ICE walkouts are just the latest symptom of the replacement of a quality education with woke social justice initiatives. Student-led virtue signaling takes significant time and resources away from the true mission of education.
Newly appointed Michigan Superintendent Glenn Maleyko was asked about his views on the ICE walkouts last week during a House Committee Oversight Meeting.
Maleyko said that he will continue to support the protests as long as they are student-led and was quick to dismiss concerns that the protests have been encouraged by teachers in Rochester and Detroit although it certainly appears many teachers were, at the minimum, involved.
How is this perceived by students? Do they feel like they have to protest, even if they don’t agree? Do they feel like they could potentially be retaliated against if they do not agree? We know peer pressure is a major issue—but what about when that pressure is coming from trusted adults as well as their classmates?
Like all the other “controversial” culture wars parents have been fighting for several years as test scores and enrollment decline, these protests reveal the mission of education has been abandoned in pursuit of raising a future generation of social justice warriors, driving division between parents, students and communities. It almost feels like an intentional distraction while students drift farther and farther behind.
Michigan public schools have been declining in literacy rates since the pandemic, largely thanks to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s disastrous extended lockdowns followed by the repeal of Michigan’s third-grade reading law and removal of teacher evaluations. Additionally, Michigan had long abandoned phonics-based instruction for a balanced literacy approach and is now revisiting a return to phonics-based reading.
During the lengthy pandemic era, parents became aware of the rapid replacement of American education:
- Graphic, inappropriate, and in some cases, pornographic books in school libraries replacing quality, classic literature
- BLM and Pride flags hang in place of the American Flag and the Flag of the State of Michigan
- Radical race and gender ideology, prohibiting the use of binary pronouns, and newly updated, confusing, and controversial sexual education classes
- A hyperfocus on “mental health,” including school clinics, some of which offer confidential services
In 2026, it’s hard to tune into a school board meeting across the state (or country) without seeing a “culture war” debate—angry parents and students challenging their school’s latest virtue signal policy replacing traditional elements of a public school education: reading, writing, math, science, and American history.
Think about what’s being replaced. In the case of ICE walkouts, it’s valuable class time that could otherwise go toward learning. Every minute spent outside the classroom is less time for students to learn. It also sends the message to students that they can simply abandon their responsibilities as students for any social cause they deem worthy. How does this transfer to their future careers and other adult responsibilities?
If we want Michigan students back on track, and out of the bottom five states for reading achievement, the first step should be an agreement to teach the basics. We need to have a common understanding of what an American education is—not just what it is not.
Values, beliefs, and other social issues are the responsibility of parents—not schools or educators.
It’s time for schools in Michigan to teach children how to think, not what to think.
Anna Hoffman is an Ann Arbor mom of three. You can follow her on X and Instagram @shoesonplease.
