Parents didn’t ask for an education revolution. They were pushed into one.
When schools closed, lessons moved online, and basic expectations broke down, parents got a front-row seat to a system that too often puts bureaucracy ahead of kids. What they saw changed everything. Parents want control back, and most Americans agree.
A national poll conducted in November by the America First Policy Institute with Kellyanne Conway makes that clear. Fifty percent of voters now support eliminating the U.S. Department of Education and returning education authority to states.
Parents learned the hard way that decisions made far from the classroom don’t always serve students well. States and families are closer to kids. They see what works and what doesn’t. Returning authority doesn’t mean lowering standards. It means restoring accountability.
Just as important is how education is funded. Sixty-five percent of voters support letting education dollars follow the child. Seventy percent support universal education savings accounts. Parents want flexibility, the ability to choose a school, tutoring, curriculum, or specialized services that actually fit their child.
This shift is already happening across the country. But some states are now facing a simple question: Will families benefit, or will they miss out?
Take Kansas. Congress has created a federal education tax credit scholarship that states can choose to opt into. When a state opts in, private donations—supported by federal tax credits—can fund scholarships for students in that state.
Kansas hasn’t opted in yet. That doesn’t stop the program. It means those scholarship dollars are going to students in other states that have opted in, like Colorado. Twenty-six other states are already participating. There’s no good reason Kansas families should be left on the sidelines.
This isn’t about growing government. It doesn’t create a new bureaucracy. It doesn’t force anyone to do anything. Opting in simply allows Kansas students to benefit instead of watching opportunities go elsewhere. It’s about fairness and common sense.
Parents also want schools to get back to basics. Reading. Math. Science. History. Civics. They want schools that prepare kids for adulthood, not classrooms distracted by ideology. As the country approaches its 250th anniversary, teaching young people how our system works and why it matters isn’t optional. It’s mission-critical.
Education reform is also part of a bigger picture. Eighty-three percent of voters support expanding tax credits and child care supports that help families balance work and home. Strong schools depend on strong families, and families need policies that respect their time, values, and responsibilities.
School Choice Week isn’t about slogans. It’s about reality. Parents stepped up when the system failed them. They aren’t giving that responsibility back. The polling shows it. The states are acting on it. And the future of American education will be better because parents are finally being heard.
We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal.
