Thomas Sowell, 95, told the Hoover Institution podcast that many U.S. public schools function more like "propaganda agencies" than places that teach critical thinking or a foundational knowledge of history. He blamed strong taxpayer funding and teachers' unions for shielding schools from accountability and pointed to Nation's Report Card (2025) results and an EdChoice 2025 poll as evidence of declining performance and public concern. Sowell also highlighted charter schools as evidence that different management and incentives can produce better results and noted ongoing policy debates over a federal K–12 scholarship tax credit scheduled to begin in 2027.
Thomas Sowell: Teachers' Unions Have Turned Schools Into 'Propaganda Agencies,' He Warns
Conservative icon rips teachers' unions as schools turn into 'propaganda agencies'
Conservative scholar Thomas Sowell offered a blunt critique of the U.S. education system in a wide-ranging interview on the Hoover Institution podcast Uncommon Knowledge with Peter Robinson. The 95-year-old economist and historian said public schools are failing to teach critical thinking and a grounding in history, and he accused teachers' unions of helping to insulate schools from accountability.
Sowell's Central Claims
Sowell argued that many schools have become, in effect, "propaganda agencies" rather than institutions focused on developing students' ability to think for themselves. He said the system fails to provide students a solid knowledge base in history and too often discourages expression of views that differ from prevailing narratives.
“It’s failing to teach students how to think. It’s failing to give them a background of knowledge of history. And it’s failing to allow them to express views that are different from what is being propagandized.”
Why, He Says, Schools Are Resistant to Change
Sowell attributed much of the problem to the structure of public education funding and the political power of teachers' unions. He said taxpayer funding, combined with union political spending, reduces incentives for schools to correct poor performance the way private businesses must when they fail to meet customers’ expectations.
Economist Thomas Sowell unleashed on the current state of the U.S. education system, arguing it is keeping students and families trapped in a cycle of failure.(Fox News)
“Teachers’ unions collect billions of dollars in dues and then invest millions of dollars around the country to politicians who will protect the teachers’ unions from competition,”
Data and Public Sentiment
Sowell pointed to national assessment data and opinion surveys to underscore his concerns. He cited the Nation’s Report Card (2025), which showed that nearly half of high school seniors scored below the "basic" level in math and reading. He also referenced an EdChoice 2025 survey finding that 68% of Americans and 60% of parents believe K–12 education is on the wrong track.
Charter Schools and Alternatives
In his 2020 book Charter Schools and Their Enemies, Sowell argued that charter schools demonstrate how different management and incentives can lead to substantially improved outcomes for the same students in the same neighborhoods. He said charter schools’ relative autonomy and performance-based contracts contrast with traditional public schools and can deliver better results.
Sowell criticized some state policies he sees as restricting charter schools—citing California legislation he contends limits charters’ ability to suspend or expel disruptive students—as efforts that preserve the influence of unions and weaken competitive pressure.
Schools across the country closed in March 2020 amid the outbreak of COVID-19.
Policy Context: School Choice And A Federal Tax Credit
Sowell’s comments came during National School Choice Week and amid federal debate over expanded school options. Supporters of a new federal K–12 scholarship tax credit—created under the Working Families Tax Cut Act and described by proponents as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act—say it will begin in 2027. Under the proposal, taxpayers could receive up to $1,700 as a federal tax credit by donating those funds to approved Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs), which convert donations into K–12 scholarships families can use for public, private, or charter school expenses.
The Department of Education said 23 states have opted into a related program and called it a major expansion of education choice intended to give families more options.
Notes and Caveats
Many advocates of traditional public schools and some education researchers counter that charter expansion can drain resources from district schools, weaken union protections for teachers, and raise concerns about uneven oversight. The debate over the best way to improve K–12 outcomes remains highly contested and politically charged.
Full Interview: Sowell's remarks appear in a podcast episode of the Hoover Institution's Uncommon Knowledge with Peter Robinson.
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