FACT CHECK: Kemp & Perdue’s Lies on Education

During the ongoing GOP gubernatorial primary debate live on WSB-TV, Brian Kemp and David Perdue have made false claims in defense of their harmful actions politicizing kids’ education and attacking our teachers. However they attempt to spin the damage they’re inflicting, they can’t hide from the facts.

The anti-education bills Kemp pushed during Georgia’s legislative session, which Perdue also supports, have been staunchly opposed by educators, teachers, parents, and students — and come after a report last year showed one in four teachers are considering leaving the profession due to job-related stress.

Kemp has a long and abysmal record when it comes to supporting Georgia education. Over $10 billion has been cut from Georgia K-12 education in the last two decades, nearly $1 billion in funding for Georgia K-12 education was cut by Kemp in 2020 alone, and Georgia ranks 38th in the nation for per-student funding. But both Kemp and Perdue support policies that strip taxpayer funds from public schools and give them to private schools.

The facts on Kemp and Perdue’s push to attack teachers and politicize kids’ education:

• HB 1084, pushed by Kemp and supported by Perdue could prevent Georgia students from learning a full and accurate history of our country. It also attacks teachers and restricts what they’re allowed to discuss in classrooms. The legislation was written so vaguely that many educators are still confused about what’s permissible under the bill and worried about ramifications.

• HB 1178 would further the GOP’s attempts to divide parents and teachers, and attack their partnership in support of students.

• SB 226 censors schools by making it easier to ban books. Similar laws which have been passed in other states have led to books by Black authors being banned.

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