Mahjar Post interview with Wissam Charafeddine, Green Party candidate for the Michigan State Board of Education

Mahjar Post conducted this interview by email with Wissam Charafeddine, the Green Party candidate for the Michigan State Board of Education in the November 3, 2026 election, a statewide seat. His answers, received on October 20, 2026 (Eastern Time), are published here in full and verbatim.

1. Please introduce yourself and the office you seek, in a few sentences.

My name is Wissam Charafeddine, and I am running for the Michigan State Board of Education. I am an educator, engineer, entrepreneur, author, and longtime community advocate. I hold a master's degree in Software Engineering from the University of Michigan–Dearborn and serve as the founder and CEO of W Institute, where we work to expand educational opportunities, particularly in technology and computer science.

My professional experience spans education, software engineering, business development, and community engagement. I believe Michigan needs a State Board of Education that combines educational experience with technological expertise, independent thinking, and a genuine commitment to preparing our children for the future.

2. Why did you decide to run, and what are your top three priorities if elected?

I decided to run because I see a growing disconnect between what our children are learning and the world they are entering. Technology is transforming nearly every profession, yet many Michigan students still lack meaningful access to computer science education. At the same time, schools are adopting expensive educational technologies without sufficiently rigorous standards for effectiveness, student privacy, or teacher involvement.

My three priorities are:

First, universal access to meaningful K–12 computer science education. Michigan must move beyond simply offering courses and ensure that every student develops foundational computational thinking and digital literacy skills, regardless of ZIP code or family income.

Second, accountability in educational technology. I want Michigan to establish rigorous, teacher-informed standards for educational software and artificial intelligence. Public money should support technologies that demonstrably improve learning, protect student information, and empower teachers rather than replace their professional judgment.

Third, integrating STEAM education across the curriculum. Science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics should not exist in isolated silos. We need interdisciplinary learning that develops creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, and practical skills.

Underlying all three priorities is a simple principle: We should measure educational success by what students actually learn, not by how much money we spend or how many programs we announce.

3. Which issues do you hear most about from Arab and Muslim voters in your district, and how would you respond to them?

Michigan's State Board of Education is elected statewide, and the concerns I encounter among Arab and Muslim families overlap significantly with those of other Michigan families: academic quality, school safety, affordability, parental involvement, and opportunities for their children.

However, Arab and Muslim families also raise concerns about discrimination, bullying, religious accommodation, cultural representation, and whether their children can express their identities without fear of exclusion or retaliation.

I believe schools must be places where every child feels safe, respected, and intellectually challenged. Muslim students should not face discrimination for wearing hijab, observing religious practices, or expressing their cultural identities. Arab American students should not be stereotyped or held responsible for international political conflicts.

I would advocate for stronger anti-bullying enforcement, culturally competent family engagement, transparent complaint procedures, and meaningful communication between school officials and communities.

I also believe families deserve a genuine voice in educational decisions. Too often, institutions invite parents to meetings without giving them any meaningful influence over outcomes.

Representation should mean more than being invited into the room. It should mean being heard, respected, and included in decisions.

4. What is your position on civil rights and civil liberties protections, including religious freedom and protection from hate crimes?

Civil rights and civil liberties are not privileges granted selectively to communities we agree with. They are constitutional protections that belong to everyone.

I strongly support freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, equal protection under the law, and the right to peaceful political expression.

I oppose antisemitism, Islamophobia, anti-Arab racism, and all forms of discrimination and hate-motivated violence. Our institutions must respond consistently to threats and harassment, regardless of the identity of the victim or perpetrator.

As an educator, I am particularly concerned about protecting students from discrimination while preserving their constitutional rights. Schools should teach students how to engage respectfully with disagreement rather than suppress difficult conversations.

Criticism of a government, including the United States or Israel, should not automatically be equated with hatred toward a religious or ethnic group. Equally, political expression cannot justify threatening or harassing individuals because of their identity.

I believe the proper response to controversial ideas is education, dialogue, and the protection of constitutional rights—not censorship or selective enforcement.

5. What is your position on immigration policy and on the treatment of immigrants and refugees?

I believe immigration policy should be humane, orderly, lawful, and consistent with America's constitutional principles and international humanitarian obligations.

As an immigrant-rooted nation, the United States has benefited enormously from the contributions of people who arrived seeking opportunity, safety, and freedom. I support fair immigration procedures, meaningful due process, family unity, reasonable pathways to lawful status, and the protection of refugees fleeing war and persecution.

