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Let Parents Direct Their Child’s Education Journey

In a new survey by Tyton Partners, 52 percent of parents said they want more ownership of their child’s education. Parents are fed up with the status quo in K-12 education. During the pandemic, many parents got a firsthand look at what students were being taught; many were appalled. Parents are engaged and fighting back. 
 
In response, the education bureaucracy is fighting tooth and nail to maintain its vice grip on K-12 education. The National Education Association (NEA), for example, recently tweeted, “Educators love their students and know better than anyone what they need to learn and to thrive.” This statement is grossly out of touch.
 
It’s time for organizations like the NEA to read the room; parents are the primary stakeholder in their child’s education, not teachers unions, not the government, and not the education bureaucracy. It’s statements like this that are driving parents to demand change. 
 
Republicans’ Commitment to America outlines a framework to ensure every student has the chance to succeed and parents have a voice in their child’s education. When parents are supported in promoting the best interests of their child, teachers unions will be held accountable. Republicans believe more parental engagement will lead to major shifts in K-12 education, from curriculum transparency to greater privacy protections for students. The facts are clear. Organizations like the NEA are the problem—not parents. 
 
In Case You Missed It via The 74, parents want a more active role in their child’s education.  
Post-Pandemic Survey Shows Parents Want Greater Control of Kids’ Education
By Jo Napolitano
November 10, 2022
 
More than half of the 3,115 parents who participated in a spring survey said they prefer to direct and curate their child’s education rather than rely entirely on their local school system, results showed.

It comes after parents had courtside seats to various aspects of their children’s learning during the pandemic, prompting many—from myriad backgrounds and political affiliations—to push for change.
 
“What we’re hearing from parents loud and clear is they feel a greater sense of ownership over their child’s education,” said Christian Lehr, a senior principal in Tyton’s strategy consulting practice. …

Some parent groups, frustrated by underperforming schools, have advocated for the types of change they feel will propel children of color and other marginalized groups. …
 
Others still, unhappy with districts’ remote learning options during the pandemic, removed their children from the public school system entirely. And while some have returned to campus, virtual school enrollment figures remain high. 

“Unfortunately, not all families can live out their K-12 aspirations,” Lehr said. “Too many parents are stuck. We must work hard to connect families with a broader set of learning opportunities and provide them the resources and tools necessary to take action.”

Lakisha Young, executive director of The Oakland REACH, a parent-run group that empowers families from underserved communities to demand high-quality schools, said her organization was born out of frustration. 
 
On the 2022 California state tests, 65% of Oakland Unified School District students failed to meet grade-level standards in English and 74% missed the mark in math. The roughly 35,500-student district has been failing children for generations, said Young, who reasons students wouldn’t fare so poorly if administrators were capable of improving outcomes without assistance. 

Read the full article here
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