The Michigan Democratic Party made a social media post over the weekend saying that parents should not have a say in their child's public school education and that private school is always an option for parents who disagree.
In a Facebook post published Saturday, the Michigan Democrats said that parents should not be allowed to dictate what is taught to their children, mirroring comments made last fall by failed Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe (D).
"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 Michigan Democratic Party wrote.
"The purpose of public education in public schools is not to teach kids only what parents want them to be taught," the 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."
The post was deleted Monday following heated criticism and the Michigan Democrats released a statement apologizing for the initial post.
"We have deleted a post that ignored the important role parents play—and should play—in Michigan public schools," the Monday post read. "Parents need to have a say in their children’s education, end of story. The post does not reflect the views of Michigan Democrats and should not be misinterpreted as a statement of support from our elected officials or candidates."
how it started how it's going pic.twitter.com/ckRbnDgUok
— Corey A. DeAngelis (@DeAngelisCorey) January 17, 2022
The Michigan state legislature passed two bills in 2021 that would have created scholarship accounts for students to fund educational expenses, including school tuition and tutoring. However, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) vetoed both pieces of legislation.
The Facebook posts come after McAuliffe said in a September Virginia gubernatorial debate with then-candidate Glenn Youngkin (R) that he does not think parents should be telling schools what they should teach their children.
McAuliffe's remarks became a defining moment for his campaign and helped propel Youngkin to victory. Youngkin was sworn in as Virginia's 74th governor on Saturday.