Laws Made Without Us: A Teacher’s Perspective on Education Policy

There’s a growing disconnect in education between those who write the rules and those who live them every day.

Too many policies are crafted in boardrooms and legislative halls without input from the people who teach. Teachers are then expected to implement reforms they didn’t help shape, often with limited resources and even less support.

From evaluation systems that prioritize test scores over trust, to curriculum mandates that strip away teacher autonomy, the message is clear: compliance over collaboration.

But imagine what could change if teachers had a seat at the table. Imagine policy informed by real classroom realities, by the voices of educators who know what works—and what doesn’t.

We don’t need more top-down mandates. We need grassroots wisdom. We need a policy that supports—not stifles—the work of educating human beings.

Education reform must include educators, or it’s not reform at all. It’s control.