Petition is addressed to: Michigan Board of Education

We, the Citizens of Michigan, Demand Health Education Standards that Are Scientific, Constitutional, and Nonpartisan

We, the Citizens of Michigan—taxpayers, parents, and community members—affirm that public education belongs to the public and must remain accountable to the people who sustain it.

No department, grant, or outside organization - regardless of its funding source or intent - may override the constitutional rights of Michigan families or the authority of the people who sustain this system through their labor and taxes.

Our schools exist to educate, not indoctrinate; to inform, not persuade.

We believe that the moral, medical, and developmental instruction of children must remain under the watchful eye of parents, local communities, and elected representatives, not distant bureaucracies or politically motivated interests.

Whereas:

• The proposed Michigan Health Education Standards Framework includes updates that may introduce politically charged or unscientific elements into required classroom instruction;
• The Constitution of the State of Michigan guarantees local control of education and recognizes the fundamental right of parents to direct the moral and health-related instruction of their minor children;
• Public education is not a private institution—it is sustained by public funds and accountable to public will;
• The people of Michigan have an inherent right to insist that their children’s education remain scientifically grounded, constitutionally sound, and free from partisan influence; and
• The Michigan State Board of Education bears the legal and moral duty to ensure that no child is compelled to learn ideology disguised as science or politics disguised as health.

Therefore, We, the Undersigned, respectfully demand that the Michigan State Board of Education:

Amend or reject any portions of the proposed Health Education Standards Framework that include:

• Unscientific content — materials not supported by empirical, peer-reviewed evidence;
• Unconstitutional provisions — any violation of parental rights, religious liberty, or due process;
• Politically partisan content — ideological or advocacy-based materials that compromise neutrality.

Our Goal:

Michigan’s children deserve truth—not trends.
They deserve classrooms where facts outweigh politics, science outweighs slogans, and parents remain partners—not bystanders—in their education.

We call upon the Michigan State Board of Education to uphold its duty to the people of Michigan by ensuring that any adopted health standards are scientific, constitutional, and nonpartisan prior to any vote.

Upon review of the publicly released draft, we find the following sections to contain content that is clearly partisan, constitutionally questionable, and lacking a defensible scientific basis:

• 6th - 8th grade Sexual Health Section [8.2.SH]
• Any other occurrence of the term “gender expression,” including but not limited to the parenthetical examples in 8.6.SH and section 12.6.SH.

Furthermore, we request that the standards explicitly require that all parental notices and opt-out opportunities related to sexual health education be provided in the primary language spoken in each student’s household, ensuring equal access to information for all Michigan families.

UPDATE: The Michigan House of Representatives voted for a resolution on November 4th for the State Board of Education to redraft or reject the standards before approval.

Here is the adopted House Resolution 195 of 2025: https://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2025-2026/resolutionadopted/House/pdf/2025-HAR-0195.pdf

Every single sponsor was republican, demonstrating clear partisanship on this topic: https://legiscan.com/MI/bill/HR0195/2025

Our children’s schools should not be where adult politicians conduct their battles. Here is more coverage on the topic demonstrating the heavy partisanship on the topic:
• https://michiganadvance.com/2025/10/15/debate-erupts-over-proposed-michigans-health-ed-standards-and-lgbtq-inclusion-in-schools/
• https://www.fox47news.com/neighborhoods/state-capitol/house-committee-approves-resolution-opposing-michigan-health-education-standards-changes
• https://www.fox47news.com/neighborhoods/state-capitol/house-committee-approves-resolution-opposing-michigan-health-education-standards-changes
• https://housedems.com/miller-criticizes-resolution-targeting-michigans-health-education-standards/
• https://gophouse.org/posts/deboyer-house-oversight-committee-seek-transparency-on-proposed-health-education-changes