OPINION:
Throughout the 2024 presidential campaign, public debate focused heavily on the economy, high inflation and the southern border. Poll after poll confirmed these were top concerns for many Americans feeling the pinch in their pocketbooks. However, one of the most overlooked concerns is the growing desire of families across America to fix our nation’s broken education system by expanding K-12 schooling options for families.
A recent poll by Susquehanna Polling & Research supports this. Nearly 8 in 10 voters (79%) say K-12 education is on the wrong track, a sharp rise from 62% in 2022. This frustration cuts across political and racial lines, highlighting the urgency for meaningful change.
Parents want more school choices for their children, greater accountability for student performance and a return to traditional educational values. The data is clear: bipartisan dissatisfaction with the status quo and overwhelming support for significant changes to the nation’s education system.
In total, 3 out of 4 respondents (75%) support President Trump’s 50-state school choice initiative, allowing public funds to follow students to schools of their parents’ choice, whether public, private or religious. That support cuts across racial demographics, with 68% of Black voters, 76% of Hispanic voters and 75% of White voters backing the proposal.
For years, parents have rejected the idea that their ZIP code should determine their child’s future and the quality of education their child receives. Yet, we see countless examples of politicians whose children attend schools of their choosing but vilify parents who want to do the same. As the poll found, parents want more flexibility on where they can send their children, with 62% favoring open enrollment policies. Open enrollment allows for schooling outside geographic district boundaries. As important, 61% support tuition voucher programs, enabling public funds to be used at public, private or parochial schools.
After years of parents being made to feel like enemies for merely questioning curriculum choices that put social agendas over academics, many parents see the shift in conversation as a chance to restore traditional education. Frankly, the polling wasn’t even close. Nearly 7 in 10 (68%) support the right of parents to know the curriculum being taught in schools, and a staggering 86% favor a federal law requiring all public schools to teach a classic curriculum focused on history, math, science and English. The bottom line is that American families want their children’s schools to prepare them for college and the professional world.
Mr. Trump’s nomination of Linda McMahon as education secretary signals a shake-up in how our federal government approaches education and a shift to empowering states to take control. When asked about the Department of Education, 47% of voters supported eliminating it and transferring responsibilities back to the states. Only 20% were opposed. Forty-five percent said eliminating the Department of Education would improve the quality of K-12 education. Just 25% said it would have a negative impact.
Although most of the headlines coming out of Washington focus on the economy, the Department of Government Efficiency and the border, an unmistakable seismic shift has occurred in the public’s opinion of how we educate our children. When schools closed at the onset of the pandemic, parents were told that children were resilient and their learning ability wouldn’t suffer. We certainly know that was not what happened, as student performance plummeted. Parents aren’t willing to sit back and take it any longer.
The message is clear: Parents demand policies that prioritize student achievement, empower parents, restore transparency and ensure that federal education dollars follow students, not bureaucracies. Parents, not bureaucracies, know what is best for their children, and it’s time for Washington to listen and deliver the educational excellence American students deserve. For the future of our nation, which depends on providing our students with an outstanding education, the stakes have never been higher.
• Letrisha Weber is the president of Parents for School Options. She is the mother of one virtual (online/cyber) student and one hybrid student.
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