The mindset behind Charlie Kirk’s assassin highlights the dangers of activism replacing education. Michael Chamberlain, director of Protect the Public’s Trust, wrote in a recent op-ed that American students are testing at historic lows. COVID-era losses have not been reversed despite billions in school funding. Classrooms increasingly prioritize politics over academics. Civics is often replaced by activism, leaving students unaware of the three branches of government while being well-versed in protest. Radical messaging on social issues, including climate change, contributes to eco-anxiety. Teachers’ unions influence priorities heavily. At a recent NEA gathering, a delegate asking about teaching reading and writing was told, “we do not have time for that. We have to fight Trump.” Academics take a back seat to ideology. Higher education faces similar issues. Campus protests in the last two years, including antisemitism and support for Hamas, were often led or amplified by faculty, with institutions largely failing to address them. Charlie Kirk’s events offered rare debate opportunities. Thousands of students attended, but many who challenged him were ill-prepared, misinformed, and hostile, showing gaps in critical thinking fostered by a system that prioritizes ideology over education. Parents entrust schools to prepare children for the future. The case of Charlie Kirk’s assassin underscores the urgent need for reflection and reform to ensure students gain skills, knowledge, and civic understanding.