Are Government Schools Redeemable?
Some organizations are attempting to fix government schools, with many state governors leading the way.
But progress is slow.
Government schools have failed most students by every key metric: reading and math, critical thinking, attendance, physical and mental health, and return on taxpayers’ investments. The Mood of the Nation survey, published February 5, 2025, found that 73% of 1,005 adult respondents were dissatisfied with the quality of public education in the U.S. It is the highest dissatisfaction rate since the survey began in 2001.
Some organizations are attempting to fix government schools, with many state governors leading the way. Perhaps it is worthwhile, considering even with the significant declines over the last few years, 83.7% of American children still attend government schools. But progress is slow. Clear evidence of success is not yet visible. Many parents are unwilling to wait, pulling their kids out of government schools to home-school or send them to private schools. Home and private school enrollment now accounts for 16.3% of American K-12 students.
U.S. Parents Involved in Education (USPIE) is exploring the big question: Are government schools REDEEMABLE? In this report, USPIE focuses on five key issues, covering history and relevant roadblocks:
Government Involvement
Colleges of Education
Teacher Certification
Standards and Assessments
Teacher Unions
USPIE believes the totality of these issues is insurmountable. Government schools cannot be saved, at least not in the near future, even with a concerted effort. Nonetheless, suggestions for improvement and correction are provided for those determined to try.
Parents are the first, best educators of their children. This is not just a slogan, not just a throw-away campaign line. It is a fundamental law. Elected officials must embrace this truth, resist the temptation to govern education, and return control to the parents who are the only people properly positioned to hold educators and the education system accountable.
This document offers constructive suggestions that, if implemented with fidelity, provide a means to begin the long journey to improve government schools while retaining a healthy, independent alternative in the free market.