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I am a strong supporter
of public education, both by profession and by deeply held philosophical
beliefs. Public education is the glue
that has bound our citizens together and formed the bedrock of democratic
principles. This nation was created on the premise of free public education
for all. It was strongly believed that a community is healthiest when
its children are educated so they can secure the community’s
well-being when they are adults. That mission was deemed to be the
entire community’s responsibility, not just those who had children
of their own.
There are many ways that parents can secure an excellent education
for their own children, in both a public and a private school setting.
This takes nothing away from our obligation as members of a democratic
society to support public schools. The California State PTA printed
a list of reasons to support public education. The items are universal
and shared by community members across our nation. They bear repeating,
over and over if necessary, because in the midst of turmoil and negativity,
it is so easy to lose sight of why public schools are worth fighting
for in a free society.
• An educated population is the cornerstone of democracy. In a democratic
society, the well-being of the nation depends on the decisions of an
educated, informed electorate.
• Education reduces costs to taxpayers. Every dollar spent to keep a
child in school reduces the future costs of welfare, prison, and intervention
services that correlate so highly with school dropouts. It costs far
less to educate a child now that to support a teen parent or a repeat
offender in the future. Education expenditures help secure the future
of all citizens.
• Public schools are the only schools that must meet the needs of all
students. Public schools serve children with physical, emotional, and
mental disabilities, those who are extremely gifted and those who are
learning challenged, and everything in between.
• Public schools foster interaction and understanding among people of
different ethnic, religious, and socioeconomic backgrounds. They are
a true melting pot.
• The future support of our aging population depends on strong public
schools. In 1954 there were 17 workers to pay the social security cost
for each retiree. By 1995, there were only three for each retiree.
We are approaching a level of one for one. The productivity of these
workers will likely depend on the strength of our public school systems.
• More than 95 percent of our future jobs will require at least a high
school education. An educated workforce will be essential.
• The nation pays a high price for poorly educated workers. The cost
of retraining and remediation to prepare a worker for his or her tasks
is paid by both employers and consumers. The process raises the price
of American products and makes it more difficult for our nation to
compete in the world marketplace.
• The cost of school dropouts affects us all. Our nation loses more than
$240 billion per year in earnings and taxes that dropouts would have
generated over their lifetimes. Well-supported public schools can engage
all students in learning, and graduate productive and competent tax-paying
citizens.
•
Children are our nation’s future. Their development affects all
of us. Good education is not cheap, but ignorance costs far more.
• Public education is a worthy investment for public funds. We can invest
now, or we can pay later. This is the simple fact of the matter.
What makes these items even more compelling is that they have been
compiled and disseminated by parents and community members who wisely
feel that their own best interests are closely allied with the quality
of their local public schools. We must improve our schools, working
together to make them better. We must do this because it is right,
and also because it is in our nation’s and our community’s
best self-interest.
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