Episode 175: The Success Sequence's Teaching of Family Values In Schools

Some lawmakers want a “success sequence” taught in schools: finish high school, work full-time, get married, then have children. That sounds like simple advice until you ask the real question: Is K-12 public education helping students build responsible decision-making skills, or is it turning one set of family values into a curriculum mandate?

I walk through how politics and education collide around social-emotional learning, character education, sex education, and family formation. I trace the roots of the success sequence and why it’s showing up in state bills and good citizenship standards, then I get honest about what the research can and cannot claim. 

Poverty is not just a personal choice problem, and teaching a narrow model can stigmatize students from single-parent homes or families that don’t fit a traditional mold. At the same time, data on Millennials suggest real associations among education, work, marriage timing, and financial well-being, which is why this topic deserves nuance rather than slogans.

Then I bring it back to what you can control. I share practical action steps to strengthen family-school partnership: build relationships with educators, ask direct questions about curriculum goals, advocate for inclusive engagement, share your culture, keep reading at home, connect classroom learning to family life, and stay on top of assignments. 

Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review with your take: should schools teach the success sequence, and if so, how?

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Transcript

Welcome And Host Story

SPEAKER_00 0:36

Welcome to another episode of K-12 Public Education Insights, Empowering Parents of Color Podcast. The podcast that converges at the intersection of educational research and parental actions. It's about making the trends, topics, and theories in public education understandable so that you can implement them into practical, actionable strategies that work for your children. My name is Dr. Kim J. Fields, former corporate manager, turned education researcher, and advocate, and I'm the host of this podcast. I got into this space after dealing with some frustrating interactions with school educators and administrators, as well as experiencing the microaggressions that I faced as an African-American mom raising my two kids who were in the public school system. I really wanted to understand how teachers were trained and what the research provided about the challenges of the public education system. Once I gained the information and the insights that I needed, I was then equipped to be able to successfully support my children in their educational progress. This battle-tested experience is what I provide as action steps for you to take. It's like enjoying a bowl of educational research with a sprinkling of motherwit wisdom on top. If you're looking to find out more about the current information and issues in education that could affect you or your children, and the action steps you can take to give your children the advantages they need, then you're in the right place. Thanks for tuning in today. I know that staying informed about K-12 public education trends and topics is important to you, so keep listening. Give me 30 minutes or less, and I'll provide insights on the latest trends, issues, and topics pertaining to this constantly evolving K-12 public education environment. Politics and education enters the scene once again. Politicians have long said that schools should build character and promote responsible decision making. These are the skills that are the very definition of social emotional learning. The question is, who gets to decide what that means? These debates have been going on for decades. The fact of the matter is that debates over how schools should discuss students' personal decision making are as old as schools themselves. In this episode, I discuss the arguments for and against one responsible decision making model and what the data revealed. I wrap up the discussion reinforcing ways for you to stay engaged in what's happening at your child's school, especially the political agenda such as this model that is being pushed through the curriculum. Let's gain some insight on this. Politicians have long called on schools to promote character and responsible decision making, using the premise that a lack of these skills would allow declines in American competitiveness as well as social declines. Some states want schools to teach students that they have a better shot of success if they work, get married, and have a child. In that order. Over the span of several decades, these conversations have snowballed and evolved, with politicians from both parties calling on schools to teach students how to make wise choices about everything, informing healthy sexual relationships and resisting illegal drugs to get adequate exercise and avoiding cognitive deficiencies based on excessive screen time. But those lessons can be tricky for schools operating in a diverse society, where educators aim to position students to thrive in adulthood without prescribing a particular worldview or merely creating students who are box checkers, checking off tasks on a to-do list and a don't do list that students fail to internalize. Conservative lawmakers have passed or proposed bills that when mandate schools teach the quote unquote success sequence, which is an idea that suggests earning at least a high school diploma, securing a full time job, and getting married before having children in that order. And this will help students avoid poverty as adults. Sure, because all full-time jobs are well paying jobs, right? Critics of those proposals say that they amount to a state sanctioned moral judgment that potentially stigmatizes students from single parent families as well as overlook systemic contributors to poverty. The research supporting this success sequence does not show a clear cause and effect relationship between following these prescribed steps and reaching the middle class. On the other hand, supporters of