I oppose policies that indiscriminately punish families, discriminate based on religion or national origin, or treat immigrants as inherently dangerous.

In education, my responsibility would be particularly clear: every child deserves access to public education regardless of immigration status.

Schools should be places of learning, not instruments of immigration enforcement. Student records and sensitive family information must be protected in accordance with the law, and schools should not voluntarily expose children to unnecessary risks through inappropriate data sharing.

Our public schools serve children, not immigration categories.

6. What role should the United States play in the Middle East, and what would you support or oppose?

I believe American foreign policy should be grounded in international law, human rights, diplomacy, and the principle that every human life has equal value.

The United States should be a force for peace and conflict resolution, not an unconditional sponsor of military escalation or regional domination.

I support Palestinian self-determination, an end to the occupation, equal rights and security for Palestinians and Israelis, and accountability for violations of international humanitarian law. I oppose the killing of civilians, forced displacement, collective punishment, settlement expansion, and unconditional military assistance that enables human rights violations.

I also oppose military interventions and regime-change policies that destabilize countries, undermine sovereignty, and create generations of suffering.

Having roots in Lebanon, I understand how deeply American foreign policy affects families and communities throughout the Middle East.

I support diplomacy with regional governments, respect for national sovereignty, humanitarian assistance, and peaceful solutions that recognize the dignity and rights of all people.

Although foreign policy is outside the authority of the Michigan State Board of Education, these principles inform my commitment to teaching history honestly, encouraging critical thinking, and protecting students from discrimination based on international conflicts.

7. What is your position on the cost of living, housing and health care for working families?

The rising cost of living is placing enormous pressure on working families. Housing, groceries, health care, transportation, and education are consuming an increasing share of household income, while wages have often failed to keep pace.

I support policies that expand affordable housing, strengthen workers' economic security, improve access to affordable health care, and reduce the financial burden on families.

I believe health care should be accessible based on human need rather than wealth, and that government should encourage competition, transparency, and accountability wherever public or private institutions provide essential services.

As a Green Party candidate, I also believe economic policy must consider long-term sustainability, not merely short-term profits.

From the perspective of the State Board of Education, economic hardship directly affects educational outcomes. Students cannot perform at their best when they face food insecurity, unstable housing, inadequate health care, or unreliable transportation.

I support adequate funding for school meals, student support services, and equitable educational opportunities. I also support expanding career and technical education so students can develop marketable skills without being forced into unnecessary debt.

A strong education system is one of the most effective long-term tools for economic mobility.

8. How would you represent constituents who do not share your views or background?

I am not running to represent only people who agree with me. I am running to serve every child and family in Michigan.

My professional life has required me to work with people from different cultures, religions, political perspectives, and socioeconomic backgrounds. I have learned that effective leadership begins with listening and that disagreement does not prevent cooperation.

I would approach every issue by asking three questions: What does the evidence tell us? What serves students best? And are we applying the same standards fairly to everyone?

I will not expect parents, teachers, or community members to adopt my personal beliefs. I will expect public institutions to respect their constitutional rights.

The State Board of Education should not become another battlefield for partisan ideology. Its primary responsibility is educational quality, accountability, and the well-being of Michigan students.

I believe we can disagree strongly about politics while agreeing that children deserve excellent schools, qualified teachers, safe classrooms, and meaningful opportunities.

9. Is there anything we did not ask that readers should know?

I want readers to understand that my candidacy is not simply about improving existing programs. It is about questioning whether our educational system is adequately preparing children for a rapidly changing world.

Artificial intelligence, automation, and emerging technologies are fundamentally transforming employment, communication, and society. Yet much of our educational structure still reflects assumptions from the previous century.

I have spent my professional life working at the intersection of technology, education, entrepreneurship, and community development. I understand both the opportunities technology creates and the dangers of implementing it without accountability.

I also believe public education must remain a public good, not become a captive market for technology vendors or political interests.

My campaign is about bringing independent thinking, measurable accountability, and a future-oriented perspective to the State Board.

Michigan helped build the industrial economy of the twentieth century. I believe our schools should help build the intellectual and technological economy of the twenty-first.

10. Is there another question you would like us to ask you in this interview? If so, what is it, and what is your answer?

Question: What is the single most important change Michigan needs to make in how it approaches public education?

