OPINION:
The most dangerous crisis is the one we don’t recognize or refuse to acknowledge altogether.
Across America, we debate whether our education system is “failing,” but often through the wrong lens: standardized test scores, rankings or how we compare with other countries on assessments designed for another era. If we measure only what was important in the past, we will miss what matters most for the future.
The real crisis in American education isn’t only that students are doing worse than they were decades ago. The world has changed dramatically, and our education system is struggling to keep up. We are operating a 21st-century society on a 20th-century system designed in the 19th century, and it shows.
Our children are inheriting a world defined by complexity, uncertainty and rapid change. Artificial intelligence is transforming how we live and work. Global competition is fiercer than ever. Employers are desperate for talent to lead, adapt, think critically and collaborate across disciplines. According to McKinsey & Co., two-thirds of executives now rank “social, emotional, and advanced cognitive skills” as more important than technical skills in the evolving workplace.
This is not a call to abandon the basics. Literacy, numeracy and foundational knowledge remain essential. Still, our students deserve more: a rich knowledge base, strong character development and a deep sense of community. We need an integrated approach that builds on academic fundamentals while equipping students with the durable skills they will need to thrive in a world that doesn’t stand still.
Yet those are the very skills our system seems to undervalue or ignore altogether. We continue to reward memorization and test-taking when what’s needed is initiative, discernment and adaptability. Yet we continue to evaluate student readiness through metrics that rarely account for any of those skills.
A 2023 report by the Carnegie Foundation and ETS concluded that traditional assessments, such as standardized tests, grades and graduation rates, are misaligned with the competencies most predictive of long-term success. In response, they have begun testing new approaches to measuring collaboration, perseverance and problem-solving. That’s a step forward, but change at the margins is not enough. We have a crisis of measurement, not just a crisis of outcomes. When we define success too narrowly, we risk preparing students for a world that no longer exists.
This isn’t an attack on teachers. In fact, educators across the country, especially in Utah, are working harder than ever. They are creative, committed and resilient, but they are often asked to operate within a system that no longer reflects the real needs of our students. We fail them when we fail to lead boldly on education reform.
For years, we have dismissed leadership, emotional intelligence, conflict resolution and adaptability as “soft skills.” Today, they are essential. These are increasingly recognized as “durable skills” because they endure, transfer and grow more valuable over time.
According to a 2024 National Association of Colleges and Employers survey, fewer than half of employers believe recent graduates are proficient in leadership. Confidence in their collaboration and critical thinking skills was even lower. That’s not just a talent pipeline issue; it’s a civic one. In a functioning democracy, we need citizens who can solve problems, engage across differences and lead with empathy. If we don’t teach those skills, we shouldn’t be surprised when they vanish from public life.
Basic financial literacy tells a similar story. A 2023 Intuit survey found that 85% of high school students want to be taught about money. Yet most still rely on their parents as their only source of financial knowledge. This year, U.S. student debt reached $1.78 trillion, with the average borrower owing nearly $40,000. A study from Southeastern University found that students with the highest debt levels also had the lowest levels of financial literacy. We’re sending young people into the world with access to credit but not the understanding to manage it.
What’s needed isn’t more effort; it’s a new design. That means rethinking how we use the school day, how we train teachers and what we prioritize in curriculum. It means making room for collaborative work, real-world problem-solving and reflective thinking. It means measuring progress not just by what students know but also by what they can do and who they’re becoming.
It also means reimagining what public education can look like, not abandoning it. Contrary to critics, the call for reform isn’t about undermining public schools. It’s about renewing them so they can serve students in a world that demands more.
The World Economic Forum predicts that 44% of workers’ core skills will be disrupted in the next few years. Employers consistently rank communication, adaptability and ethical judgment above technical knowledge alone. AI can summarize a report or write basic code, but it cannot yet build trust, lead a team or resolve moral dilemmas. If we want our children to compete in this new world, we must educate them.
According to Harvard’s Project on Workforce, jobs built on collaboration, creativity and leadership are among the most resilient to automation. The National Bureau of Economic Research has reached similar conclusions.
Thankfully, real progress is being made in places willing to innovate.
In Houston, the Energy Institute High School partners with the private sector to give students hands-on experience solving real-world challenges in the energy industry. The CAPS Network, spanning multiple states, embeds high school students to learn through applied projects and mentorship in professional environments. These models don’t treat school as preparation for life but as life itself.
Utah is leading on this front. This year, we passed HB 447, establishing Catalyst Campuses across the state, profession-based learning centers where students partner directly with industry leaders to develop practical skills in high-demand fields. Through HB 260, our Utah First Credential Program gives students a jump-start on their careers, allowing them to graduate with a diploma and a stackable credential: an apprenticeship, a technical certificate or early college credit.
These aren’t marginal improvements. They are foundational shifts.
Our Utah Fits All scholarship program is another example, offering families more flexibility in how and where their children learn, whether through traditional public school, private options, homeschooling or hybrid models. Educational pluralism isn’t a threat to public education. It’s a tool for meeting students where they are and preparing them for where they’re going.
At every turning point in our nation’s history, we have chosen aspiration over complacency. We have looked forward, not backward. So why are we settling for average now, especially when the stakes are so high?
Is it acceptable for the United States to be average in preparing the next generation for global leadership? In AI innovation? In national security? At what point in our history have we aspired to be merely average?
We can no longer afford to confuse familiarity with adequacy. The educational system we build today will determine our standing in the world. Our children’s future, economically, civically and even spiritually, will be shaped by whether we choose to adapt or stay stuck in neutral.
The good news is this: The crisis we face is solvable. But only if we stop waiting for it to become undeniable, if we stop having nearly every conversation about education turn into a turf war, and if we recognize that the most urgent challenges are often the ones that unfold quietly, masked by outdated measures and obscured by inertia.
Our children are not data points. They are future builders, leaders, thinkers and neighbors. It’s time we gave them an education worthy of their potential.
The sky may not be falling, but that’s no reason to stay grounded. If we want our children to rise to the challenges ahead, all of us, leaders, educators and parents alike, must rise with them.
• Jason E. Thompson is an entrepreneur and public servant currently serving in the Utah House of Representatives and is a member of the Utah Federalism Commission. A former mayor of River Heights, Utah, Mr. Thompson is passionate about promoting dialogue on the balance and structure of government and strengthening unity in local communities. He lives in River Heights with his wife, Dana, and their six children.
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