Issues

What are the biggest transparency issues you're seeing in public education today?
The biggest issue is accessibility. In 2024, Alabama passed a law requiring schools to post “approved curriculum” online—but only for classes a student is currently enrolled in.

That means if I have concerns about what my child might be taught in future grades—like 5th-grade sex education—I can’t review it ahead of time. Even then, the material is often only accessible on school-issued devices. Many students aren’t allowed to take those devices home, and for working families, finding time in the evenings to review materials just isn’t feasible.

Even more frustrating, the law only applies to “approved curriculum.” Supplemental materials—handouts, videos, worksheets—aren’t required to be posted at all. Parents must specifically request access, and even then, responses vary by district. If you have questions, you may be told to attend a school board work session just to get answers.

When it comes to Sexual Health Education, it’s not that parents don’t want it to be taught—it’s that we want to know what’s being taught. For example, what is “abstinence” currently defined as in your child’s curriculum? Does that align with what you’re teaching at home? Isn’t this something you’d like to be prepared for as a parent? As schools move further into teaching about sex, identity, and lifestyle, transparency isn’t just important—it’s essential.

And here’s the thing: if you're a parent who doesn’t want to be deeply involved, that’s okay. But for parents who do want to be part of the conversation, we must be given the right to understand what our kids are learning—and to help shape those conversations at home.

The issue isn’t just with health education. When it comes to Social Emotional Learning (SEL), there’s even less clarity. While SEL is often introduced as “mental health” or “character development,” it’s frequently woven into other subjects without transparency or opt-out options. Parents have a right to know what’s being taught—especially when it relates to values or belief systems. That doesn't mean SEL is inherently bad—it means families should be informed and included.

There’s also a lack of financial transparency. I’ve personally requested budget information from the state and was given no clear answers. Whether it’s curriculum, spending, or student services—transparency should never be a fight.

And here’s why it matters.
Schools exist to educate our kids—reading, math, science, and academic growth should be the first priority. But when parents can’t even see what their child is learning, how can they decide whether to seek tutoring, extra support, or accelerated options?

This isn’t just about controversial content—it’s about basic information. What level of math will my child be in next year? What concepts are being covered in reading? If parents can’t get answers to simple academic questions, we have to ask: why? Is it that the curriculum isn’t solid enough to be shared?

When there’s a lack of transparency around these everyday topics, it raises a bigger question: What else is being withheld? We can’t partner with schools if we’re shut out of the conversation.

What does “Back to Basics” mean to you?
Alabama has a crisis on its hands. We are consistently ranked among the worst states in the nation for education. Our students are falling behind in reading, math, and science—and we are doing far too little to change that.

And when we say students are “unprepared,” let’s be honest about what that really means: we’re graduating students who cannot read.
That’s not just a statistic—it’s a long-term problem that will follow these kids into adulthood, into the workforce, and into every area of life.

“Back to Basics” means getting back to the core purpose of school: academic instruction. Reading. Writing. Math. Science. These are the building blocks for everything else.

It also means restoring real-life skills—like home economics, financial literacy, and shop class—that teach students how to be capable and independent.

We also need to be more intentional about what content is being taught—and when.
Let’s be clear: sex education is different from general health education.
We support age-appropriate health classes that prepare students for middle school, covering nutrition, hygiene, and body awareness. But explicit sexual content and values-based messaging should not be introduced in elementary grades. Parents must be informed, involved, and given real choice—not just vague overviews or after-the-fact notices.

Right now, far too much instructional time is being diverted into Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and other non-academic programs. These efforts may be well-meaning, but here’s the reality:
Alabama ranks near the bottom in reading proficiency.
So why are we debating group therapy sessions while our kids still can’t read?

Every family approaches emotional development differently—and it’s not the government’s role to decide which values are “correct.”
Let schools teach academics. Let families raise children.

What does “raising the standard” mean to you?
It means focusing on outcomes—not credentials. A certification on paper doesn’t guarantee a student is learning in the classroom.

We have schools where students can’t read or write at grade level, but we keep expanding counselor networks and administrative teams instead of looking at whether instruction is actually working.

Raising the standard means asking: Are our teachers helping students grow? Are students learning more this year than they knew last year? That should be our baseline.

How do we support great teachers while improving quality system-wide?
We celebrate teachers who are moving the needle. When reading proficiency jumps in a 4th grade classroom, that teacher should be recognized and rewarded—not overlooked while state officials collect raises.

We need to create a culture where excellence in the classroom is noticed and celebrated. That starts with school leadership and flows up to the state level.

What are the biggest barriers to staying in the profession?
One of the biggest reasons teachers leave the profession is lack of support with discipline.
We’ve created environments where teachers are expected to tolerate chaos, manage therapy-style conversations, and follow ever-changing mandates—often with little backup.

We need to restore classroom authority and basic discipline. Teachers should feel safe and respected—not burned out and ignored.

How do we raise expectations without overwhelming everyone?
We need to raise statewide standards so every school operates on the same playing field. States like Massachusetts have higher academic standards—we should study and replicate their approach.

These changes could be phased in to ease the burden. Also, cutting excessive SEL content would help teachers and students to focus on what truly matters.

Any academic models you admire?
I’m a fan of Oklahoma’s superintendent and their focus on returning to real education—not activism.

What concerns you most about school counseling today?
School counseling is not the problem—lack of transparency is. Mental health support and academic guidance can absolutely help students. But parents must be informed and involved.

Alabama law requires parental consent before a student receives school-based mental health services. Yet more and more schools are embedding "large group counseling" into classes and presenting it as part of the curriculum—bypassing direct communication with families.

