ready without leaving any child, teacher, or family behind.
Michigan adopted K–12 Computer Science Standards in 2019, becoming the 31st state to do so. That was progress, but implementation was left voluntary and uneven. Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed Public Act 206 of 2024 on January 17, 2025, requiring every Michigan high school to offer computer science by the 2027–28 school year. That is another step forward.
But offering a course is not the same as guaranteeing access, quality, trained teachers, or real opportunity.
As of 2022–23, 401 of Michigan’s 1,265 high schools reported no students in any computer science-related course. That is not acceptable in a world shaped by artificial intelligence, automation, cybersecurity, robotics, and digital systems. Too many students, especially in working-class, rural, Black, immigrant, and under-resourced communities, are still being prepared for yesterday’s economy while the world is moving at the speed of AI.
My commitments are clear.
First, I will push for a district-by-district computer science implementation transparency report so parents, teachers, students, and taxpayers can see where computer science is actually being taught and where it is only being promised.
Second, I will advocate for a serious computer science teacher pipeline plan so districts can meet the 2027–28 mandate with qualified educators, not just check a box on paper.
Third, I will work for STEAM integration across all subjects, not just math and science. Technology, art, language, civics, history, and career education must work together. A student should not have to choose between being creative and being technically skilled. The future belongs to those who can think across disciplines.
Technology should not be a luxury program for a few students. It should be a basic part of public education.
Teacher-Led Standards for Ed-Tech Procurement
Michigan has had technology vision documents before. The “MI Roadmap: Transforming Education Through Technology” was presented to the State Board of Education in March 2017. It offered a vision, but not strong procurement standards or teacher input requirements.
Michigan also has the Student Online Personal Protection Act, Public Act 368 of 2016, which governs student data privacy with ed-tech vendors. That matters. Student data must be protected. But privacy alone is not enough.
We also need to ask: does the technology work? Does it help teachers? Does it improve learning? Is it accessible? Is it worth the money? Does it create more work for educators or less? Is it chosen because students need it, or because a vendor gave a good sales pitch?
My commitments on ed-tech are direct.
First, I support mandatory Michigan Ed-Tech Quality Standards before districts purchase major educational technology.
Second, I support required teacher review panels in procurement. Teachers should not be the last people consulted about tools they are expected to use every day.
Third, I support an annual public Ed-Tech Transparency Report so taxpayers can see what is being purchased, why, how much it costs, and whether it is working.
This is where my Green values and my professional background meet. I believe in innovation, but not blind consumption. I believe in technology, but not corporate capture. Public schools should not be an experimental sales floor for vendors. If a tool helps students and teachers, prove it. If not, Michigan should stop wasting money on digital glitter.
Fully Funding Culturally Competent Family Engagement
One of the most important and most neglected parts of education is family engagement.
The Michigan Department of Education released MiFamily: Michigan’s Family Engagement Framework to help schools partner with families. It includes research, tools, and guidance. It also calls for culturally and linguistically responsive engagement, translated materials, and interpreter services for immigrant families. But a framework is only guidance unless districts are required and funded to implement it.
Federal law, including Lau v. Nichols and the Every Student Succeeds Act, requires schools to engage families and provide meaningful language access to parents with limited English proficiency. The law is clear, but the practice is not.
This is personal for communities like Dearborn, Hamtramck, and Detroit. In Dearborn, thousands of parents speak Arabic or another language at home. If a parent cannot understand a teacher’s message, cannot read a school notice, or cannot talk to a principal without help, they cannot fully participate. That is not their fault. It is the system’s failure.
First, I support a funded Culturally Competent Family Engagement Pilot in high-need districts, with culturally competent outreach, interpretation, and home-school communication for families that do not speak English at home.
Second, I support requiring districts to publish family engagement plans that include specific steps for immigrant families, language access, cultural competency training, and community partnerships.
Third, I support full funding for interpreter services, translated materials, and community liaisons so parents can participate fully in their child’s education.
Families are not the problem. They are the solution. A parent who is informed, supported, and welcomed is a parent who can help their child succeed.
Family engagement should not be a side project. It should be part of how schools operate.
What Schools Should Prioritize
When asked to rank the priorities of K-12 public schools, I believe the core academic and civic foundations must come first.
My priority order is: Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Civics, American History, Information Technology, Vocational Learning, Personal Finances, Art and Music, Physical Fitness, Foreign Language, Social Emotional Learning, Sexuality, and Gender Identity.
