Michigan’s Supreme Court Doesn’t Want Parents Involved in Their Kids’ Education

Why do these schools fear parents?

One of a parent’s most basic rights is active involvement in the education of their children. The quality of learning amongst our nation’s youth determines their chances at a good life when they grow up. It also impacts the style of leadership they model for others, along with their ability to build careers and thrive. 

Unfortunately, there’s a growing agenda to keep parents out of their children’s education. It wasn’t too long ago that the US Justice Department slammed mothers and fathers as “domestic terrorists” for wanting a say in the curricula being circulated across various classrooms. 

Some proponents argue that teachers and “formal” educators know best. Many folks with this philosophy also feel it’s incumbent upon parents to simply “get out of the way” and let “the professionals” determine what their kids are exposed to. 

Unfortunately, this line of thinking is alive and well among the Michigan Supreme Court. 

A Disastrous Ruling For Concerned Parents 

Michigan’s highest court recently determined that the contents of a school curriculum titled “A History of Ethnic and Gender Studies” is not to be shared with students’ parents. People are rightfully displeased with this with questions emerging about what the school has to hide. 

Quite frankly, this curriculum sounds like the much dreaded Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) courses that people have worked so hard to protect their kids from. Parents from all backgrounds and walks of life acknowledge such divisive programs have no place in children’s classrooms. 

They Wanted to Keep This Hidden For a Reason

Make no mistake about it: the Michigan Supreme Court’s ruling is absolutely intentional. By no means is this coincidental. It’s fully by design and meant to keep parents isolated from their children’s day-to-day learning. 

Like many proponents of DEI, the state’s high court clearly believes mothers and fathers aren’t entitled to have a say in their kids’ education. Unfortunately, these folks are of the mindset that only educators with formal degrees are equipped to determine what goes into lesson plans. 

At this point, we already have a pretty good guess of what’s within the “Ethnic and Genders Studies” curriculum. This is undoubtedly a divisive form of education that pits students against one another on the basis of their gender and race. Moreover, any criticism or resistance to this ideology is likely framed by the curriculum as bigoted or otherwise harmful. 

This Underscores the Need For School Choice

If there’s one silver lining to the Michigan Supreme Court’s ruling, it’s the underscoring of why school choice is so imperative. Public classrooms are increasingly hostile to parents, shutting them out of the educational process and telling them to “trust the experts.” At this point, their lack of regard for mothers and fathers couldn’t be more apparent. 

Private school attendance, however, does away with many of these issues. Parents have a much easier time staying connected to their children's educational journeys. Moreover, they can select schools that align with their personal values and aren’t going to cram DEI agendas down the throat of our kids. 

Across the nation, various efforts are underway to not just make school choice available to all, but also ensure private schools have the necessary funding. DEI supporters and teachers’ unions are fighting this. Nevertheless, with measures like Kentucky’s Amendment 2 on the ballot this year and projected to pass, it’s clear that school choice has the momentum. 

Unsurprisingly, anti-school choice groups and teachers’ unions aren’t speaking out about the disastrous verdict from the Michigan Supreme Court. They ultimately don’t see it as problematic and would love nothing more than to keep parents isolated from the education of their kids. 

We Can’t Let Up

While this latest verdict from Michigan’s high court is a disappointment, we can’t let it stop us. Nationwide, more people are waking up to the many flaws of DEI, along with the plethora of problems plaguing public schools. 

Now is the time to keep spreading the word on why school choice is so important. Whether parents opt to send their kids to private institutions or charter schools, the government should not be standing in their way.

The same principle also applies to homeschooling. Amid rising issues with public classrooms, more parents are opting to teach their kids at home. Homeschooling unfortunately gets looked over during conversations about school choice, but we have to keep it at the forefront of our minds. 

If more verdicts hiding the content of classroom curricula pass, public school attendance will continue to shrink. It is not reasonable to ask parents to send their kids to classrooms that intentionally hide lesson plans and keep parents in the dark. 

On social media, many folks have already expressed outrage with this new verdict. Some are calling for impacted parents to pull their kids out of these schools altogether. While public school supporters and pro-DEI folks are currently celebrating, they may regret the Michigan Supreme Court’s verdict in the long run.