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Illinois schools changed benchmarks — not outcomes. Black students are still struggling. Homeschool students outperform. The data is clear. It’s time to exit government education.

Parents, we need to have an honest conversation about what’s happening in government schools — and why your role isn’t to reform a broken system, but to reclaim your authority over your child’s education.

Illinois recently introduced new testing benchmarks, and on paper, the numbers look better. But let’s be clear — changing benchmarks does not change reality. Students are still struggling, especially in reading and math. And once again, Black students are paying the highest price.

Across Illinois, Black students are far less likely to reach grade-level proficiency compared to their white peers. In many grades, only a fraction of Black students are meeting standards — even after the bar has been adjusted. These so-called improvements don’t represent real progress. They mask a deeper truth.

The system is not working. And it hasn’t been working for a long time.

And this failure isn’t new. Over 90 years ago, Booker T. Washington and Carter G. Woodson exposed it. Booker T. Washington emphasized self-determination, skill mastery, and economic independence — education that actually prepares children to build and lead. Carter G. Woodson warned that government-controlled education miseducates Black children by design — shaping their thinking, stripping identity, and training them to depend on systems rather than build their own.

Fast-forward nearly a century, and what has really changed? New language. New benchmarks. New promises. Millions and billions of dollars. But the outcomes are still the same.

So when I talk about parents making a difference, I don’t mean fighting for a seat at the table in a system that continues to fail our children. I don’t mean attending more school board meetings or begging for reform.

I mean, parents taking back their God-given authority over education. Exiting!

Real change happens when parents stop outsourcing responsibility and start leading their children’s education with intention. That’s why homeschooling, microschools, and community-based education work. Parents are present. Values are clear. And mastery matters.

And the data proves it. Homeschooled students consistently outperform public-school students by 15 to 25 percentile points on standardized tests. And for Black students, the difference is even more striking. Black homeschool students outperform their public-school peers by as much as 23 to 42 points.

That doesn’t happen by accident. That happens when education is personalized, disciplined, and rooted in identity and purpose.

So let me say this clearly. Homeschooling is not just an alternative. It is a solution. Yes, it requires sacrifice. Yes, it requires courage. But our children are worth it.

If the system refuses to change, then parents must. It’s time to exit government education — not just to raise test scores, but to protect our children’s minds, souls, their identity, and their future.

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