While Emily Bute isn’t a mom yet, she has already made one decision for her future kids: she will not be sending them to public school.

As a special education teacher in the public school system herself, she said she has seen first hand how the ‘system does not address the needs’ of children.

Bute, based in Oahu, Hawaii, recently went viral on TikTok after she broke down all the reasons why she has decided that she will homeschool her kids when she has them.

‘As a public school teacher I have seen the research and I’ve lived the experiences and honestly, this is why I will be homeschooling my children one day,’ she began in the clip, which has been viewed over 281,000 times.

‘I am in absolutely no way anti-teacher – I am a teacher, I think teachers are incredible, but I am anti-system,’ she clarified.

Bute then began to list the various things that she felt was wrong with public schools, ranging from class sizes being too big to the ‘rigid teaching guides’ forced upon teachers.

‘Just to start, class sizes are increasing every year. [Studies] recommend smaller group sizes that are more tailored to how children learn, creating a developmentally appropriate environment,’ she explained.

‘We are routinely expecting one singular teacher to meet the academic, behavioral, emotional and cultural needs of 25 to 30 kids in a classroom.’

A study done by Student/Teacher Achievement Ratio (STAR) back in the 1980s found that students who were put in smaller classes were ‘two to five months ahead of their peers’ after four years.

A similar study done in 1996 found that students in classrooms of 12 to 15 students achieved higher test scores than students who were in classrooms of 21 to 25 students.

Bute also slammed the public school’s ‘standardized curriculum,’ explaining: ‘The curriculum [may be] standardized but children are not.

‘Research in child development shows that children learn at wildly different rates for reading, writing, math and executive functioning.

‘But public schools use rigid teaching guides from curriculums that expect students to move on before they fully understand what they’re being taught. One size fits all instruction doesn’t actually fit everyone.’

She also noted that because classrooms are ‘louder, busier and way more hectic than ever before’ kids are often acting out in school because they’re simply overwhelmed.

‘Then the behaviors… it’s not because kids are “bad” it’s because their nervous systems are completely overwhelmed,’ she continued.

‘Neuroscience tells us that stress, fatigue and sensory overload shut down the parts of the brain that help support our learning.’

In addition, Brute hit out at the immense ‘testing pressure’ that is placed on children starting at a young age.

‘Kids are being evaluated more than they’re being nurtured. And the research is clear that over-evaluation not only increases anxiety but it also decreases any intrinsic motivation,’ she stated.

Brute said she believed that ‘outdoor and hands-on learning boosts engagement,’ while ‘small, relationship-driven environments correlate directly’ to better learning.

‘When I’m picturing my own future kids, I want them to be in an environment that values what we know based on research and not what the system mandates,’ she concluded.

‘This is exactly why I will be choosing to homeschool one day and why I’m developing my own homeschool co-op.

‘I have studied the research, I’ve lived the reality and I know there is a better way to educate our children. If you’ve ever felt like this system isn’t for your child, you’re not alone.’

While speaking further about it to People, Brute said that she knows homeschooling isn’t ‘accessible or realistic’ for every parent, and recommended private or Montessori schools for those who can’t homeschool.

‘Not all parents have the time, resources or confidence to take on full-time learning, and that’s completely valid,’ she said.

‘For me personally, my plan is to homeschool, but I also recognize that there may be seasons where having the support of a school community makes sense for some families.’

She also clarified that despite her complains about the system, she ‘loves’ her job as a teacher, particularly the ‘relationships she builds with her students.’

Written by Lillian Gissen for the Daily Mail ~ January 22, 2026