the success sequence bills contend that holding these types of conversations in class can help students think through the effects of big life decisions and life choices in the future. Politicians may be calling on schools to teach values, but whose values are they teaching? Indiana State Senator Spencer Deary, a Republican, said at a January 21, 2026 Legislative Education Committee hearing that from an anti-poverty standpoint, this success sequence might be the single most important thing that we could be teaching. Now, those words echo the words spouted by Republican Vice President Dan Quayle decades ago when he criticized the popular television sitcom Murphy Brown after the show portrayed her as a successful unmarried news anchor in her 40s who became a single mother. Vice President Quayle in May of 1992, during a speech in San Francisco, blamed a breakdown of the family structure for the societal problems and called marriage the best anti-poverty program of all. No surprise, given the aptitude of the administration at that time, he was just reflecting the views of the idiot that was in the White House then whose village was still looking for him. Sound familiar? In any case, that discussion was echoed throughout the fall's presidential campaign. President Bush, who was seeking re-election, later encouraged schools to teach character as part of a broader push to promote two-parent families. Bill Clinton, his challenger that year, pitched a plan that included grants for teen pregnancy prevention and increased funding for Head Start child care programs. On TV, the fictional Murphy Brown responded to Vice President Quayle's comments suggesting powerful politicians had more influence on systemic drivers of poverty than one person's life choice. In addition, she stated, and I quote, while I will admit that my inability to balance a checkbook may have had something to do with the collapse of the savings and loan industry, I doubt that my status as a single mother has contributed all that much to the breakdown of Western civilization. End quote. By the way, if you didn't get a chance to see Murphy Brown when it was on a few years ago, then you might want to add that to your streaming cue because the writing and the acting in that show were very good. It's kind of a classic, like the Golden Girls. Conversations later in the 1990s evolved into debates over the effectiveness of sex education programs that emphasized abstinence over those programs that discussed the use of contraceptives. And yet, in another echo today, some states propose success sequence bills that limit discussions of contraceptions in schools, leading critics to refer to the measure as rebranded abstinence-only education. Both in the 1990s and in recent years, some lawmakers and educators have contended that conversations about family formation are narrowly focused, given that they focus solely on having children before or after marriage, while ignoring various paths to success and happiness in adulthood, as well as the choices that adults make along the way. That's the broader challenge that educators face when they discuss aspects of responsible decision making as part of their school's social-emotional learning efforts. If teachers are too prescriptive about topics like sex education, responsible technology use, and personal finance, then students may walk away without developing a broader perspective of personal ethics that they can nurture and apply throughout their lives. On the other hand, conversations lacking specifics may not be practical. My question to you is, are schools encouraging wise decision making or are they dictating morality? One thing about the success sequence is that it oversimplifies poverty, which isn't always tied to life choices. There are things like divorce, chronic health issues, and unemployment that affect family finances. Poverty is tied to access to education, housing, health care, wages, etc. So reducing all of that to just follow these three steps is misinformed and actually harmful. The elitists who support the success sequence often talk left and walk right. In other words, they tend to be opposed to it in their public rhetoric and advocacy, but when you look at their own lives, they follow it quite diligently. However, their way shouldn't dictate everyone's way. For everyone, choice matters. Choices have power and they have consequences. There are at least eight states that want to require schools to teach students the success sequence. The recent push for this has been through a renewed interest seen by influential conservative groups who are sounding the alarm about declining rates of birth and marriage, and viewing these trends as threats to American values and economic prosperity. Indiana Governor Mike Braun, a Republican, signed a bill on March 5th of this year that will require schools to teach about the success sequence as part of the state's good citizenship curriculum. Tennessee passed a similar law last year, and Utah lawmakers passed a resolution promoting the success sequence in 2024. Ohio's Senate passed a success sequence bill last October, and lawmakers in Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas have introduced similar legislation. So where did this success sequence come from? It was popularized in an influential 2009 report written by Ron Haskins and Isabel Sawhill, who were two fellows at the Brookings Institution. Advocates of the success sequence include the Heritage Foundation, which is the think tank behind the influential Project 2025 policy recommendations that have influenced much of the current administration's agenda. The Heritage Foundation called following the success sequence a near guarantee of life success. This was stated in the January policy report called Saving America by Saving the Family. States in which the success sequence laws have been proposed or put in place question the research that supports the success sequence. They say that teaching it in school would serve to blame individuals for systemic challenges they face and that reinforcing narrow family norms could stigmatize students from single-parent