I would omit Political Activism and Critical Race Theory as listed.
That does not mean schools should avoid difficult history. They should teach students how to think critically about history, government, rights, race, power, and civic responsibility. But classrooms should not become partisan training centers or ideological battlefields.
Students need knowledge, skills, discipline, creativity, and moral seriousness. They need to learn how to read deeply, write clearly, calculate accurately, understand science and technology, participate in democracy, manage money, work with technology, appreciate beauty, stay healthy, and respect people who are different from them.
That is not left or right. That is education doing its job.
Equality of Opportunity and Equitable Support
Students should have equality of opportunity, with equitable support to make that opportunity real.
I do not believe schools should promise identical outcomes for every student, because students have different talents, choices, interests, and paths. But I also reject the idea that opportunity exists just because we say it does.
A child without internet, language access, safe transportation, qualified teachers, stable housing, special education support, or family engagement does not truly have the opportunity.
So the goal should be equal opportunity strengthened by equity in resources, access, and support — not forced sameness of outcomes.
Parents, Schools, and Trust
I believe government should recognize and support the fundamental right and essential duty of parents to direct their child’s health and educational well-being.
Parents have the primary right and responsibility to guide their child’s health and education. Schools should respect parents, communicate clearly, and treat families as partners, not obstacles.
At the same time, public schools must also follow the law, protect student safety, and provide every child with a quality education. The best model is not government replacing parents, and it is not parents being ignored. The best model is schools, teachers, and families working together with transparency and trust.
That means no surprises, no secrecy, no culture-war games, and no treating teachers like enemies. Parents matter. Teachers matter. Students matter. We have to stop building politics on suspicion and start rebuilding schools on trust.
Faith, Religious Liberty, and Public Schools
My spiritual beliefs are rooted in faith, humility, service, and the dignity of every human being. I believe we are judged not only by what we say we believe, but by how we treat others.
My values are compassion, justice, honesty, family, peace, and responsibility. In public service, that means leading with conscience without using government to impose religion, and defending the vulnerable, the poor, the stranger, the child, and those who disagree with us.
Students should be able to speak freely and civilly about matters of conscience, faith, and moral conviction, including Christianity. Public schools should not silence sincere religious expression simply because it is religious. At the same time, schools must not use government authority to promote one faith over another.
The standard should be simple: protect free speech, require civility, and respect students of every religion and no religion.
Marriage, Family, and Equal Rights
I believe marriage is a sacred institution, and family is the foundation of a strong society.
At the same time, I believe in equal rights and equal protection under the law. No one should be fired from a job, evicted from housing, denied healthcare, or excluded from public life because of who they are or who they love.
The Michigan Supreme Court ruled in 2023 that the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act covers sexual orientation and gender identity. I support that ruling.
I also respect the religious conscience of faith-based institutions. I believe the best path is to protect both equal rights and religious liberty, without forcing one to cancel the other.
Crisis Pregnancy and Student Support
I am pro-life.
I believe every life has dignity, from conception until natural death.
But I do not support turning the phrase “from conception until natural death” into a blanket legal standard that allows government to control deeply personal medical decisions, including choices made by pregnant people, families, and their doctors.
The issue is most urgent when a pregnant student needs support. Michigan already has a law that protects pregnant students, but the law is weak, vague, and rarely used.
Public Act 245 of 1976 protects pregnant students from discrimination and requires schools to provide support, including home tutoring, flexible scheduling, and protection from being expelled or forced to leave. But it does not provide funding for implementation, clear procedures for enforcement, or standards for what “support” means in practice.
I support crisis pregnancy funding. That means funding for practical support: child care, transportation, food, counseling, housing referrals, mental health services, and coordination with local nonprofits and faith-based organizations.
My goal is not to punish or shame pregnant students. It is to make sure they can stay in school, finish their education, and build a good life for themselves and their children.
Sex Education and Student Safety
I support age-appropriate, medically accurate, and parent-involved sex education that teaches safety, consent, healthy relationships, and respect. It must be honest, and it must involve parents as partners.
I believe parents should have full access to the curriculum and the right to opt their children out of any instruction that conflicts with their family’s religious or moral beliefs.
At the same time, we must protect every student. I support strong policies against sexual abuse, harassment, and exploitation, with clear reporting procedures, training for staff, and support services for victims.