Answer: We must shift from a system that primarily measures educational inputs to one that is accountable for educational outcomes.

We regularly debate how much money schools receive, which programs they adopt, and which technologies they purchase. Those are important questions, but they are incomplete.

We must also ask whether students are actually learning to read proficiently, reason mathematically, think critically, solve problems, communicate effectively, and become responsible citizens.

I would advocate for transparent, publicly accessible measures of educational progress, evaluated over time and adjusted for the different challenges schools face.

Accountability should not mean punishing teachers or disadvantaged schools. It should mean identifying what works, supporting educators, correcting what fails, and ensuring that every public dollar contributes to meaningful educational improvement.

Our children deserve an education system designed around their potential, not around institutional convenience.

Questions Specific to My Campaign

1. Your campaign site notes that Public Act 206 of 2024 requires every Michigan high school to offer computer science by 2027–28, and says offering a course is not the same as requiring students to take it. What would you propose the State Board do about that?

Public Act 206 is an important step, but we must recognize the difference between access and participation.

A school can technically comply with the law by offering a computer science course that only a handful of students take. That would satisfy a requirement on paper without necessarily achieving the broader educational objective.

I would propose that the State Board work with the Michigan Department of Education to establish transparent implementation and participation reporting.

We should publicly track which schools offer computer science, how many students enroll, who completes the courses, whether qualified instructors are available, and where disparities persist across geographic and socioeconomic groups.

I would also advocate for integrating foundational computer science and computational thinking into earlier grades, rather than waiting until high school.

Ultimately, I support making meaningful computer science learning part of every student's educational experience. That does not necessarily mean requiring every student to take an advanced programming course. It means ensuring that all graduates understand fundamental concepts such as algorithms, data, cybersecurity, computational thinking, and the responsible use of artificial intelligence.

The State Board should evaluate options for incorporating those competencies into statewide learning expectations and consider a future graduation requirement through the appropriate legislative process, while providing flexible pathways and adequate implementation resources.

I would not support imposing another unfunded mandate on schools.

Our goal should not be to produce a generation of programmers. It should be to produce a generation that understands the technological world it inhabits.

2. Your site calls for mandatory Michigan Ed-Tech Quality Standards with teacher input before procurement. How would those standards work in practice?

Michigan school districts spend significant public resources on educational software, digital platforms, and increasingly artificial intelligence tools. Yet procurement decisions can be driven by marketing, administrative convenience, or vendor promises rather than demonstrated educational effectiveness.

I would advocate for a statewide Michigan Ed-Tech Quality Standards framework built around five criteria:

Educational effectiveness: Products should demonstrate credible evidence of improving learning outcomes or solving a clearly identified instructional problem.

Teacher evaluation: Classroom educators should participate meaningfully in testing and evaluating technologies before major purchasing decisions.

Student privacy and security: Vendors should meet rigorous requirements for data collection, storage, retention, deletion, and cybersecurity. Student information should never be exploited for advertising or unrelated commercial purposes.

Accessibility and equity: Products must accommodate students with disabilities, English language learners, and schools with different technological resources.

Cost-effectiveness and transparency: Districts should evaluate total ownership costs, interoperability, vendor dependence, and measurable results before renewing contracts.

In practice, I envision a statewide evaluation framework, a publicly accessible repository of reviewed products, and standardized procurement guidance that districts can use instead of duplicating expensive evaluation efforts.

Teachers should be involved in pilot programs, and contracts should include measurable performance expectations and appropriate exit provisions.

The State Board should establish model standards and work with the Legislature and relevant agencies to make appropriate requirements enforceable while respecting local procurement authority. I also believe we must avoid turning the standards themselves into another costly bureaucracy. The process should be practical, transparent, and proportionate to the cost and risk of each product.

Technology should have to earn its place in the classroom. A compelling sales presentation is not evidence of educational value.

3. Your site says the MiFamily family engagement framework is voluntary and unfunded, and calls for funded culturally competent family engagement. What would you fund first?

I would begin by funding the people and communication systems that connect schools with families, particularly in communities where language, cultural differences, work schedules, or unfamiliarity with school systems create barriers to participation.

My first priority would be targeted funding for trained family engagement liaisons, multilingual communication, interpretation services, and parent education programs in districts with demonstrated needs.

As someone who has worked directly in family and community engagement, I have seen that the problem is rarely a lack of parental interest. More often, parents face structural barriers that schools have not adequately addressed.