homes or those who just don't desire marriage or parenthood. It boils down to being a state-codified moral judgment about family tradition. There are gaps in the survey data analysis that show some students from the original 1997 cohort were quote unquote on track, but there were wide variations among the populations. For example, 57% of white respondents and 63% of Asian respondents had completed the sequence compared to 24% of black and 42% of Hispanic respondents. Additionally, 31% of respondents who grew up in lower-income households followed the sequence or were on track compared to 65% of those who were raised in higher income homes. Regardless of what the research shows, some educators argue that teaching the success sequence could lead to difficult classroom conversations and that requirements to do so are seemingly in defiance of conservative arguments that parents should play a larger role than schools in helping their children determine morality. Furthermore, parents' rights are infringed upon when the government dictates to parents the formula for a family's values rather than allowing the parents to raise their children according to their own values. So do various concerns about the success sequence register with the public? Well, the success sequence is overwhelmingly popular with American parents. More than three-quarters of American parents favor teaching the success sequence in schools, including nearly 80% of Gen Z and 70% of millennials, 74% of non-college educated Americans, 72% of Democrats, and interestingly 73% of those who did not adhere to the sequence themselves. How are marriage, kids, and the success sequence linked to financial well-being among millennials? A record 55% of millennial parents, those ages 28 to 34, have put childbearing before marriage, according to a new analysis of the Bureau of Labor Statistics panel data by the American Enterprise Institute and the Institute for Family Studies. By comparison, when the youngest baby boomers were the same age and became parents, only a quarter of them had their first child before marriage. The rise of non-traditional routes into parenthood among millennials is one indicator that today's young adults are taking a diversion path from the success sequence. When it comes to family formation by younger millennials, overall only 40% have moved into family life by marrying first. Another 33% had children outside of or before marriage, and 27% have not reached either of these traditional milestones of adulthood. By comparison, 67% of baby boomers had entered into family life at the same age, but by marrying first. A much smaller share, 20%, had children before marrying or had delayed marriage between the ages of 28 to 34. These divergent paths toward adulthood have been associated with markedly different economic fortunes among millennials. Young adults who put marriage first are more likely to find themselves in the middle or upper third of the income distribution, especially compared to their peers who had children before marrying. In other words, even though transitions to adulthood have become a lot more complex in recent decades, the most financially successful young adults today continue to be those who follow the success sequence by getting married before having children. For millennials who put childbearing first, about half of them have incomes in the middle or top third. Young adults who are unmarried and childless fall somewhere in between. 73% of them have family incomes in the middle or upper third of the income distribution range. This pattern holds true for racial and ethnic minorities, as well as young adults from lower income families. For example, 76% of African Americans and 81% of Hispanic young adults who married first are in the middle or upper third of the income distribution. For whites, that percentage was 87%. Asian young adults at 43% are much more likely than others in this group to delay both parenthood and marriage. Also, 71% of millennials who grew up in the bottom third of the income distribution and married before having a baby moved up to the middle or upper third of the income distribution as young adults. In general, millennials who married first are more likely to be on track to realizing the American dream than those who put childbearing first. Marrying before having children more than doubles young adults' odds of being in the middle or top tier after adjusting for education, childhood, family income, employment status, race and ethnicity, and gender. Finally, 97% of millennials who follow what's been called the success sequence are not poor by the time their prime young adult ages of 28 to 34, according to the data in America. Enterprise Institute report. This report aligns with what the Brookings Institution described as the path into adulthood that is most likely to lead toward economic success and away from poverty. Since millennials are more likely than older generations to delay both marriage and parenthood, this analysis categorizes unmarried, childless young adults as on track so long as they have followed the other two steps relating to work and education. Similar to their peers who have followed all three of the steps of the success sequence, the on-track young adults are doing relatively well financially, and 92% of this group are not in poverty. Each step of the success sequence, that is, getting a high school degree, working, and then marrying before having any children, improves economic outcomes. Additionally, the odds that 30-somethings experience poor emotional health are cut in half for those who follow the success sequence. Today, 31% of millennials who obtained at least a high school degree but didn't follow the work and marriage steps of the success sequence by their mid-20s are in poverty when they reached the ages of 28 to 34. Young adults who earned not only a high school diploma, but also managed to have a full-time job, including those who were in college or married and home with children in their mid-twenties, are even less likely to be poor. Just 8% of millennials who are on track are poor. Also, only 3% of young adults