Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon was in Midland on Monday, touting the Trump administration's school policies. She spoke at the Bill Schuette BBQ for the Midland County GOP, where candidates for next year’s midterm elections spoke and made appearances.
McMahon’s visit comes amid deep cuts to the department, which has laid off 1,400 workers, or about half of its staff, this year.
The secretary is visiting all 50 states on the “Returning Education to the States Tour.”
"I believe the way that we started is the best way to go at the state and local level,” she said. “Where parents, local superintendents, and governors are really the ones that are making the decisions about how taxpayer money gets spent in your state for your kids," McMahon said at the event.
She says southern states who adopted phonics saw improved reading scores are an example of successful state policy.
“The state of Louisiana last year had the best improvement in the country in reading scores because they had adopted the science of reading,” she said. “The Mississippi Miracle, even before that, Mississippi had been next to last in reading scores in the country, and they're now about the middle of the pack."
McMahon called for governors to opt-in to a provision in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that allows a tax credit to people who donate to non-profits that provide private school scholarships. Michigan has not opted in to the program.
“It's just getting off the ground. So, I think there've only been a handful of states so far that have opted in, and I don't know all of them at this point,” McMahon said.
The Michigan Democratic Party sharply criticized McMahon and the GOP-led state House budget in a statement.
"Trump put someone fundamentally unqualified in charge of the Department of Education to carry out his anti-education agenda," the statement read. "State House Republicans are picking up the baton and attacking public education in their state budget."
McMahon did not take questions from the media.
