Former Principal Says The School System Was Designed To Fail Kids
Our kids are suffering and so are the schools and teachers.
Gorodenkoff | Shutterstock The American school system undoubtedly has flaws, leading many children to struggle. Along with challenges like bullying, mental illness, and absenteeism, which are becoming more prevalent, literacy scores are also declining. So, what can we, as a society, do to address these issues?
Mandy Davis, a former school principal turned homeschool mom, recently shared a series of TikTok videos discussing the issues with the traditional school system. Her main argument is that the system itself is set up in a way that makes it difficult for kids to succeed. She believes that the way schools are designed leads to failure for many students. In her videos, she offers advice on what can be done to address these issues and help solve the complex problems that are affecting our most vulnerable population — our children.
A former principal said public school is a broken system designed to fail students.
Davis first emphasized her view on the structure of schools in the U.S., saying, "If school was actually about learning, it wouldn’t be structured like a factory."
She then made an important point about the education system, if schools really cared about students' success, “They wouldn’t be rushed through topics that they don’t understand just to keep up with a system that doesn’t care if they succeed.”
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The former principal argued that successful schooling should look more like homeschooling, where kids learn at their own pace and ability.
She explained that students shouldn’t be grouped by age but instead by ability and interest. Davis believes schools should operate more like homeschooling, where education is tailored to each student’s pace and interest.
According to Meredith Melvin from Prodigy, the approach being discussed is called student-centered learning. In this teaching method, students actively engage in their own learning process, with the focus on their individual needs and unique learning styles. This approach allows students to learn at their own pace and make choices about how they learn, which helps tailor the experience to suit them best.
While this method may require more time for lesson planning and addressing students’ needs, it results in greater student participation, fosters stronger relationships between teachers and students, and better prepares students for real-world challenges.
The former principal further asserted that the school day is too long when combined with the homework kids are expected to do after hours.
In another video, Davis pointed out more flaws she saw in the school system when she was a principal, “Why are kids in school for seven hours a day and then expected to come home and do three more hours of work?” She continued, “When you clock out, you’re done, but kids, they never get to clock out.”
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Davis emphasized that students don’t get the same break or separation between school time and personal time. She also argued that there’s no such thing as a "free education," pointing out that the true cost is paid by the students, who are burdened with overwhelming work and pressure.
Stanford education researcher Denise Pope found that more than two hours of homework can be counterproductive. Her research revealed that students in high-achieving schools who spend excessive time on homework experience higher levels of stress and health issues. This is especially true for their lives outside of school, where family, friends, and extracurricular activities are important. Pope's findings support Davis's point that students don't get a real break between their school lives and personal lives.
Ultimately, the former principal said that students aren't the reason for the educational crisis we are experiencing in the U.S.
Finally, in her last video, Davis tackled how schools are never accountable for the damaging role they play in a child’s educational experience. She said, “Schools never say: ‘Maybe our system is the problem. Maybe we need to change our approach.’”
She continued fully blasting schools on the way they approach problems with student performance, saying schools continue to blame students for their lack of academic performance when they don’t know the material too well, instead of checking what they are doing wrong that is not helping students retain the information. She said, “Maybe it’s a system built to blame them for its shortcomings.”
This is true. Child literacy rates in the United States are low and continue to decline, especially among students of color, those from low-income backgrounds, and multilingual learners. Additionally, the National Literacy Institute reported that 21% of adults in the U.S. are illiterate as of 2024. This highlights the flaws in the education system, and it's clear that we need to take action for the sake of our future.
Mina Rose Morales is a writer and photojournalist with a degree in journalism. She covers a wide range of topics, including psychology, self-help, relationships, and the human experience.