FACT CHECK: Dixon’s Education Bill Costs Students and Parents, Governor Whitmer Supports Local Decision-Making to Support Parents and Students

On strict orders from the family bankrolling her campaign, DeVos sellout Tudor Dixon is pushing her crusade to decimate public education.

This is only one step of her dangerous education plan that would eliminate the federal Department of Education, implement a voucher system, and rewrite Michigan’s constitution for the sole purpose of diverting taxpayer dollars to unaccountable private institutions.

Meanwhile, no governor in decades has done more to empower Michigan students, teachers, and parents than Gretchen Whitmer. For four years in a row, she made the largest investments in K-12 education in Michigan history – without raising taxes. She has tripled the number of reading coaches, helped reduce class sizes, and closed the school funding gap, which four governors before her tried to accomplish. 

Here’s the facts.

School Curriculums Are Already Available to Parents in Michigan

School curriculums in Michigan and other information about materials and lessons are “already available to parents” and easily accessible on school district websites, along with “school employees and information about extracurriculars.”

Tudor Dixon Sold Out to Do Betsy DeVos’ Bidding and Rewrite Michigan’s Constitution So She Can Shortchange Our Kids

One of the largest pillars of Tudor Dixon’s wrong-for-Michigan agenda is her commitment to decimate public education funding by any means necessary. 

In step with Betsy DeVos, who said abolishing the Department of Education should be a pillar of the GOP platform, Dixon wants to kneecap public education by rewriting our state’s constitution to allow public funding to be siphoned to private schools and eliminating Michigan’s Department of Education. 

Her push to enact DeVos’ plans doesn’t stop there.

Dixon backed a plan to cut public education funding by up to $500 million annually and sell public schools for parts, while diverting resources into private schools-turned corporate tax havens

These drastic changes without alternatives and unsustainable cuts come on top of the $3.5 billion she has vowed to indiscriminately slash from the School Aid Fund.

Tudor Dixon’s Agenda to Ban Abortion and Force Child Victims of Rape to Give Birth Threatens Michigan’s Children and Families

Tudor Dixon called a hypothetical 14 year-old victim of incestual rape the “perfect example” of why abortion should be banned and has repeatedly confirmed that her dangerous crusade to ban abortion extends even to children who are the victims of horrific abuse. 

When given the opportunity to clarify her comments that child victims of rape should be forced to give birth, Dixon explained her belief that government should mandate that victims find “healing” by being forced to give birth. Dixon has also defended her plans to ban abortion by claiming that “if you’re a predator there’s nothing you like more than abortion.”

Michigan Law Requires Local Control, Parental Involvement for Decisions about Sex-Ed in Schools

Michigan law leaves decisions about sex education to local school districts, and requires that districts that do offer any form of sex education “form advisory committees in which at least half its members are parents of students in the district.” Additionally, parents have the ability to opt their child out of sex education in schools where it is offered. 

Governor Whitmer Has Repeatedly Supported Parents’ Role in Their Children’s Education

As a parent of two kids who went to Michigan public schools, Governor Whitmer knows how important it is that parents have a say in their children’s education. 

Governor Whitmer created the Michigan Parents’ Council to empower more parents in the policymaking process. Representing parents from across the state, the council will host regional roundtables to hear from parents on topics like long-term success for students, the start of the new school year, implementing the education budget, and crafting future investments. 

While serving in the legislature, Whitmer voted multiple times in favor of bipartisan legislation requiring schools to involve parents including a bill mandating that schools adopt and implement parent involvement plans “designed to encourage parental participation” in schools.

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