The Policy That Ignored the People: A Look at State Policy

Too often, education policies are passed without real input from teachers or parents.

Politicians and public figures frequently champion school choice as a solution to the challenges facing education. They argue that families should have alternatives to traditional public schools—options free from bureaucracy and red tape. But here’s the question we should all be asking: if freedom from restrictive mandates improves education, why not grant that same freedom to public schools?

Public schools are not failing because teachers are ineffective or students are incapable. They’re struggling under the weight of mandates made without adequate funding, imposed by those far removed from the classroom. Every new initiative, policy, or reform often arrives without the resources needed to implement it—leaving underfunded and understaffed schools to make it work with what little they have.

Meanwhile, teachers are expected to serve as data analysts, curriculum developers, social workers, and compliance officers—all while meeting the unique academic and emotional needs of every child. The system continues to pile on expectations without removing barriers or providing genuine support.

Instead of building an escape hatch through school choice, what if we reimagined the house itself? What if we removed the unnecessary rules and unfunded mandates that tie the hands of public school educators? What if we trusted teachers to teach, empowered schools to innovate, and funded education like the priority it claims to be?

The true path to equity isn't found in creating alternatives to public education. It’s found in freeing public schools to be what they were always meant to be: places where great teaching and learning happen, unburdened by politics and empowered by trust.

On paper, the policy might sound good. However, in practice, it has created confusion, fear, and unintended consequences. We need policy that’s co-created—not imposed. Grounded in research—but also real-life classroom wisdom. Until that happens, educators and families will continue to carry the burden of top-down decisions that ignore lived experience. Policy without people is destined to fail.