Capitol News

Mike Rogers, a U.S. Senate candidate in Michigan, said at an October 11 Mecosta County dinner that Michigan Democrats have negatively impacted K–12 students by prioritizing indoctrination over education in the state's schools.

"Democrats sent Michigan education spiraling," said U.S. Senate Candidate Mike Rogers, US Senate Candidate. "Democrats insist on forcing woke ideologies in our schools. They're failing kids, failing parents, and failing our state."

According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation's 2025 Kids Count study, Michigan ranks 44th in the nation for education. The state has experienced declines in areas such as fourth-grade reading proficiency and eighth-grade math proficiency. The study indicates that Michigan has performed worse than the national average across various metrics since 2014.

Additional data from the Annie E. Casey Foundation shows that over 70% of Michigan students are not ready for college, an increase from 65% in 2016.

Rogers attributes worsening education outcomes to a focus on "woke ideologies." As reported by The Midwesterner, a group of parents and teachers recently expressed their disapproval of a proposed change to the state's sex education curriculum. The current law allows parents to opt their children out of sex-ed classes, but the new curriculum would eliminate this option. According to the report, opponents objected to elements of the proposed curriculum that encourage discussion of sexually explicit material and LGBT topics.

In June, during a state House Oversight Committee hearing, elected officials criticized State Superintendent Dr. Michael Rice for Michigan's declining educational performance, according to a report from The Center Square. Lawmakers highlighted the state Board of Education's "continued support of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives."

Mike Rogers is a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate who previously served as a state senator and represented Michigan in Congress from 2000-2015. He is also a U.S. Army veteran and former FBI Special Agent, hailing from Livingston County, Michigan.