“Back-to-Basics” Solutions That Might Transform Public Education

Do we really need new ideas to fix America’s schools? In a culture that often drifts away from clear logic and common sense, even the most straightforward solutions can start to sound radical. The time-tested structures grounded in sound judgment and solid data — the ones that consistently deliver results for students — somehow feel unfashionable in today’s debate.

So, can public education be saved? Should it be saved? We would like to think there is hope for the future.

You may have fond memories of being a tree in the school play, attending football games, or learning from engaging educators like my high school social studies teacher, Mrs. Susan Morhart. (Shout out to one of my favorite teachers ever!) She taught us about the Great Depression by assigning each student a different persona and circumstances as if we were from that era. To me, that creative and memorable lesson represents the best aspects of what public education in America used to be.

Our schools weren’t perfect back then, but they were markedly different than now. The drivers then were math, English, science, history, social studies, literature, PE, and even home etc. (where I learned to sew a poncho). Some things we loved, other classes, not so much (looking at you, every math class I ever took).

This straightforward focus has fallen by the wayside, and moms have had enough! School choice options are growing as homeschooling explodes in our nation. We’re speaking up at school meetings and getting involved. Still, something has to change for public education to be viable for current and future families.

Here are Back-to-Basics ideas that might save public education:

1. Define the Relationship

Schools must understand the hierarchy. Families are the center of a child’s life; parents are paramount. Moms and dads raise their kids with the values, faith, and moral code of the family. It’s not public education’s place to weigh in on religion or sexuality or a particular political worldview to the exclusion of a fair representation of others.

2. Refocus: Reading, Writing, and ‘Rithmetic

Schools must return to teaching the basics well. Test scores in US schools have plummeted. Public schools must refocus on the achievement of solid educational standards. Reading classic literature, math calculations, non-political science, and non-skewed history needs to return to the classroom in a big way. Achievement should once again be measured by real mastery — not shifting benchmarks or diluted expectations.

3. Challenge Kids to Greatness

We may be partially to blame for this one. My generation of parents clapped wildly as our kids received participation trophies. However, schools need to reinstitute or protect (if they exist) standards that reward achievement – unapologetically. Some students will be overachievers – that is life. Some will pull all-nighters to ace the test. Not everyone gets the award. It hurts a mama’s heart, but it doesn’t hurt kids to lose. Failure can become a motivator and a stepping stone in life. It’s arrogant and ultimately shortsighted for educators (and parents like me) to remove challenges and disappointments from kiddos’ lives.

4. Create Standards and Hold Teachers Accountable

There must be simple standards of performance, achievement, and oversight of the materials instructors use since clear breaches have been made to contradict and undermine family values, politics, and moral codes. Administrators must be on board to guide and hold accountable the teachers who hold a place of “trust” with kids. Those who insist on their own agenda outside the agreed-upon standards should be removed.

5. Reunite Students as Peers, Not Enemies

Kids are kids, regardless of race, creed, or ethnicity. They naturally see each other as peers until activist teachers seek to divide them by race and label them unfairly as villains or victims. Schools should be places where students are encouraged to see one another first as classmates and collaborators, not as representatives of competing groups. The goal of education should be to build shared understanding, mutual respect, and equal opportunity for every child.

6. End ALL Gender Fluidity Lessons

This is another reason we can’t have nice things. Teachers have gone from normative biological and relational lessons about male and female to inviting our youngest and most vulnerable little ones to question their own gender. Educators who single out students to discuss personally with a child whether they were “born in the wrong body” are predators. Instead, if my child comes to a teacher to ask questions about such things, that instructor should reach out to me out of concern. The fact that, in many cases, this isn’t happening is state-sponsored child abuse.

7. Partner with Parents

Parents are not the enemy. Nobody really wanted to go to school board meetings. We don’t want to distrust teachers, many of whom are dedicated professionals working in a skewed and broken system. But, we have been forced. It may take some effort, but it’s time to lock arms again as teachers support parents and parents return the favor. In that order. Will the day come when we can trust our schools to be advocates for our kids and support our families – respecting (even if not agreeing with) our values and faith? Unsure.

Here’s how you can make a difference:

• Listen – Behind the pink hair and the lanyard with a rainbow pin, your child’s teacher is sincere about the calling to teach – and probably for all the right reasons. It’s essential, when possible, to take time to hear the story and the heart of those we imagine we disagree with. They didn’t become teachers because they hate kids, so understanding another’s point of view and even offering empathy can build bridges.
• Learn – Many non-traditional ideas and priorities seem to have originated from our nation’s teachers’ colleges. Try to learn more about your teacher’s views so that when you communicate what you and your child need in this collaboration, you can express it productively and respectfully.
• Encourage – Use your position as a parent to lift up and encourage your child’s teacher(s). They have an unbelievably challenging and sometimes thankless job. Your kindness can go a long way in the life of a busy educator.
• Stand Firm – Sincerity, empathy, kindness, and respect will give you a more open door and voice with your school and teachers. These virtues will promote cooperation when you stand firm for your child. If these things don’t bring the needed accommodation, we can’t back down when it comes to our kids. Some lines mustn’t be crossed.
• Pray – God cares about you, and He loves your kids. Pray for your school, your teachers, and especially for His divine protection of your little ones. 2 Chronicles 20:15 says, “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.”

Can our public education system be saved? It’s a little like when you meet someone hopelessly addicted to drugs. The first question is – do they even want to be saved?

Are there leaders willing to enact such “back-to-basics” ideas?

That remains to be seen.

Real change begins with humility – the willingness to admit something isn’t working. Renewal requires courage – the resolve to choose long-term good over short-term approval. And ultimately, the future of our schools depends on whether we value truth, discipline, and excellence more than comfort and ideology.

Podcast note: in this week’s episode, Geno Young – author of Sex, Drugs and Illiteracy: The Death of Education in America – shares what he witnessed during his year as a substitute teacher in a south suburb of Chicago and why he believes American education is in serious decline. If you’re a parent, educator, policymaker, or simply concerned about the future of education in America, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

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