A digital painting of a public school hallway where students sit barefoot on the floor reading books, while warm light spills from an open classroom where a teacher engages students in a relaxed, discussion-based setting.

Public school tirade to hit a new stride in 2026

ByTC Marti

I’ve had a vendetta against public school for ages, and it felt great to put it at center stage in 2025. I’ll take that critique up a notch in 2026.

Nothing has been more therapeutic than my never-ending rant against public school in 2025. And no, I’m not just another author pointing to data. We have plenty of people out there doing that, like Kerry McDonald and Unskool.

I’m not bringing anything new to the table, so I brought my own personal experience that outlines how ridiculous public school is. From my old school’s illogical ways of busing students to the way teachers went out of their way to embarrass those who dared to dissent.

Yes, I say dissenting, not misbehaving. Misbehaving students don’t exist, and that will be a core theme in 2026. Who were these dissenting students and why were they dissenting? It’s a question I seek to answer.

Giving recognition to teachers who bucked the curriculum

They know who they are. But not every public school teacher rehashed the same, sanitized curriculum. One teacher let us read for a good half-hour a day and we sat wherever the hell we wanted while reading. Another let us walk around in our socks in a carpeted classroom. And another conversed with us like we were adults.

Not all public school teachers suck, and it’s also something I’m driving home in the coming year. That said, it’d be nice if other teachers followed and bucked the one-size-fits-few curriculum. Alas, when I was in school, it didn’t happen.

Linking everything to Arcane Elemental Academy

The Arcane Prophecy by TC MartiMore often than not, when I talk about why public schools suck, expect to see me link it back to my YA fantasy series, Arcane Elemental Academy. Book I, The Arcane Prophecy, shows off education entrepreneurship in action, but it also comes with a kick-ass story.

Yote Diamondback gets rejected from her elemental high school of choice and must attend Arcane as a “consolation.” And she’s in for a wild ride, given Arcane’s unorthodox approach to learning. It uses more hands-on methods, rarely, if ever, hands out grades, and the instructors don’t believe in homework.

Instead, they teach kids how to master the four elements, tailoring their programs to fit the students’ personality and learning style. Check out the first three chapters now and catch the runic elemental magic system in action. When it’s a good fit, you’re gonna be in for a wild ride.

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