A Letter from the President
Trends in Student Learning: A Call to Return to Proven Practices
BY: MELISSA JACKSON
In April, I wrote about how the purpose of education is to ensure human flourishing. This month, I wanted to touch on how trendy educational programs– with little or no evidence on how these programs result in better student learning– have consumed more and more of the school day in public schools. Over the past two decades, two dominant trends have quietly but powerfully shaped the course of public education: a workforce development agenda that sidelines academics, stifles creativity, and suppresses critical thinking, as well as an emotional coddling movement that prioritizes feelings over knowledge. Together, these have fundamentally altered the classroom experience, diverting focus from the core purpose of education—intellectual and character formation.
Under the guise of “progress,” our schools have embraced 21st-century skills training, project-based learning, career exposure at earlier and earlier grades, and expansive mental health initiatives—all while literacy and math scores continue to decline. Classrooms are filled with activity, but often devoid of substance.
One of the clearest examples of misplaced priorities is in how children are taught to read. For decades, many public schools have used “three-cueing” strategies, encouraging students to guess words based on pictures or context rather than decoding them through letters and sounds. This method is deeply flawed and unsupported by science. In contrast, phonics-based instruction, which teaches students to sound out words using rules of language, is the most evidence-based and effective approach—especially for early learners and struggling readers. Yet many districts continue to cling to three-cueing, setting students up for long-term literacy gaps.
Similarly, project-based learning is frequently used as a replacement for structured, sequenced instruction. While projects can be a helpful supplement, the Project Follow Through study, the most comprehensive and expensive education study ever conducted in the U.S., demonstrated that direct instruction outperforms all other methods—particularly for retention, comprehension, and success across student populations. Schools ignore this research at the cost of student mastery.
Meanwhile, restorative justice discipline programs have replaced traditional classroom management strategies in schools nationwide. While intended to build empathy and community, these programs often result in rising classroom disruptions, increased teacher assaults, and a breakdown of order. Teachers report spending more time managing bad behavior than delivering instruction. Students cannot thrive in environments that lack structure and consequences. Calm classrooms—grounded in clear expectations and firm, fair discipline—are essential for learning.
At Freedom in Education, we believe a well-educated, virtuous graduate is prepared to flourish in any path they choose—college, trade, or career. But for that to happen, we must return to proven practices: phonics-based reading, direct instruction, a knowledge-rich curriculum, clear behavior expectations, and high academic standards.
Let’s be honest: Public schools are government schools, and government agendas will always influence them. But “We the People” still can correct the course. That means we must engage—boldly, collectively, and strategically. We can’t afford to assume someone else is leading the charge.
Even if your children are no longer in public schools, you still have a stake in the outcome. These graduates will impact every corner of our society. If you’ve chosen private or home education, your responsibility is even greater. With increased freedom comes the duty to ensure your child’s education equips them with knowledge, logic, and virtue.
At Freedom in Education, our mission is clear: to restore academic excellence, intellectual integrity, and moral clarity to K–12 education—so every child has the opportunity to flourish.
Join me next month, where I will talk about where we go from here in K-12 education.
