The heated battles over public education seem to have quieted in 2024. A new report from Neal McCluskey, director of Cato’s Center for Educational Freedom, explores this shift, suggesting that the once-polarizing culture war over school issues might be cooling off—at least for now.

After years of debates about curriculum, book bans, and parental rights, it appears that school issues are no longer dominating the political discourse the way they once were. What’s behind this change? And does this mean that Americans are finally finding common ground on education, or is there something else at play?

This moment presents an opportunity to examine how educational policy and local school dynamics are shifting, and whether this cooling of the “culture war” signals a longer-term trend or just a temporary pause.

If you would like to talk with Neal about this, please don’t hesitate to reach out to pr@​cato.​org.