The national education crisis has reached alarming levels, yet it was glaringly absent from discussions at the recent Democratic National Convention (DNC). Student test scores are plummeting, and school districts across the country are citing a lack of resources, despite decades of increased funding. This ongoing decline cannot be solely attributed to the pandemic; rather, the union stranglehold that shuttered schools has exacerbated an already critical situation. For education leaders to effectively improve student learning, there must be an urgent shift toward implementing effective policies and innovative teaching methods.
Governor Walz of Minnesota, recent nomination as the vice-presidential candidate, has intensified scrutiny on his state’s troubling proficiency rates. Despite significant increases in education funding since his election in 2018, proficiency rates continue to decline. The 2023 Minnesota report card reveals a statewide graduation rate of only 67.8% and an attendance rate of 69.8%, indicating nearly one-third of students are either not graduating or not attending school regularly.
This alarming trend is echoed nationwide, as demonstrated by the latest 2022 data from the U.S. Department of Education. Most states show a decline in proficiency from 4th to 8th grade, while data for 12th-grade proficiency remains outdated, with the last comprehensive report published in 2013. Only 14 states provided data for 12th grade, with Connecticut achieving the highest reading proficiency at 50% and Massachusetts leading in math at 34%. Overall, these scores reflect a concerning decrease in proficiency as students’ progress through their education, despite schools touting high graduation rates.
The U.S. Department of Education reports that no state has reached a 50% proficiency level in reading or math. This statistic reveals we are graduating students who are functionally illiterate and ill-prepared for the workforce, posing serious risks to both society and the economy.
U.S. Department of Education Data
A viable solution to the education crisis in America lies in competition. The existing one-size-fits-all model has proven detrimental to learning outcomes. When parents have the freedom to choose their children's educational path, they can select the most suitable environments and curricula to meet their unique needs.
In recent years, there has been a growing demand for change, evidenced by the increasing number of parents running for school boards and advocating for educational choice. The rise in homeschooling and the emergence of private and micro-schools further illustrate parental desire for better educational options.
Unfortunately, union bosses seem more focused on protecting a failing public K-12 system than addressing the pressing needs of students and families striving to regain control over their children's futures. Despite the evident issues surrounding education, the DNC failed to confront the urgent state of our failing K-12 system. Instead, the narrative presented was counterproductive. Parents nationwide are justifiably alarmed by American Federation of Teachers (AFT) president Randi Weingarten’s speech, which appears to reinforce a commitment to a failing system. Her presence at the DNC raised serious questions about the administration’s educational platform, suggesting a troubling intent to further marginalize parental voices and educational choice. Families are left feeling unheard and anxious about their children’s futures, especially as the leader of an organization perceived as anti-parent takes center stage. Weingarten has repeatedly been on record mocking parents' concerns and comparing parental rights advocates to segregationists and extremists.
Weingarten's remarks underscore a concerning trend towards a more federal government-controlled education system that diminishes the vital role of parental involvement and the fundamental right of choice. Harris’s alignment with Weingarten serves as a stark reminder of recent missteps and suggests a future administration focused on defending a struggling K-12 academic framework while bolstering the influence of left-leaning educational organizations, such as the AFT and let us not forget, the National School Board Association (NSBA). It is crucial to recall in 2021, the NSBA engaged in private discussions with the Biden-Harris Administration, conspired to label concerned parents as domestic terrorists to silence their voices at local school board meetings.
In an early 2024 poll by Change Research in battleground states, parents perceive Republicans as more supportive of family and parental rights compared to Democrats. The Democrat Party is struggling to connect with parents in key battleground states, where many believe they are not effectively representing family interests. Only 38% of parents in these areas think Democrats advocate for children and families, while 51% think the same about Republicans, resulting in a 13% gap favoring Republicans. While just 36% of parents report having heard much about the "parental rights" movement in education, a significant majority (61%) believe parents' rights to make decisions for their children are diminishing. This concern is particularly strong among Republican parents (84%), but also resonates with 59% of Independent parents and 32% of Democrat parents. Among those who believe parental rights are decreasing, 56% attribute this decline to Democrats.
Parents are growing increasingly disillusioned with the public school system. With no evidence of a change in trajectory under the Harris campaign, concerned parents and education leaders will continue to run for school boards to reform the system from within or join others in establishing homeschooling and micro-schools to escape a failing system. Based on polling and without delving deeply into polarizing cultural wars, the party that gains the trust of parents by prioritizing academic improvement, innovation, and parental rights will ultimately win their support. Based on our interactions with the many concerned parents we engage with daily, we firmly believe the party that effectively earns their trust will be the margin needed to succeed in the upcoming national election. As demonstrated in the Youngkin Virginia race, when it comes to children, parents are more likely to support a candidate who promises to uphold their rights rather than adhere to party lines. With 54.3 million K-12 students in the U.S., parents represent 20% of the electorate and should not be underestimated, especially in battleground states where it could make all the difference.
Laura Zorc is the President of Best In Ed and a former Vice President of Programs for FreedomWorks and Building Education for Students Together (B.E.S.T). Under her leadership, she and her team developed the first conservative school board professional development curricula in 2022, which is now serving members nationwide.
Dr. Karen Hiltz is the Chief Strategy Officer at Best In Ed and a national school board advisor. She authored The Apple Report, highlighting the role of competitiveness in achieving educational excellence through strategic initiatives that improve education quality.
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Certainly K-12 education is not the only public arena where the evil lizards have slithered in and successfully promoted their poisoned apples of scientific humanism, but by all appearances this is one of their most stunningly effective victories.
Today's kids can't put two and two together and come up with four. But they can sure tell you about the 57 genders that the liberals like to brag about! Today's kids couldn't tell you one signer of the Declaration of Independence but they can sure tell you how wonderful it is that Obama cursed the Oval Office with his satanic presence! And today's kids can't write a coherent sentence to save their souls but they can sure whine and cry about how their rights are being violated. So if you want more of this same level of education be sure and vote for the Cacklemaniac. But don't cry when you see the results!