LANSING, Mich. (Feb. 28, 2025) — Yesterday, the U.S. Dept. of Education launched a so-called “snitch portal,” inviting parents to “report illegal, discriminatory practices at institutions of learning,” according to its website. Responding to the weaponization of the federal government against teachers, Sen. Dayna Polehanki (D-Livonia) issued the following statement:
“Our teachers, school administrators, and staff work tirelessly — often without fair pay — to educate our children and prepare them for success. Their jobs are already difficult enough without the federal government putting a target on their backs. This will not only make it even more difficult to recruit new teachers, but it will also make it harder to retain the great teachers we already have. Don’t be deceived — this is a thinly veiled witch hunt against educators who dare to acknowledge the full scope of American history and the diverse experiences of their students.
“It’s clear this isn’t about ensuring every student gets a meaningful education. It’s about censorship. It’s about silencing viewpoints that challenge the Trump administration’s narrow and exclusionary agenda. It’s about punishing educators for doing their jobs — teaching the truth — and will ultimately create a culture of fear in schools. This is nothing more than government-sanctioned harassment of teachers, and we cannot sit by while they ban books, whitewash history and attempt to turn parents against teachers.”