Michigan parents outraged after Democrats dismiss their role in education: ‘They think they own our kids’
Michigan mothers Tori Sachs and Caitlin Reynolds discuss criticism levied at the Michigan Democratic Party.
Michigan mothers expressed outrage Wednesday on "Fox & Friends" Wednesday after the state’s Democratic Party dismissed the role of parents in public education in a since-deleted Facebook post.
"I think that the Michigan Democratic Party, teachers unions, and Governor Gretchen Whitmer, they think they own our kids," Michigan mother of four Tori Sachs told Ainsley Earhardt.
Sachs said the message from the group was "especially disturbing" given their advocacy for school closures and Whitmer’s decision to veto scholarships intended for parents to pay for at-home tutoring or in-person learning at another school.
MICHIGAN DEMOCRATS CRITICIZED AFTER DISMISSING PARENTS' ROLE IN PUBLIC EDUCATION
She went on to say that the Democratic Party and Whitmer have been "out of touch" with the American people, asserting that the latter has been "controlled" by teachers unions "her entire time in office."
Democratic Gov. Whitmer announced Monday, Dec. 27, that Michigan public schools can use nonteaching staff as substitute teachers the rest of the academic year. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)
Michigan mother Caitlin Reynolds said parents across the political spectrum are "exhausted" by the Democrats’ response to the "seemingly never-ending pandemic."
"For the Michigan Democratic Party to think that the parents are not the clientele of the public school system — it’s the other way around. We pay the taxes. That’s why they’re public schools. They are publicly funded," Reynolds said.
Earlier Wednesday morning, Michigan gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon claimed the post’s message was bordering on "illegal" because of state laws that protect parents’ role in public education.
Dixon also claimed that a 21-day "equity challenge" took place in a Michigan school where children were taught the phrase "land of opportunity" was considered a "microaggression."
A Saturday post made by the Michigan Democrats on their official Facebook page criticized the parents who want to play a role in what public education teaches their children.
"Not sure where this ‘parents-should-control-what-is-taught-in-schools-because-they-are-our-kids’ is originating, but parents do have the option to send their kids to a hand-selected private school at their own expense if this is what they desire," the post read.
"The purpose of public education in public schools is not to teach kids only what parents want them to be taught," the Michigan Democratic Party’s post continued. "It is to teach them what society needs them to know. The client of the public school is not the parent, but the entire community, the public."
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The post was deleted Monday morning and came alongside an apology from the group, who asserted the original message did not "reflect" its views and "should not be misinterpreted" as a "statement of support" from Democratic officials or candidates.
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