Bree Moeggenberg is running for the Michigan State Board of Education after years of being involved in the political realm in her hometown of Mount Pleasant.
There are two open positions on the board. Moeggenberg joins Terence Collins, 61, from Grosse Pointe Park, who is a senior financial analyst for General Motors and is another Republican candidate running alongside Moeggenberg.
Running to keep their seats on the school board are Judith Pritchett, an education consultant and retired public administrator from Washington Township, and Tiffany Tilly, a part-time professor and realtor from West Bloomfield.
Moeggenberg’s campaign has been using the slogan, “Kids FIRST, Parents FIRST, Education FIRST.” She said this trio is one that must coincide with one another for the education system to properly work.
If elected, she hopes to improve Michigan schools by addressing behavior disruptions so that all students can learn, discuss having smaller class sizes and add recess time to the school day.
“We have to stop the teacher shortage, we have to stop the drop in efficiency, we have to stop parents from pulling their kids and what is happening on the state board is not covering that,” said Moeggenberg. “Every single decision that is made, it has to include that trio.”
She does not believe the Michigan Board of Education is practicing this.
A report done by Michigan State University showed 8,000 teachers did not return to teaching for the 2024-25 school year after being an educator the year previously. While the state of Michigan certified over 5,000 new teachers in 2024-25, it only covered 68% of the positions left open by teachers who did not return.
The report also found that to be able to fill the open positions, Michigan schools have had to rely on non-certified teachers. They made up 5% of all Michigan teachers in 2024-25.
Most importantly, Moeggenberg wants to improve communication between parents and educators when it comes to certain topics in classrooms.
After COVID-19, a discussion in Moeggenberg’s youngest child’s English class sparked her to look closely on parental consents when it comes to what a child is taught in a classroom.
In the discussion, the class talked about their feelings surrounding sexuality and what it means to them. While she did not have an issue with the discussion, she said she had an issue with how parents were not notified.
Moeggenberg said the school should have contacted parents beforehand and given them a chance to opt out of the schooling.
Michigan law currently states that for a student to learn about family planning and reproductive health, parents must give written guardian consent stating they have been notified and are OK with the student participating.
The law does not address discussing sexuality in classrooms and teaching students about it. She wants to add a section stating that sexuality in the classroom has to follow the same communication steps as family planning and reproductive health.
The Mount Pleasant School District is no stranger to this since Moeggenberg attempted to propose the policy locally. The issue with communication is what got her involved with the local Moms for Liberty chapter. She eventually became the chair for the chapter in 2022, but stepped down in 2024 due to other obligations.
Moeggenberg said she was not asking to ban books or tell teachers what they could and could not teach, but for open lines of communication between the school and parents.
“If these discussions are taking place out of sexual education, you’ll notify parents, we will give them the option to opt out and you will provide for the student an alternative,” Moeggenberg said.
In 2020, she filed, wrote and represented herself in a lawsuit against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for the mask mandates that were being enforced on businesses, Moeggenberg’s daycare included.
Moeggenberg is not a lawyer; she has a bachelor’s degree in exercise and health science from Alma College. She ended up opening a childcare business since it made more sense for her lifestyle.
She was provided the opportunity to take the regional director of election integrity position in 2024 for MI Team Trump, which she held for a couple of months.
Moeggenberg is currently a Grassroots Republican State Committeewoman for the second congressional district of Michigan.
In 2024, she successfully spearheaded the initiative to remove Kristina Karamo from her position as Chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party.
One thing Moeggenberg said she would like to make clear is how she does not dislike anyone for being their true self.
“You do you boo, and that’s what you do,” she said.
“I am fierce, I am OK having the hard discussions and saying, ‘hey, maybe we don’t agree, but let’s talk about this.’ If we do not have neutral, reliable, stable classrooms, nothing else matters.”
