By: Melissa Jackson

Back-to-school season feels different this year. For our family, it’s a milestone year: our youngest, Zack, the last of four, took a path that looked nothing like the one we expected when our older three children graduated. While we once assumed college was the “right” answer for everyone, our perspective has changed—shaped by both my work in K–12 education and our lived experience as parents.

Zack chose trade school. He is now attending Western Welding Academy in Wyoming, where the program demands a strong work ethic, personal responsibility, and accountability—traits that will serve him for life. They partner with 159 companies and offer outstanding job placement opportunities. As parents, it gives us great comfort to know that when he graduates, he will have marketable skills, a clear plan, and real security about his future.

This journey taught us that students need options—and accurate information. Too often, college guidance counselors fail to provide realistic career paths, salary expectations, or even the next steps required after earning a degree. One of my daughters graduated only to learn that her chosen career required additional schooling she hadn’t planned for. She now works in a job that didn’t need a degree at all and is reassessing her career path just a year later.

Lessons from a Young Parent

I share these experiences because I wish I had asked more questions when I was a young parent. My oldest daughter, now 26, was in 5th grade when I asked her principal why students weren’t doing writing or spelling anymore. The response shocked me: “We don’t need to. Computers will do that, and textbooks will be phased out.”

That was twenty years ago. Now we’re having serious discussions about the overuse of devices in schools and what’s been lost along the way—handwriting, spelling, even basic attention skills. It taught me this: even as a first-time parent, you have every right to ask questions and challenge assumptions. Don’t be afraid to advocate for what’s best for your child.

Tips for Parents Navigating High School & Beyond

• Explore all career paths early: Don’t assume college is the only option—research trades, apprenticeships, military, and entrepreneurship alongside traditional routes.
• Ask guidance counselors tough questions: Career requirements, salary expectations, and real job placement data should be part of the conversation.
• Consider dual enrollment over AP overload: Dual enrollment often provides college credit with less stress and real-world value.
• Encourage career exploration before big investments: Summer jobs, internships, and even gap years can save time, money, and frustration later.
• Focus on work ethic and character: Whatever path your child chooses, persistence, responsibility, and curiosity matter more than the label of the institution.
• Never stop asking questions: Whether it’s devices in classrooms or curriculum changes, parents deserve answers—and schools should welcome them.

I hope these lessons from our family and updates from Freedom in Education offer encouragement as you navigate the year ahead. Together, let’s champion an education system that prepares every student to thrive—in college, in trades, and in life.

P.S.  – Help Us Continue This Work
If you believe in restoring common-sense education and equipping parents, teachers, and students with the tools they need to succeed, we invite you to support Freedom in Education. Your contribution helps us expand our reach, train more educators, and develop knowledge-rich learning resources for students across the country.

Next month, we will talk about de-federalization.