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Public Education: Defending the Cornerstone of American Democracy

Jim Cox

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Public Education: Defending a Cornerstone of American Democracy

by Rosemary Rowe

4.6 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	5238 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	352 pages

Public education is the cornerstone of American democracy. It is the foundation upon which our nation was built and the key to our future success. Public education provides all children with the opportunity to learn and grow, regardless of their background or zip code. It prepares them for college, careers, and civic engagement. And it helps to create a more just and equitable society.

However, public education is facing a number of threats today. These threats include:

School choice: School choice programs, such as vouchers and charter schools, allow parents to use public funds to send their children to private schools. This can lead to the privatization of public education and the creation of a two-tiered system of education, with one tier for the wealthy and one tier for the poor.
Standardized testing: Standardized testing has become a major part of public education in recent years. However, critics argue that standardized testing is narrowing the curriculum and teaching to the test, rather than teaching to the child.
Underfunding: Public schools are chronically underfunded. This lack of funding has led to larger class sizes, fewer resources, and lower teacher salaries. As a result, public schools are struggling to provide all students with the education they need to succeed.

These threats are serious, but they are not insurmountable. We can protect and strengthen public education by:

Investing in public education: We need to invest more money in public education to ensure that all students have access to a high-quality education. This means increasing funding for public schools and providing more resources for teachers.
Raising standards: We need to raise standards for public schools to ensure that all students are prepared for college, careers, and civic engagement. This means setting challenging goals for students and providing them with the support they need to achieve those goals.
Supporting teachers: We need to support teachers by providing them with the resources and training they need to be successful. This means paying teachers a living wage, providing them with affordable health insurance, and creating a positive work environment.

Public education is the cornerstone of American democracy. We must protect and strengthen public education to ensure that all students have the opportunity to succeed.

Public Education: Defending a Cornerstone of American Democracy

by Rosemary Rowe

4.6 out of 5