Wednesday, July 26, 2023
Public Schools, Public Obligation
I went to public schools for the first 17 years of my education: k-12 in a big suburban system, then four years at a state college. It was a great education, and the kind that has allowed a lot of people to succeed in our country. It's an idea-- public education-- that is really under attack right now. Here are some of the biggest challenges:
-- First, there is a movement to divert public education funding to private schools and especially religiously-affiliated schools, on top of the existing diversion in many places to charter schools. The under-funded public schools left behind will (and do) struggle.
-- Second, in Florida, Texas, Arkansas and other states there have been successful efforts to limit what can be taught, especially about race and related issues. This is going to cut public schools off from the material that might be essential in the communities they serve.
-- Finally, public schools are constantly facing funding pressures beyond the money diverted to charter and private schools. It's shocking that teachers earn less than nearly every other profession requiring a college education, given their importance to the future.
Some places-- such as the suburb where I grew up and the one where I live now-- have a fairly reliable commitment to public education, That is not consistent across cities, though, and unfortunately the will or means are often lacking in those places where the need is greatest. It should matter to all of us that this change, because the failure of public schools will be bad for us all.
