By Tiffany Benson |

This is a provocation and an outright challenge for parents and guardians to take an inventory of their children’s mental health and level of intelligence after investing in public education. If you’re rearing teenagers who’ve endured government schools since pre-K, can you honestly say your kids are smarter, more respectful, and willing to take responsibility for their choices? Or is there increased mistrust, tension, and constant power struggles?

Some will say rebellion, gender confusion, and anti-traditional sentiments are part of every coming-of-age story. Many believe dysfunction between parents and children is a rite of passage, a sign of natural progression toward adulthood. Perhaps, to an extent, this is true. Clashes of personalities and worldviews are commonplace in most families. However, there are sure ways to test whether outside influences are driving unnecessary wedges between you and your child. If you’ve tried tough love, barring social media, confiscating electronics, assigning extra chores, intervening in unhealthy relationships, yet there’s no improvement — then it’s time to do something audacious.

Here are five reasons to pull your kids out of public schools.

1. No one loves and cares for your children like you do. — This point assumes you’re a dedicated parent doing everything in your purview to accept your children as unique individuals while passing along good morals. You balance “spoiling” them with the necessary disciplines that encourage gradual maturity and independence. You seek their well-being above all else and your standards are rooted in traditional values. Just know that our current public education model is constantly evolving to replace you as the primary influencer and arbiter of truth and morality. Government schools are gravitating toward social-emotional learning which entreats your children to develop inappropriate levels of confidentiality with other “trusted adults.” Furthermore, this system takes advantage of any area of perceived neglect on your part, especially when you fail to address identity issues. Of course, parents typically know when to explore an idea, apply correction, or ignore silliness altogether. Understand that this is the sphere of authority that radical educators, administrators, and board members are increasingly trying to disrupt. The most egregious message they’re sending your children is one that says they can be anything they want to be, including the opposite gender.

2. Student safety is rapidly deteriorating. — I once confronted a school board member about the pattern of predatory behavior among certified and classified staff. In less than two years, this Arizona school district had multiple incidents of adults grooming and/or assaulting students. In two high profile cases, where the workers were convicted of sex crimes, the criminal employees were allowed to quietly resign. The board member — who happened to be friends with one assailant that sexually assaulted a student — defensively assured me, “There’s pedophiles in every school district.” I assume she was either condoning or confirming this as a fact. A 2017 study showed 10% of students will experience sexual misconduct from a district employee by the time they graduate high school. Today, that percentage is likely higher and still represents only a small fraction of unreported cases. We know government entities protect their own when accusations fly. Additionally, a 1997-2022 research study revealed a 2,086.7% increase in school shooting incidents, from 15 incidents during the 2009-2010 academic year to 328 incidents in 2020-2021. Imagine, the radical majority of board members and administrators believe replacing student resource officers with DEI-certified social workers is the solution to this problem.

3. Your kids aren’t learning in public schools. — Although national, state, and district test scores may not provide concrete evidence of learning outcomes (i.e. a student can excel in collaboration with peers but fail to perform in isolated settings), these numbers serve as indicators to warn us of potential risks. Think of those assessment results like a cholesterol test that can indicate chronic heart problems. Regardless of how healthy and energetic the patient feels, a caring and ethical physician will bring this to the patient’s attention and prescribe immediate lifestyle changes to prevent medical crises. Logically speaking, standardized English, reading, and math scores are no different. Depending on which source you consult, Arizona is ranked anywhere between 45 and 49 out of 50 for K-12 education. Regardless of whether these numbers are based on a biased sample of traditionally educated students, it’s still in heart attack range. Loving parents are paying attention and making immediate lifestyle changes to prevent their children from graduating without basic survival skills.

4. Government (co)dependency creates moral hazard. — Since the Department of Education’s inception, more and more Americans believe state-regulated academics are a prerequisite to survival “in the real world.” Add to this the rabid feminist doctrines that shame and drive some women — who might otherwise educate their own children — outside the home to compete in the workforce, thereby producing a dual income situation that necessitates publicly funded childcare. Not to mention, family members and local churches are taking less responsibility to support parents than they did in the past. Since the government made it easy to queue up at the beginning and end of the workday, parents assume teachers, administrators, counselors, and coaches are primarily liable when kids fail. Unfortunately, the pervasiveness of public education has created an illusion of mitigated risks wherein parents have the convenience of temporarily “handing off” their children to government employees with minimal oversight. Then, when something goes wrong, parents quickly assert their rights…often without taking responsibility for directing their children’s education.

5. Public education is a corrupt financial enterprise. — In 2019-2020, the National Center for Education Statistics revealed the United States spent an estimated $870 billion on elementary and secondary schools. In 2023, Arizona reportedly spent a whopping $12.6 billion (not including charter schools). Last year, Mesa Public Schools (MPS) alone carried a classroom budget that was 10.6% higher than the state average. MPS is a morally corrupt and dangerous district that’s being sued for transitioning students’ gender without parental knowledge. Also, the majority of students are not minimally proficient in math or reading. Nowhere in the world of investment would Americans put up with such an alarming deficit. Yet, day after day and year after year, parents keep sending their children into these cesspools.

All this to say, parents, you have options and the time to explore is now.

Don’t wait around for things to get better — they never will. While there are a few decent educators holding on to the good they see in their classrooms, it’s impossible for the government to care about your child or your family. Don’t let your sons and daughters graduate high school with a 3rd-grade reading comprehension. Stop letting the government usurp your authority. Divest the trust you placed in public education and start asking questions. Get comfortable with confrontation. If your child is being bullied, and the district refuses to do something about it, remove them before the situation prematurely ends their young life. What appears to be an extreme and rare situation today can become your personal tragedy tomorrow. Be proactive. Intervene. Drastic times call for drastic measures.

And if you’re free Saturday, April 6 @ 2pm, come learn about your education options here in Arizona. You don’t need to settle for public school. Hope to see you there!

Tiffany is the Founder of Restore Parental Rights in Education, a grassroots advocate for families, educators, and school board members. For nearly two decades, Tiffany’s creative writing pursuits have surpassed most interests as she continues to contribute to her blog Bigviewsmallwindow.com. She encourages everyday citizens to take an active role in defending and preserving American values for future generations.