Letter to the Editor:
For more than 100 years our public school system has been the foundation of our society. Millions of our nation’s citizens have moved through the primary, middle and secondary schools which, although they vary slightly from region to region, have provided a shared experience and are a part of Americana.
American public schools have been expected to fulfill a number of public missions which go beyond purely academic purposes since inception. Most of these purposes go back to the early days of public education, although the specific goals and means of accomplishing them have changed over time.
1. To provide universal access to a free education2. To guarantee equal opportunities for all children3. To unify a diverse population4. To prepare people for citizenship in a democratic society
5. To prepare people to become economically self-sufficient
6. To improve social conditions
Obviously, some of these missions are unique to public schools, while others apply broadly to both public and private schools.
In a recent poll of Americans the following were cited as top reasons for public education:
“to give all children a chance to get ahead and level the playing field”;
“to keep America strong and competitive in the global economy”;
“to help strengthen our democracy so children will have the skills to participate as adults”; and
“because today’s children are tomorrow’s workforce.”
How have we done with these missions?
Universal access:
Public schools educate the vast majority (85% to 89%) of U.S. students and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. They are accessible in all parts of the country, including areas where few or no private schools exist.
The public school system must serve all who live within its boundaries. By law, it must provide free education to students with disabilities and English language learners—two groups with special needs that private schools may choose not to enroll or may not be equipped to serve. “Ninety-eight percent of students with disabilities are educated in public schools, while only 1% are educated in private schools. (The remainder are served in residential facilities or hospitals.)” Center for Education Policy
Public schools must and do educate students whose academic or disciplinary records might keep them from being admitted to a private school.
All public school systems must have access to vocational training centers/programs.
Many, if not most, public high schools offer alternative programs for students at risk of dropping out of school or in need of alternative strategies for obtaining a high school diploma.
Public education as a gateway to opportunity for people from all economic and racial/ethnic backgrounds.
Although public schools have become more inclusive and have provided access to opportunities to millions of students,, equal access to high-quality education is not a reality. Wide differences exist among schools, districts, and states in per pupil funding, the availability of experienced and well-qualified teachers, the effectiveness of leadership and teaching, access to advanced courses, and other factors affecting quality.
Forty-three percent of public school students are minority children, compared with 24% of private school students. Although family income information for private school students is difficult to come by, 44% of public school 4th graders come from families with incomes low enough to qualify for free or reduced-price lunches, compared with just 6% of private school students. NAEP
To unify a diverse population
Part of building a common culture involves teaching students from different racial, ethnic, religious, and economic backgrounds to respect each other and get along. Most public schools have worked hard in creating an accepting and collaborative school environment.
Views have shifted over time about how best to promote unity while respecting diverse cultures. On the whole, however, U.S. public schools have carried out this unifying mission more successfully than schools in many other countries.
Not all schools live up to the goal of bringing together children from different backgrounds. Because of housing patterns, state demographics and patterns of private school attendance, some public schools enroll students who come mostly from the same racial/ethnic or socioeconomic background—whether a largely Latino inner-city school or a primarily white rural school.
To prepare people for citizenship in a democratic society
A chief reason for public education cited by Jefferson and other early leaders was the need to produce citizens who would understand political and social issues, participate in civic life, vote wisely, protect their rights and freedoms, and keep the nation secure from inside and outside threats.
Developing good citizens includes more than preparing students for their roles as voters. The founders considered strong character and high morals to be essential to good citizenship, and toward that end, the public schools of the 19th century offered moral instruction. Today, many schools encourage students to volunteer or participate in community life, or teach them how to evaluate information critically and engage in dialogue and debate.
In the 2004 Presidential election, just 40% of citizens with less than a high school education voted, compared with 56% of high school graduates and 78% of college graduates.
To prepare people to become economically self-sufficient.
To justify the creation of public schools, early advocates often emphasized the economic benefits of education. Providing education for children of the poor and middle class would prepare them to obtain good jobs, which in turn would reduce disparities in wealth and strengthen the nation’s economic growth. Without question, public education has been the engine of upward economic mobility for millions of Americans. However, recently there has been a significant widening of the gap between the middle class and wealthiest in this country.
Adults 18 and older who completed high school earned an average of $28,645 in 2004—about 1.5 times as much as the average of $19,169 earned by adults who lacked a high diploma. Adults with a bachelor’s degree earned almost 1.8 times as much as those with just a high school diploma. Today, the median income of a non high school graduate is $30,578; and a high school graduate $37,919.
To improve social conditions
Many early advocates of the common school put great store in the power of public education to eliminate poverty, crime, and a host of other social problems. Although education has not done away with all of society’s ills, it has clearly improved people’s lives according to a variety of social indicators. People with more education are less likely than undereducated adults to commit crimes, be homeless, or abuse drugs, to cite just a few examples. Those with more education enjoy better health and more stable families.
Many expect public schools to have programs to feed low-income children, provide before- and after-school care, prevent substance abuse and violence, and address health issues. In addition, some public schools serve as community centers, where families can meet, learn, play, and access a range of services. Availability of these services vary significantly from region to region.
In addition to these missions, public education strives beyond the basic academics of the three R’s by developing capacities to think critically and creatively solve problems, appreciate art and culture, understand world, US and NH history, learn the basics of physical and biological sciences, apply the principles of the scientific method, obtain technology skills and maintain a sense of curiosity about the world. As well as, spurring young people to go on to higher education, contribute to the US economy which leads in innovation and pursuing learning all their lives.
Our public education system has been an ambitious, evolving and critical institution in our country, our democracy and our individual and collective lives. Our efforts in defending and improving it have never been more important than now.
Karen Burnett-Kurie
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