Former Rocklin USD superintendent: Public education is not a political pawn | Opinion
As a lifelong educator and retired superintendent of the Rocklin Unified School District, I’ve spent decades walking the halls of local schools, sitting in classrooms and working alongside dedicated teachers. I’ve seen the incredible passion that fuels public education — and the increasing weight that threatens to extinguish it.
What was once a place of inspiration and discovery is now too often a battleground. Teachers across the Sacramento region — from Rocklin to Roseville, Elk Grove to Folsom — are being overwhelmed by a growing list of responsibilities that have little to do with teaching. And it’s our students who are paying the price.
To those who make decisions that impact our classrooms, from school board members to state legislators and policymakers, please take a moment to remember the original purpose of public education and realize how far we’ve drifted from that vision.
We’ve lost sight of what our public schools were built to do: teach children to read and write well, develop strong mathematical reasoning, foster civic understanding and help students grow into productive members of a diverse society. We trained educators to master both their subject and the craft of teaching. That’s how we built schools that prepared generations for success.
In recent years, however, we have asked teachers to become mental health counselors, social workers, crisis responders and even family therapists. They are expected to manage student trauma, address social issues, prevent cyberbullying, resolve behavioral crises and prepare for emergencies — all while teaching long division or guiding a class through American history.
Let’s be honest: No one can do it all. And that includes the best teachers I’ve ever worked with.
Educators are experts in instruction. Their training lies in how to teach reading comprehension, clear writing, mathematical reasoning and evidence-based thinking. They are passionate professionals who inspire curiosity and growth. But when their day is filled with paperwork, policy debates, mandated trainings and ideological interference, they are robbed of the time and energy to do what they do best.
In this region, school board meetings have increasingly become arenas for national political debates over book bans, curriculum battles and identity politics. These arguments are often driven more by ideology than by educational best practices, and they distract us from what truly matters: student learning.
When politicians inject their personal beliefs into local school policies — whether religious, cultural or political — they shift the burden onto educators. They polarize communities and confuse classrooms. And the result is predictable: lower morale, shrinking trust and declining academic performance.
Public education is not meant to be a political pawn. It is the foundation of a strong and functioning democracy. It exists to prepare students — not to win culture wars.
I spent decades working with teachers who love what they do. They care deeply, and they go above and beyond. But they are being asked to carry too much. We’ve made it almost impossible for them to focus on what they do best: inspiring young minds and helping kids reach their potential
It’s time we say enough.
If we want our children to thrive, we must return our classrooms to their original purpose. If we want to truly support our children and their future, let’s refocus our schools on education — not indoctrination
That means giving teachers room to teach. It means reducing non-instructional burdens. It means funding schools based on real needs, not partisan agendas. And it means trusting educators to use the training and experience they’ve spent years building.
Our teachers are not the problem. They are the key to the solution — if we empower them.
To our legislators, school board leaders and policymakers: Step back from the ideological distractions. Focus on what matters. And, most importantly, let teachers teach!