Gender Identity, Sports, and Private Spaces
I believe in treating every child with dignity and respect. I also believe we need clear, fair, and common-sense policies on gender identity, sports, and private spaces in public schools.
I support the principle that sports should be safe, fair, and based on biological sex. I support private spaces, including bathrooms and locker rooms, that protect privacy and safety for all students.
I also believe schools should have clear procedures to protect students from bullying, harassment, and discrimination, regardless of their identity, background, or beliefs.
We need to find solutions that protect every student’s dignity, safety, and privacy — not solutions that divide our communities.
Education Funding and Livable Income
I support full, equitable funding for public schools, with a focus on the needs of students, teachers, and communities.
That means enough funding for small class sizes, safe buildings, qualified teachers, modern technology, art, music, sports, counseling, and special education services.
I also believe teachers deserve a livable wage. A teacher who cannot afford to live in the community where they teach cannot fully serve their students.
I believe in raising the minimum wage and supporting a livable income for all workers, including teachers, support staff, and families. When families can live with dignity, children can learn with confidence.
The U.S. Department of Education and Local Control
I believe in local control of education. Decisions about schools should be made as close to the community as possible.
At the same time, the federal government has an important role to play in protecting civil rights, ensuring equal access, and providing resources for schools that need them most.
I do not support abolishing the U.S. Department of Education, but I do support reforming it to be more accountable, more efficient, and more responsive to local communities.
Federal education policy should protect civil rights, students with disabilities, low-income districts, English learners, and basic educational equity across states.
The best model is local control with federal support — not federal control and not local isolation.
Voting, Democracy, and Public Responsibility
Voting is a constitutional right, not a privilege reserved for people who have the easiest access.
I support making voting more accessible, including early voting, same-day registration, and clear information in multiple languages.
I also believe in teaching civics in our schools. Students should learn how democracy works, how to participate, and how to hold leaders accountable.
Democracy is not a spectator sport. It requires participation, education, and responsibility from every citizen.
Guns and Public Safety
I believe in the Second Amendment, and I also believe in common-sense measures to protect our children and communities from gun violence.
As a member of the State Board of Education, I will support safe storage requirements, background checks, and school safety measures that protect students and staff.
I do not believe we should arm teachers, but I do believe we should invest in mental health support, conflict resolution, and community-based violence prevention programs.
Foreign Policy, Peace, and Human Rights
I believe in peace, diplomacy, and human rights for all people, everywhere.
As a candidate for the State Board of Education, I do not make foreign policy, but I do believe in teaching our students to understand the world, to respect other cultures, and to stand up for justice.
I believe in an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, an end to the occupation, and a just peace that protects the rights and dignity of both Israelis and Palestinians.
I also believe in standing up for human rights everywhere, including in Ukraine, Sudan, Yemen, Myanmar, and all other places where people are suffering.
How I Describe Myself Politically
I am a Green. I believe in the Ten Key Values of the Green Party: ecological wisdom, social justice, grassroots democracy, nonviolence, decentralization, community-based economics, feminism, respect for diversity, personal and global responsibility, and future focus.
I am also a social democrat. I believe in a strong public sector, in workers’ rights, in universal healthcare, in free public education, and in a livable income for all.
I am not a liberal, and I am not a conservative. I am a Green and a social democrat who believes in people, in community, and in the future.
Why This Campaign Matters
This campaign matters because our children’s future is at stake. It matters because our teachers deserve respect, our families deserve support, and our communities deserve a voice.
It matters because Michigan can do better. We can have schools that innovate, include, and empower. We can have a state where every child has a chance to succeed, no matter where they live, what language they speak, or how much money their family makes.
I am running because I believe Michigan’s children deserve a future-ready education, parents deserve partnership, teachers deserve respect, and communities deserve a real voice.
I am running because I believe Michigan needs a new kind of education leadership: principled but practical, rooted in community, serious about technology, respectful of teachers, welcoming to families, and brave enough to say the truth without turning every issue into a political circus.
Public education should not be captured by corporations, abandoned by government, or weaponized by extremists. It should be renewed.
That is why I am asking for your support.
I am Wissam Charafeddine, and I am running for the Michigan State Board of Education.
Join the campaign, learn more, and get involved at: wissamc.com
Innovate. Include. Empower.