That raises important questions: Why can’t parents see what’s being taught? Why are materials sometimes withheld due to copyright or unclear policies? If this content is truly about helping students thrive, why isn’t it shared openly?

Counseling itself isn’t bad—but what happens when the values shared in those sessions differ from what a child is being taught at home? I’m not sending my child to school to receive values-based instruction from someone whose beliefs I don’t know. That’s a line we shouldn’t cross.

Why does parental involvement matter?
Because parents are the ones in the best position to decide what kind of support their child needs.

• They may prefer to bring their child to a Christian counselor or someone specifically trained in trauma-informed care.

• They may recognize signs that point to the need for medication or long-term therapy.

• A parent might be the only one able to spot when someone in the child’s life is making them feel unsafe.

• Or, counseling conversations might reveal a home-life concern that the parent is uniquely positioned to address and improve.

When parents are excluded, critical decisions about a child’s well-being are made without full context.

Are counselors being asked to go beyond their training?
Yes. Many are being asked to manage complex emotional or social issues, often without a full partnership with the family. Some are even coached on how to avoid triggering mandatory parent involvement.

What should reform look like?
Counselors should focus on:

• Academic planning and support

• Individual referrals based on observed needs

• Emotional guidance with parental partnership

Group counseling sessions should never be hidden within curriculum. If a parent can’t access what’s being taught, that’s a problem.

How can schools support students and respect families?
By recognizing this truth: parents know their children best. Families—not institutions—should lead emotional and moral development. Schools can play a supportive role—but only with transparency and trust.

What does “raising the standard” mean to you?
It means focusing on classroom outcomes—real student progress—not just credentials. A certificate doesn’t guarantee quality instruction. Many of our counselors, for example, are ASCA-certified, but that hasn’t solved the deeper issues around values, transparency, and outcomes.

The real standard should be simple: Are students learning? Are they improving year over year?

And let’s be clear: Teachers are our superstars.
They deserve to be in the classroom doing what they were called to do—teach. Inspire. Equip the next generation.
But instead, we overload them with students who haven’t been taught to respect authority, place them in the middle of transparency battles, and expect them to carry out SEL-driven emotional development on top of everything else.

One study found that 52% of K–12 teachers report feeling burned out—the highest of any profession.

And the worst part? When a parent tries to learn what their child is being taught or pushes for transparency—it’s not the teacher they’re fighting.
The need for transparency is real and urgent—but it’s placing a burden on our teachers that should never have been theirs to carry.
Parents and teachers want to be on the same team.
They’re both trying to do what’s best for students—but the system keeps putting them in the middle.

This isn’t “us vs. the schools.” It’s “us vs. the state.”

How do we reward great teachers?
By recognizing and celebrating results. If a teacher helped raise 4th-grade reading scores, they shouldn’t be overlooked—they should be uplifted. Let’s stop rewarding bureaucracy and start rewarding impact.

What are the biggest barriers to staying in education?

• Lack of discipline support – Teachers are expected to manage behavior with no backup.

• Lack of local control – They’re handed rigid directives from the state, often with little flexibility or context.

We need to put power and respect back in the hands of those doing the work.

Would you support merit-based pay or performance incentives?
Absolutely. If a teacher is moving the needle for students, they should be compensated for that impact.
We don’t need to reinvent the system—we just need to reward what’s working.

What decisions should remain local?
Most day-to-day school operations should stay in the hands of local leaders. That includes decisions like how schools begin the day, what local events they participate in, and how funds are allocated—within clear state guardrails.

Discipline policies should also be set at the local level but must align with state standards that protect order and authority in the classroom.
For example, the state should prohibit harmful trends like restorative justice replacing real consequences. From there, local boards can shape what works best for their schools.

Where is the state falling short—or overreaching?
Right now, the state isn’t overreaching—it’s barely reaching at all.
We have laws on the books with no follow-through, no enforcement, and no accountability for schools that ignore them. That sends the message that parents and teachers are on their own.

The state should be setting standards and ensuring they’re followed—not passing vague legislation and disappearing.

How can we ensure standards without adding more bureaucracy?
Start by auditing the standards we already have.
Let’s remove what’s outdated, redundant, or overly complicated, and focus on stronger, clearer academic benchmarks.
This isn’t about more paperwork—it’s about cutting through red tape so teachers can focus on teaching.

What are your thoughts on curriculum control?
Local school boards must choose from state-approved instructional materials—and that’s the right structure.

But the problem is the review process itself. Too often, it’s a rubber stamp with little real scrutiny. We don’t need to start from scratch—we just need to enforce the process that’s already in place and make sure the curriculum meets both academic standards and community expectations.

What values should schools reinforce?
It’s simple: honesty, respect, kindness, and responsibility. These are universal values that help students grow into capable, thoughtful citizens.

But when schools begin teaching values beyond those basics, it starts to introduce personal worldviews and belief systems that may not reflect what families are teaching at home. And that’s not the core mission of education.

Schools need to return to their purpose: to educate.
And right now, too many are falling behind on the fundamentals—reading, writing, and life skills. That’s where our energy and resources should be focused.

True freedom means being able to teach your family your values, participate in communities that support them, and trust that no one else is trying to override that—especially not in a classroom.
And it’s fair to ask: why are schools drifting into values-based messaging when many are still struggling to fulfill their most essential responsibility?

And really, isn’t the goal to prepare the next generation—not just with academic knowledge, but with the ability to stand firm in their own convictions while also treating others with dignity and respect?
That’s not just character development. That’s real education.

Conviction and respect aren’t opposites—they’re the foundation of a free society.