Writing for the Southern Poverty Law Center, T. Jameson Brewer explains why public schools deserve support.
Public education is the cornerstone of our democracy. That is not simply a tired cliché but the original premise of public schools. For our society to function and for citizens to engage in the democratic process, basic educational needs must be met, including, but not limited to, literacy and critical thinking.
An educated workforce offers advantages to employers and furthers innovation and societal benefits for all. But schools are not merely places for workforce preparation. Schools are sites for exploration of ideas across a range of subject areas — math, science and technology, literature, social sciences, physical education and more — in the quest to facilitate individuals becoming the best they can and living fulfilling lives. And beyond individual self-actualization and upward mobility, education offers collective growth and progress for entire communities.
Democracy in Action
In contrast to private schools that require approval for enrollment as well as a paid membership for attendance, public schools are free at the point of delivery and accept all children. Public schools, as a public good, are available to all students regardless of families’ ability to pay or any demographic factor. They serve all children zoned for enrollment regardless of a child’s academic performance, ability or disability, race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, political beliefs or immigration status. Further, because curricula for public schools are set at the state level and overseen at the district level, questions about textbooks, activities and other pedagogical approaches always have public input during school board meetings — a key point that “parents’ rights” groups that support discriminatory policies conveniently ignore. Public schools embody democracy in action.
Private schools, by contrast, represent an undemocratic method of schooling in which the school is in a position to pick and choose which students can or cannot attend based on any number of rationales. While vouchers are part of the “school choice” political agenda, in reality, parents and children do not have the choice because the decision to extend a membership in a private school rests solely with the school. Private schools are also free to hire anyone to serve as a teacher regardless of their training and academic credentials — or lack thereof. They can hire and fire based on the religious commitments of a teacher. And while parents who pay for a membership ostensibly have some say in what curricula and pedagogy look like, the broader public has zero input or accountability avenues into the practices of private schools. Additionally, even if a student is allowed to have a paid membership at a private school, the school maintains the authority to “counsel out” or “push out” any student at any point for any reason (e.g., academic performance, behavior, religious alignment and more). Vouchers, therefore, use public funds for private schools that have no accountability to the general public.