Why+we+still+need+Public+Schools

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= = = = Why We Still Need Public Schools: Public Education for the Common Good
 * Summary

Pages: 24

This thesis, argued by the American Center on Education Policy, contains a dense synopsis on the origins of Public Education, the mission of Public Education and it puts forward an argument for how to maintain the public education while improving its quality.

Introduction: From the early days of the nation, public education has played a vital role in American democratic society. In addition to preparing young people for productive work and fulfilling lives, public education has also been expected to accomplish certain collec- tivemissions aimed at promoting the common good. These include, among others, prepar- ing youth to become responsible citizens, forging a common culture from a nation of immigrants, and reducing inequalities in American society.

In recent years, however, some of these public-spirited missions of education have been neg- lected and are in danger of being abandoned. Most current efforts to reform public educa- tion have focused on increasing students’ academic achievement—without a doubt, a central purpose of schooling. But the reasons given for why it’s important to improve achievement often stress individual or private economic benefits (such as preparing youth for good jobs in a global economy), rather than public benefits (such as preparing youth for activecitizen- ship in a democratic society). An emphasis on the individual goals of education is especially obvious in proposals to give families vouchers toward private school tuition—proposals that treat education as a private consumer good.

This publication from the Center on Education Policy revisits the “public” missions of American public education. It is an update of the Center’s 1996 brochure, Do We Still Need Public Schools?The first section of this updated version briefly reviews how and why the U.S.<span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"> system of public education came into being. The second section lists six public missions that<span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"> public schools havebeen expected to fulfill, beyond what is expected of private schools, and<span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"> looks at why these missions remain relevant today. The last section discusses why the nation<span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"> must hold onto these missions while pursuing reforms to help all public schools liveup to<span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"> these ideals. Throughout the publication, quotations from the nation’sfounders and other<span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"> historical figures illustrate how early advocates of public education linked public schools to<span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"> the common good.

As used here, the term “public education” means education that is publicly financed, tuition-<span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"> free, accountable to public authorities, and accessible to all students. It covers various types<span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"> of public schools, including traditional schools, charter and magnet schools, vocational<span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"> schools, and alternative schools.

Table of Contents<span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"> <span style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Helvetica;">Introduction <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;">. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .<span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"> 1<span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"> <span style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Helvetica;">The OriginsofPublicEducation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .<span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"> 3<span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"> - Before Public Education - The Beginnings of Public Education - The Spread of Public Education - Equity and Quality in Public Education

The PublicMissionsofPublicEducation—and WhyTheyStill Apply<span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"> <span style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Times;">. . . . . . . . . <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"> <span style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Times;">7 <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"> 1. To provide universal access to free education<span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"> 2. To guarantee equal opportunities for all children<span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"> 3. To unify a diverse population<span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"> 4. To prepare people for citizenship in a democratic society<span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"> 5. To prepare people to become economically self-sufficient<span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"> 6. To improve social conditions<span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;">

Maintaining PublicEducation While Improving ItsQuality<span style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Times;">. . . . . . . . . . . . . <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"> <span style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Times;">15 <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"> <span style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Helvetica;">Sources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .<span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"> 17**

PSBAA – Summary for the Standing Committee on the Foundation Program

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