If it seems like K-12 education is in chaos, take a closer look.  Ignoring the efforts of those who would ban books and those who would rewrite them, parents have been actively seeking or starting alternative forms of education with environments free of politics. 

Each is different, but they have a common goal: to restore the joy of learning to students, along with the values, opportunities, and responsibilities of belonging to a supportive and loving community. Often, they are joined by teachers who fled public education after years of harassment and disrespect, but want to help students to discover, learn, develop confidence, and grow.

For twenty years, students had to prove knowledge ‘proficiency’ by regurgitating memorized out-of-context bits of information on high stakes tests.  In chronic test prep mode, teachers were forced to deliver scripted lessons based on national standards known as Common Core.  They were blamed or fired if students failed to meet arbitrary levels of success.  Schools were tasked to meet Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) objectives or risk warning or closure.  

The cause: The one-size-fits-all pedagogy and teach-to-the-test mentality of No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top:  Two Federal government programs that tied student and school performance to federal aid.  No K-12 educators were consulted or asked for their input or collaboration in the development and implementation of either program.  Education experts who expressed concerns, were ignored.  

No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top have been relegated to the ash heap of failed education programs, but many of their mandates remain.

The results:  Student learning gaps have steadily widened.  American world-wide academic rankings plummeted.  Teachers fled.  Most importantly: Student stress, behavioral issues, and dropout rates keep rising.  

Parents have had enough.  They want a holistic, caring environment that emphasizes core human values - such as kindness, courtesy, and respect - a culture that prioritizes students’ social/emotional well-being, and an academic curriculum that combines student voice and choice with high expectations.  They are wasting no time.

During and since COVID, some parents started micro schools - all variations of homeschooling.  Some have a religious component.  Most do not.  Some are groups of friends and neighbors who form learning pods.  Guided by school district requirements, parents may share teaching responsibilities, use on-line courses to supplement in-person learning, or hire full or part time certified teachers.  They share all operating costs.  

Many parents turned to charter schools and community schools whose approach to teaching and learning matches their own values and educational priorities, and where involved parents are welcome.  While a still small percentage of total public schools, these alternative options are growing rapidly.

Other parents have started for-profit private schools, and a few have franchised their approach.  These schools have the same student-oriented goals as other alternative programs noted above.  Some have good reputations, but the price tag for tuition may be very high.  In the case of a franchise organization, not all franchisees may be equally committed to the corporate mission statement.  Due diligence is required.

Among the many alternative schools that are changing the education landscape, no two are the same.  But they all strive to make learning fun, to engage and inspire their students, to listen to them, to have them look forward to each day unafraid, stress free, and eager to discover what comes next.

Leaders of traditional public schools are mindful of the changes that parents, students, and teachers are demanding, but they remain bound by the purse strings of the federal government.  Every state is different.  Every school district and its students are different.  Why, then, do Government officials, self-interested business titans, and “advisors”- most of whom have never seen the inside of a K-12 classroom - think they know more about education than educators? 

If control of education is returned to the states (as the Constitution prescribes), progress may be slow, but it will happen.  As the importance of high stakes tests dims and adherence to Common Core standards ease, schools will be able to develop pedagogy that is relevant and engaging and replace test prep classes with electives.  

And what of the students who had to endure the poor policies of ignorant good intentions?  They survived and thrived, not because of their schooling, but despite it. 

My son was one.  In high school, he took an elective course in woodworking and found a mentor and role model in his teacher.  It is his fondest school memory.  Other students discovered after-school programs where they could pursue personal interests, express themselves, and share ideas with peers and adults alike.  They are proof that the human spirit cannot be cookie-cutter molded or thwarted.  It will not be denied.   

So, while education may seem chaotic, a hot mess, this is actually a very exciting and promising time.  A time to figure out what is important for our students and those who guide them toward an independent and satisfying adulthood.  A time to let our own imaginations envision all the possible ways to help our children learn, find their own place, and take on the world. 

We will find common values and principles.  We will determine common measures of progress.  But may there never again be a one-size-fits-all answer.  Because every child is a unique and precious being who must be encouraged to imagine and create their own light.  That would be a very good thing. 

Answer to Unpacking Education, No. 26, Question of the Day:

The correct answer is b) a private bathroom. For a full explanation of all the answers, check out the article at: https://www.inc.com/bill-murphy-jr/heres-number-2-reason-remote-workers-wont-go-back-to-office-according-to-a-survey.html

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