During my time in the public school system, in my junior and senior years of high school, I encountered backlash from my parents, teachers, an IEP supervisor, my school counselor, and my principal. My simple decision to be interested in subjects/information that I genuinely wanted to learn was met with a lack of understanding and reasonableness. As a former public school student, I had an IEP meeting (IEP stands for Individualized Education Plan) and an IEP meeting is a meeting usually initiated by the parent to discuss their kid's academic progress or how they are doing. My mom started 2 IEP meetings, one the day after I turned 18 and the other on the 28th of April 2022 because she did not like the fact that I was studying and learning things that I wanted to learn and cared about. She believed that I was going to fail my classes my senior year and not graduate because she thought that I was not doing any of my schoolwork which was not true. Long stories short, the school officials in my IEP meetings did not do their jobs correctly because they failed to gather the facts of my situation and make the correct decision of assuring my mom that I was going to pass and graduate. This one experience on top of my entire experience of the public education system for the 12 to 13 years that I spent in these prisons fueled me to demand meaningful change within our educational system that prioritizes real learning and doing things that are actually meaningful in the real world over rigid, outdated nonsense.

The current public education system is plagued with problems that hinder kids from being successful in the real world and from being happy and confident people.

Standardized tests and tests don't reflect a student's understanding, curiosity, or potential. I am not just talking about the SAT and ACT, but all standardized tests and tests. High school students are pressured into taking a test which means nothing to employers and nothing to anyone else, the only people who care about these tests for whatever reason are parents and colleges.  Standardized tests mean nothing. All tests mean nothing. College Board and state mandated testing in public schools needs to go and needs to stop. Abolishing these tests would allow students to learn without the nonsense that are these tests.

Compulsory attendance, another significant issue, treats education as a mere checkbox task rather than a meaningful journey of students. By eliminating compulsory attendance, parents will not have to fear of going to jail or fined if they don't surrender their kids to government schooling, students who turn 18 before they graduate will also not fear the same outcome, students will have the ability knowing their presence is valued and meaningful because it's by choice. Such freedom will get schools to create more engaging, fulfilling courses that ignite students' intrinsic motivations.

Moreover, the required curriculum that dictates which subjects must be taught limits the scope of knowledge/subjects students can pursue. Everybody is forced to be taught subjects like Math, English, Science, Social Studies, etc,. that most kids are not interested in or naturally good at and that most kids are not going to learn because they are not interested in them or naturally good at. Not to mention that even despite those very facts, they cannot justify why these subjects are important for everyone to know when most of us are never going to use them and they are not actually important for life after graduation besides the basics and certain life skills unless your in a career where that is called for. We need to advocate for a model where students have the freedom to decide on subjects that align with their career goals, personal interests, and natural talents. This flexibility encourages students to harness their own strengths and prepare for a future they envision for themselves.

Teachers also need to understand their role. Teachers are not suppose to teach anybody anything unless the student wants to have something explained to them. It is really important that kids understand studying. Teaching isn't the only way for people to learn something. But the fact is a lot of teachers in public schools don't understand that that is what kids need to be doing in order for learning to happen. Kids know how to learn and they know that they need to study and process information in order to learn it. Not memorize it for a test and then forget about it and certainly not retain for a certain amount of time and then forget about it. 

The WV Legislature passed House Bill 3113 requiring students in 8th grade or in high school to take a personal finance class. It took our government long enough to care about and take action on teaching kids information that they will need for the rest of their lives. Understanding your finances and how money works is a life skill. Making public school more meaningful. The Legislature can also pass a bill requiring students to understand their constitutional rights and how to navigate police encounters another life skill. As citizens we all need to understand our constitutional rights and what the government cannot do. 

By standing together, we can demand our state legislature, local, and state education boards to rethink and remodel education to be dynamic, student-centric, and passion-driven. This movement aims to cultivate an environment where every student has the opportunity to explore their interests and develop life skills AND employable or entrepreneurial skills.

Join us in demanding an education system that empowers rather than restricts. Demanding an education system that is about kids not for kids. 

Sign this petition and advocate for true educational transformation that reflects the actual needs and wants of our kids, our country, economy, and our future. Together, we can redefine what it means to learn.