Last week I had the pleasure of hearing Frank Luntz speak. Luntz, if you don’t know, is a pollster and communications expert (well, the back of his book describes him as a “language architect and public opinion guru”, which seems like how an adept pollster and comms guy would describe himself).
His primary message over the years has been “it’s not what you say, it’s what people hear.” Those of us who care about improving American education should take note. Policy ideas are great, but words matter more.
As a holiday gift of sorts (my kids love my gift-giving style, you’re now certain), here’s a few takeaways from his talk.
People over institutions
Luntz says that people in 2024 like ideas that focus on “America’s children” more than “America’s schools.” The children are the reason we have schools, so this one makes sense. Yet even in the past week, I’ve found myself about to say or type “the work of improving schools” or “making schools better” or the like, and I have tried to catch myself to reframe. Yes, I want schools to be better so that children can thrive. Yet the messaging needs to focus on the kids. People care about people more than buildings or institutions.
Frame your point with the issues people actually care about
When asked what the biggest problem facing students today is, here’s what people don’t care about: book banning, class sizes, too much testing, boring material. If you want to change anything, talk about issues people say are the biggest problems: students are unprepared for real life, over-politicization of education (for R’s), unequal school funding (for D’s), violence in schools.
You might believe that reducing class sizes is the way to help students prepare for real life (though if you believe that, let’s chat). But you should package your idea within the context of what people care about. Don’t waste time convincing them to care about something else—this is really what Luntz is saying.
Words to use and lose
In (use these words!): common-sense issues, graduation rates, every child in every community, meaningful real-world skills, support teachers, children, knowledge, learning, highly effective schools.
Out (banish from your vocabulary immediately!): civil rights issues, parental evaluations, putting children first, a commitment to education, partner with teachers, students, imagination, understanding, high-performing schools.
Put a bow on it
None of this is rocket science, but Luntz’s suggestions are based in real data. He’s not guessing at what people want to hear - he’s done the work for us of asking. The other side of giving people what they want to hear, however, is listening to what they say in response. I worry that too often we think that someone is saying what we want to hear, and so we don’t believe they mean it. That we’re becoming conditioned to question the motives of anyone trying to convince us of something. When Luntz asked “when you think about democracy, what is the perfect word to describe what America and Americans need most right now”, the top answer was, “truth.” We want the truth, and it’s hard to know when we’ve got it.
We question the motives of people who hold different opinions. Someone who supports vouchers can’t possibly care about every child, right? Or, someone who supports affirmative action can’t possibly care about every child, right? The second word Americans say we need right now is “integrity.” Maybe we are all trying to act with integrity but worried those around us aren’t. Maybe the gift we give each other going into 2025 is the benefit of the doubt.
Policy is about ideas, but it’s also about getting people to agree to your ideas. Being right isn’t the same as winning, which also isn’t the same as accomplishing meaningful change. Still, words matter in all use cases.
End of year bonus book reviews
This year, I’ve read a respectable 78 books. Here are a few favorites:
The Trouble with Boys, Peg Tyre. Tyre wrote this 15 years ago, and I’m not sure we’ve learned any of the lessons she lays at our feet. Boys are still in trouble. If you’ve never read it, I promise it’s still relevant.
Bad Therapy: Why the Kids Aren’t Growing Up, Abigail Shrier. I don’t agree with Shrier’s entire argument, but I agree it’s important to consider what the emphasis on social-emotional learning has cost. If time is the most valuable resource in education, spending more of it on feelings and less of it on academics may not be the right balance for every child. Reading books that challenge your thinking is fun!
Parliament of Whores, P.J. O’Rourke. More than 20 years later, some of O’Rourke’s Washington holds up. I found myself nostalgic for a simpler time while reading this book, which is honestly quite entertaining. O’Rourke pulls no punches.
Morning After the Revolution: Dispatches From the Wrong Side of History, Nellie Bowles. The O’Rourke of our time, perhaps. Nellie is hilarious and maybe my favorite current writer. Her takes on the past several years of gender, race, pandemic, etc. might make you miss O’Rourke’s DC even more, but it’s worth it.
And for fiction, if you really want a holiday break:
The Paris Novel, Ruth Reichl. Sumptuous food writing set in France? Now I’m hungry and want to read this again.
See you in 2025!