America’s children cannot wait for education to become a national priority again.
As candidates prepare for elections at every level, from governors’ races to the next presidential campaign, we have a simple challenge: Tell parents how you’ll deliver the schools kids deserve. Not slogans. Not culture-war distractions. Not more finger-pointing. A real plan to help every child succeed.
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We believe that plan should start with 10 simple commitments: safe schools, great teachers, strong reading and math outcomes, honest accountability, fair funding, pathways to economic mobility, responsible use of technology and artificial intelligence, meaningful public school options for families and a guarantee that every child has access to a high-quality education. The details matter, but the goal is simple; Every student, in every community, deserves the opportunity to thrive.
We represent parent advocates and teacher leaders. And we are united and prepared to fight for the opportunities, support and outcomes every kid deserves.
That’s why more than 60 national, state and local organizations came together through EdPwr. We represent different constituencies and perspectives, and we certainly don’t agree on every policy question. But we do agree on the destination.
Together, alongside a broad and diverse coalition, we developed these 10 commitments to help fulfill the promise of public education. That means making literacy a national priority. It means ensuring students graduate ready for college, careers, military service and civic life. It means giving families clear information about school performance and meaningful public school options. It means giving every teacher the preparation, support, resources and professional opportunities they need to give their students everything they need. It means investing fairly in students regardless of their ZIP code and embracing technology and AI in ways that expand opportunity while protecting children.
Just as importantly, these priorities are not confined to education advocates. They reflect what the public is asking for. A recent survey from the Hunt Institute found that nine out of 10 voters want more leadership and public debate on education. The priorities that emerged from EdPwr are not only backed by evidence, but also have broad public approval, with most receiving support from at least two-thirds of parents and some from nearly 85 percent.
Families and educators work too hard and there is too much at stake for education to remain an afterthought. Parents wake up every morning, pack lunches, get kids on the bus, head to work, prepare dinner, manage homework and bedtime routines — and then do it all again the next day. They shouldn’t have to wonder whether their children are safe, receiving a high-quality education or being prepared for the future. They want great teachers in classrooms, honest accountability for results and graduates who are ready for the workforce and the world. And they want leaders who are focused on outcomes rather than ideology.
The challenge isn’t that we don’t know what needs to be done. It’s that too few leaders have shown the urgency and courage required to do it.
For too long, education has been treated as a political talking point rather than a governing priority. Student outcomes have stagnated. Confidence in public education has eroded. Meanwhile, AI, technological innovation and economic change are transforming the skills today’s students will need tomorrow.
This moment calls for more than incremental change. It calls for bold leadership.
Leadership willing to be honest about where students are struggling and ambitious about where they can succeed. Leadership willing to invest in what works, challenge what doesn’t, and put outcomes ahead of ideology. Leadership that will listen to educators about what they need in their classrooms and listen to parents about what they want for their children.
Our next generation is filled with some of the brightest, most creative, and innovative young people our country has ever produced. Let’s give them an education system worthy of their potential.
These 10 commitments are more than a policy agenda. They are a roadmap for delivering the schools our kids deserve and that our teachers want to work in. The American people have made their priorities clear. It’s time for leaders to step up.
It’s time to get to work.