For Immediate Release

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Center for Youth Law (NCYL) testified before the U.S. House Committee on Education & Workforce on Wednesday, urging lawmakers to focus on a simple question: what truly helps students succeed in school? 

Johnathan J. Smith, NCYL’s Managing Director of Education & Federal Strategic Advocacy, a former Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, told the Committee that families, educators, and students overwhelmingly share the same goal: safe schools, strong academic opportunity, and learning environments where every child can thrive. The trouble, he explained, is what happens when discussions about education focus on divisive political debates rather than what’s best for students:

“Keeping our public schools strong and vibrant comes down to two things: first, we must guarantee that schools remain places where all students have an opportunity to learn and succeed. Second, we must acknowledge and respect the rights of parents and students alike, recognizing that their voices and perspectives are critical in creating and maintaining safe and supportive learning environments.”

Johnathan Smith

In his testimony, Smith highlighted the real-world costs of increasing political conflict in schools. A national survey of superintendents found that politicized conflict over K-12 schools cost districts an estimated $3.2 billion in the 2023–24 school year alone — money that did not reach teachers, tutoring, mental health support, or classrooms. Since 2021, PEN America has tracked more than 22,800 instances of book banning in public schools, disproportionately targeting stories that reflect racial, gender, and LGBTQI+ diversity. And the federal office charged with protecting students from discrimination, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, dismissed more than 90% of the complaints it received in mid-2025 without full investigation, even as it fielded more than 20,000 complaints a year.

That approach, Smith argued, runs against what most parents actually want. Polling shows 80% of parents want young people to have access to books that help them understand different perspectives and grow into adults who can think for themselves. Far from sidelining families, NCYL’s testimony emphasized that parents have driven the creation of safe and inclusive schools for generations, from the campaigns that followed Brown v. Board of Education to the passage of Title VI, Title IX, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Smith closed by urging the Committee to embrace policies that ensure every student has a safe, equitable, and inclusive place to learn.

“If we get this right, families can thrive and children can develop into well-equipped individuals who can succeed both in school and in life.”

Johnathan Smith

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The National Center for Youth Law centers youth through research, community collaboration, impact litigation, and policy advocacy that fundamentally transform our nation’s approach to education, health, immigration, foster care, and youth justice. Our vision is a world in which every child thrives and has a full and fair opportunity to achieve the future they envision for themselves.