Doug Burgum says teachers aren’t “indoctrinating” students at GOP debate

At the first Republican presidential debate tonight, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum said the claim that “every teacher is somehow indoctrinating people is just false” when responding to a question about transgender girls playing on girls’ sports teams.

In the debate’s second half, the Fox News debate moderator Martha MacCallum said, “[Former South Carolina] governor [Nikki] Haley has said that biological boys playing in girls sports is the women’s issue of our time. You said that, even though you signed a ban on this in North Dakota, there hadn’t been one instance where it was actually needed. Are you saying that you think that too much is made of this issue?”

Related:

Here’s where the 8 GOP presidential debate participants stand on LGBTQ+ issues

HRC said the candidates are largely “expected to continue punching down on queer and transgender kids to make themselves look ‘presidential.’”

It was the only question in the debate that was specifically about LGBTQ+ issues.

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Burgum responded, “No, I’m saying in North Dakota, we made a priority of protecting women’s sports and we’ve done that in our state…. But I do think when we start talking about education — and we think that we’re going to have a federal government one size fits all — we’re just completely losing track of the fact that education differs by state. Some school districts are doing a fantastic job, some less so.”

“But the idea that every school district state and every teacher is somehow indoctrinating people is just false,” he continued. “Teachers in this country, the vast majority of them care about those kids. They’re working in low-paying jobs, and they’re fighting for those kids and their families.”

His statement is particularly notable considering that Republicans have spent the past few years accusing teachers of indoctrinating students with “woke” concepts, like LGBTQ+ “gender ideology” and “critical race theory.” This supposed indoctrination has provided a justification for Republicans to pass anti-LGBTQ+ book bans, “don’t say gay” laws, and laws against diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. It has also led to death threats against educators and other LGBTQ+ allies.

Burgum said that he “shadows” students in classrooms to understand the challenges and needs facing schools.

“I go and see the experience, and there’s a lot of things that have to change, but what needs to change in education is innovation. We’re doing it the same way. We did it 50 years ago with innovation, not regulation. I wouldn’t get rid of the Department of Education. I wouldn’t give block grants to schools, but I’d give them on merit based on who’s doing the most innovative.”

Haley also responded to the question, stating, “There’s a lot of crazy woke things happening in schools, but we’ve got to get these kids reading. If a child can’t read by third grade, they’re four times less likely to graduate high school. So we need to make sure we bring in reading remediation all over this country.”

“We need transparency in the classroom because parents should never have to wonder what’s being said or taught to their children in the classroom,” she continued. “Parents need to be deciding which schools their kids go to because they know best and let’s put vocational classes back into the high schools. Let’s teach our kids to build things again.”

“I will always say I’m going to fight for girls all day long,” she concluded. “Because strong girls become strong women, strong women become strong leaders, and biological boys don’t belong in the locker rooms of any of our [girls].”

At the end of the debate, Sen. Tim Scott (SC) said in his closing statement, “I had the good fortune to have a mom who worked 16-hour days making sure we have food on our tables. She taught me that… if God made you a man, you play sports against men.”

His line received applause from the audience.