We’re Asking Schools to Fix What Society Can No Longer Support

By Dr. Brad Johnson

As an educator, school leader, and author with over 30 years of experience in transforming schools and supporting educators, I’ve seen firsthand how our education system has evolved—and how it hasn’t. I’ve taught in classrooms, led as an administrator, trained principals, and spoken to educators across the globe. One thing is clear: schools are being asked to do far more than they were ever designed to do, and we’re long past the point of tweaking around the edges. Somewhere along the way, education became education against everyone else—caught in the middle of political battles, economic pressure, and cultural division. But it shouldn’t be that way. Schools should be the common ground, not the battleground.

For years, the conversation around education reform has centered on standardized testing. Critics argue the tests are outdated, inequitable, and too narrow to measure meaningful learning—and they’re absolutely right.

But that’s only scratching the surface.

It’s not just the tests that are outdated. It’s the entire education system—and the societal foundation it was built on.

Our public education model was designed in an era where the average household looked very different: one parent worked a 9-to-5 job with a living wage; the other parent was available to support children with schooling. The cost of living allowed families to survive—often succeed—on a single income. Communities were more stable, and extended families helped fill the gaps.

Those pillars no longer exist. And yet, we’re still using the same blueprint.

A System Misaligned With Economic Reality

Today, most families need two full-time incomes just to make ends meet. Wages haven’t kept pace with inflation, and housing costs have skyrocketed. In the 1970s, the average home cost about 3.5 times the median household income. Today, it’s more than 7 times. Rent, healthcare, childcare, and food have all surged. Meanwhile, support systems have vanished.

When schools ask for parent volunteers or expect consistent at-home reinforcement, they’re making assumptions that don’t match today’s reality. It’s not apathy. It’s capacity. Families aren’t opting out—they’re burned out.

Educators often say, “Parents treat schools like babysitters.” But when both parents are working 10-hour shifts to keep the lights on, school is the only safe, stable place their child can be all day. That’s not neglect—it’s survival.

Add to that the sharp rise in single-parent households. In 1960, about 9% of children lived with a single parent. Today, it’s over 25%. One adult is now doing the job of two, in a world that offers less time, fewer resources, and more pressure than ever before.

Teachers Are Asked to Fill the Gaps—All of Them

We used to believe: teach academics at school, reinforce at home. That model is gone.

Teachers today are expected to be content experts, behavior specialists, emotional first responders, digital literacy coaches, and mental health monitors—all while dealing with chronic absenteeism, trauma, and outdated mandates. The job is no longer just about delivering lessons. It’s about managing the consequences of a system that assumes support still exists elsewhere.

And burnout is inevitable when teachers are left to carry the weight of what society no longer supports.

Schools as the Final Safety Net

In many communities, schools are the only reliable institution left. They feed students, provide emotional support, and serve as the connective tissue of fractured neighborhoods. But they were never meant to replace community centers, social workers, or families. And yet, that’s what we’ve turned them into.

So, many educators are running on fumes.

The Real Problem Isn’t Curriculum. It’s Assumptions.

This isn’t about blaming parents. Most are doing everything they can—working long hours, managing stress, and simply trying to survive. But it’s also not the educators’ fault. They’re being asked to do far more than was ever expected of them, and they’re doing it with resilience, heart, and skill. Considering the circumstances, educators aren’t failing—they’re holding the system together.

The education system still assumes:

• Parents have time and flexibility.
• Kids arrive at school ready to learn.
• Teachers can handle it all without breaking—but they were never intended to handle all of this. That’s like asking a surgeon to also be the anesthesiologist, the nurse, the janitor, and the insurance coordinator—while performing a high-stakes operation. Yes, they’re highly trained. But no one can do it all, all the time, without breaking. Yes, they’re highly trained. But no one can do it all, all the time, without breaking.

These assumptions are not just outdated—they’re delusional.

What Students and Families Actually Need

If we want a system that works, we must begin with reality:

• Predictable, integrated support systems that extend beyond the classroom.
• Flexible policies that reflect the demands on today’s families.
• Human-centered leadership that prioritizes relationships over rigid mandates.

So What Can We Do?

And it’s not just education that needs to evolve—the workforce does too. Employers must recognize that families, including educators, are navigating unprecedented demands. That means embracing flexible schedules, remote work options, and family-first policies that reflect the modern reality. If we want stronger schools, we also need stronger systems around them—including workplaces that understand the interconnected nature of family, labor, and learning.

If we’re serious about building an education system that matches today’s realities, here are five places to start:

• Modernize school hours and calendars to align with working families—not 1950s assumptions.
• Fund wraparound services—mental health support, aftercare, and food security—as core infrastructure, not add-ons.
• Let teachers teach. They’ll always step up—give more, do more, go the extra mile. But that can’t be the expectation. We can honor their dedication without normalizing burnout.
• Hire other professionals. Invest in counselors, social workers, and paraprofessionals to handle non-academic needs.
• Redesign parent engagement so it doesn’t depend on free time most families don’t have. That means offering flexible communication methods—text updates, evening virtual meetings, multilingual materials, and on-demand content—so parents can stay informed and involved on their own time. It also means shifting the focus from participation in events to meaningful connection. When families feel seen and valued, engagement rises naturally.
• Prioritize relational leadership—because no amount of testing, tech, or policy works without trust and connection.

The Bottom Line

Ultimately, we need more than just school reform—we need a society that supports families the way it once did. We can’t keep ignoring the realities families face today and expect schools to solve problems they didn’t create. A stable education system depends on a stable society around it: one that acknowledges modern challenges and adapts to meet them head-on.

We’re not falling behind because schools aren’t trying. We’re falling behind because the blueprint is built for a world that no longer exists.

Education wasn’t designed to function without the scaffolding of a stable society. That scaffolding is gone. And yet we continue asking schools to hold up what’s left.

This isn’t about incremental reform. It’s about structural reinvention.

We can either keep asking teachers to patch holes in a collapsing system—or we can find the courage to build something bold enough for the world we actually live in.

One Final Thought

Just to be clear: there’s always room for individuals—parents, teachers, leaders—to grow and do better. But this isn’t a matter of isolated effort or personal failure.

This is not blaming parents or education specifically, but what we’re seeing is systemic. It’s societal. The ground has shifted beneath us, and education is still being asked to balance on an old foundation.

This isn’t something a feel-good initiative can fix. It’s not about more passion or trying harder. It’s about finally aligning our expectations with reality and creating a structure that supports—not strains—the people working within it.

If we want real change, we have to stop expecting schools to do the impossible and start building a world that makes success possible.