There are as many opinions regarding education as there are families in Georgia. One thing most can agree on though: our current public schooling system is not the best we can do for our children. Students are individuals and each has unique needs. We must start expanding educational freedom so that students and parents can choose the option that truly works for them.

We stifle teachers from being creative and innovative when we force them to “teach for the test.” Standardized tests have been shown again and again not to be a meaningful metric for a student’s capabilities. Georgia teachers need to be empowered to do their jobs without so much bureaucracy.

When something is mandated, it loses its importance and respect. When something is banned, it inevitably becomes more sought out than it was before. We know these things and yet authoritarians still try to control what other people can read or study. Teachers must be free to seek out the tools that will allow them to best educate our students. Likewise, students deserve to be taught how to learn rather than just being told to avoid half of the ideas out there. We can do better by our teachers and students.