passed through all three milestones associated with the success sequence in its entirety are poor. In contrast, 53% of young adults who did not follow the sequence at all are in poverty. Among black and Latino millennials, as well as millennials who grew up in low-income families, those who follow the success sequence are markedly less likely to be poor than their peers who did not. Even though young men and women are taking increasingly divergent paths into adulthood in America today, data from this report indicate that the path most likely to be associated with realizing the American dream is one guided by the success sequence. How it is to be taught and implemented in schools to adolescence is something that needs further exploration, research, and discussion. Specifically, further research is needed to assess the outcomes for those schools teaching the success sequence. One thing is for sure, it should not be taught as some strong normative framework of should and should nots. At best, it could be taught as a means, not an end. So, what can you do with the information that I just shared about schools and family values through the success sequence? Here are the action steps you can take regarding this topic. The success sequence is definitely something you should be aware of so that you can voice your perspective to school leadership. A healthy family-school partnership is about both educators and parents helping each other do better. Involving parents makes them feel heard and valued, which in turn builds trust. These eight things may be helpful to best support your child's learning and instill the values that you want them to have. Number one, recognize your power and your role. You're not just a supporter of your child's education, as much as you are a co-educator. You bring invaluable insight to the table and your voice, your culture, and your perspective matter. Two, strengthen your understanding of how schools work, how children learn, and what supports are available to help your child succeed. You can do this by participating in workshops at school, either in person or virtually, and don't be afraid to ask questions because learning is a lifetime process for all of us. 3. Build strong relationships with educators. Relationships that are based on trust, mutual respect, and open communication. These are the bedrock of successful partnerships. Reach out to your child's teacher to ask about their progress and understand more about what they're learning and why it's important for them to be learning these concepts. Let your child's teacher know that they can communicate with you about your child's successes as well as any issues that need your attention. 4. Be an advocate for family engagement and family empowerment. Join committees, participate in decision-making opportunities, and advocate for inclusive and welcoming family practices. 5. Celebrate and share your culture because it's important that your identity and experiences are recognized and valued. When schools have diverse backgrounds of the families for the students who go there, the students feel seen and supported. 6. Never stop reading with your child because reading is the gateway subject. 7. Connect learning in the classroom to your family life in order to reinforce concepts and make them relevant. This includes the values that you want your children to live by. And number eight, always review homework and teach your children to maintain a calendar of assignments and the due dates. Teachers need to communicate learning objectives each week so that you can reinforce those at home. Here are this episode's takeaways. Politicians have long called on schools to promote character and responsible decision making using the premise that a lack of these skills would allow declines in American competitiveness as well as social declines. Some states want schools to teach students that they have a better shot at success if they work, get married, and have a child. In that order. Conservative lawmakers have passed or proposed bills that would mandate schools teach the success sequence, which is an idea that suggests earning at least a high school diploma, securing a full-time job, and getting married before having children in that order. And that this will help students avoid poverty as adults. The research supporting this success sequence does not show a clear cause and effect relationship between following these prescribed steps and reaching middle class. Regardless of what the research shows, some educators argue that teaching the success sequence could lead to difficult classroom conversations and that requirements to do so are seemingly in defiance of conservative arguments that parents should play a larger role than schools in helping their children determine morality. Furthermore, parents' rights are infringed upon when the government dictates to parents the formula for a family's values rather than allowing the parents to raise their children according to their own values. Even though young men and women are taking increasingly divergent paths into adulthood in America today, data indicates that the path most likely to be associated with realizing the American dream is one guided by the success sequence. How it is to be taught and implemented in schools to adolescence is something that needs further exploration, research, and discussion. Specifically, further research is needed to assess the outcomes for those schools teaching the success sequence. One thing is for sure, it should not be taught as some strong normative framework of should and should nots. At best, it should be taught as a means, not an end. If you enjoyed this episode and don't want to miss out on any of the content that I'll be providing next, then be sure to subscribe to my podcast on whatever platform you're listening to this. Thanks for listening today. Be sure to come back for more insights on K-12 educational topics that impact you and your children. And remember to share my podcast with any woman you think will find it valuable. That includes your friends, family, and community. Until next time, learn something new every day.