For example, a parent who does not speak English fluently should still be able to understand their child's academic progress, communicate with teachers, and participate in important educational decisions.

Similarly, schools must recognize that working parents may not be able to attend meetings scheduled during conventional business hours.

I would support flexible meeting opportunities, culturally competent professional development, and meaningful parent advisory structures.

However, I would not measure success by the number of events hosted or newsletters distributed.

I would measure whether more families are meaningfully participating, whether communication is improving, whether parents report greater trust, and whether student attendance, academic performance, and school engagement improve.

I would prioritize high-need districts, establish measurable pilot programs, and expand the approaches that demonstrate results.

Family engagement is not a public relations activity. It is an essential component of student success.

4. In your Northville-Novi News questionnaire you list responsible AI literacy and student-data privacy among your priorities. What should the State Board require of districts on each?

Artificial intelligence presents both extraordinary educational opportunities and significant risks. Our response should be neither blind enthusiasm nor blanket prohibition.

I believe Michigan needs a comprehensive approach addressing AI literacy, appropriate classroom use, teacher oversight, and student-data protection.

On AI literacy, I would advocate for statewide age-appropriate learning expectations that teach students how AI systems function, where they are useful, how they can produce errors or bias, and why independent judgment remains essential.

Students should learn how to verify AI-generated information, recognize synthetic media, understand algorithmic bias, and use these tools ethically.

Teachers should receive professional development that helps them integrate AI appropriately without surrendering instructional judgment.

I would also advocate for clear district policies requiring human oversight of consequential decisions involving student assessment, discipline, placement, and educational opportunities.

On student-data privacy, I would support requiring districts to maintain transparent inventories of educational technologies that collect student information, conduct risk assessments before adopting high-risk systems, and establish enforceable vendor safeguards.

These should include data minimization, strong access controls, encryption, defined retention periods, deletion requirements, breach notification procedures, and restrictions on using student information to train commercial AI models without appropriate legal authorization and protections.

Parents should know what information is being collected, why it is necessary, who can access it, and how they can exercise their rights.

I would also oppose unnecessary disclosure of personally identifiable student information to federal agencies or other third parties without a valid legal basis and appropriate safeguards.

The State Board should adopt clear model policies and standards within its authority and seek legislation where binding statewide requirements are necessary.

Students should graduate knowing how to use artificial intelligence intelligently, without becoming products of the very systems they are learning to operate.

5. You say you would evaluate programs by measurable results. Which measures would you use for literacy and math?

I believe educational accountability must begin with clear, meaningful, and publicly understandable measures.

For literacy, I would prioritize early reading proficiency, particularly by third grade, because foundational reading skills strongly influence success across nearly every subject.

I would examine the percentage of students meeting grade-level expectations, individual student growth over time, early literacy screening results, and the effectiveness of interventions for struggling readers.

I would also evaluate whether schools are using evidence-based reading instruction, including systematic foundational skills instruction and appropriate comprehension development.

For mathematics, I would measure grade-level proficiency, student growth, foundational numeracy in elementary grades, and readiness for more advanced mathematical reasoning in middle and high school.

I would pay particular attention to whether students are developing conceptual understanding and problem-solving ability rather than simply memorizing procedures.

For both subjects, I would evaluate results across student groups, including students with disabilities, economically disadvantaged students, and English language learners, to identify persistent opportunity gaps.

I would use multiple measures rather than relying on a single standardized examination. State assessments such as the M-STEP can provide important comparative information, but they should be complemented by validated diagnostic assessments, classroom evidence, and longitudinal student growth data.

I would also examine attendance, chronic absenteeism, access to qualified teachers, and intervention participation because these factors help explain educational outcomes.

Most importantly, I would evaluate the relationship between interventions, costs, and results.

If a district invests substantial resources in a new literacy or mathematics program, we should be able to determine whether student outcomes improved, for whom, by how much, and at what cost.

I would advocate for a transparent statewide educational performance dashboard that allows policymakers, educators, and families to examine trends without exposing individual student information.

We should identify successful approaches, support struggling schools, and discontinue ineffective programs when the evidence warrants it.

Accountability is not about assigning blame. It is about making sure that when something does not work, we have the courage and evidence to change it.

Wissam Charafeddine Candidate for Michigan State Board of Education 2026 Website: wissamc.com