An excerpt from a comment by LG:
“Public schools are the last bastion of our American public culture. Without them, those with the privilege of being born into better economic situations will eventually be the only ones who would be educated. Taken to its end, that kind of trend would set us back to the days where a noble class enjoyed privileges and the peasants were kept ignorant. If you think our schools are broken, please tell me how they are without injecting the rhetoric of individuals vs. communities. We have individual choices in this country. We also have communities to support. Going too far in either direction is unwise, but there are some systems that we MUST support, and one of them is a public education system where all people, without exclusion, have access to an education that is run by the elected public boards of the people.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Another way to think about this is that district public schools reflect both some of the strengths and shortcomings of this nation. For example, we have district public schools doing a terrific job of closing achievement gaps. That’s an accomplishment to be honored and celebrated
We also have district public schools that are closed to all but children of the wealthiest. These are schools in affluent, exclusive suburbs, some of which hire detectives to keep “the riff-raff” out.
We also have district schools that use standardized tests many of you (with some justification) challenge, to keep out students who do not score highly on the tests.
We also have teachers and principals frustrated by the bureaucracy of some district public schools, as well as by the actions of some states.
So I think we should honor and learn from the most effective district public schools.
Fortunately, more than 40 states also are learning from the words of Dr. Kenneth Clark, pioneering African American psychologist whose work was cited in the US Supreme Court case, Brown v. Board of Education. In 1968, Clark wrote,
“Alternatives – realistic, aggressive, and viable competitors to the present public school systems must be found. The development of such competitive systems will be attacked by the defenders of the present system as attempts to weaken the present system and thereby weaken if not destroy public education. This type of expected self-serving argument can be briefly and accurately disposed of by asserting and demonstrating that truly effective competition strengthens rather than weaknes that which deserves to survive. I would argue further than public education need not be identified with the presnt system of organization of public schools.
Public education can be more broadly and pragmatically definedin term of that form of organization of an education system which is in the public interest….alternative forms of public education must be developed if the children of our cities are to be educated and made constructive members of our society. …Regional State schools, college and university schools, industial demonstration schools, labor union sponsored schools, army schools.
With strong, efficient and demonstrably excellent parallel systems of public schools, organized and operated on a quasi private level and with quality control and professional accountability maintained and determined by Federal and State education standards and supervision it would be possible to bring back into public education a vitality and dynamism which are now clearly missing.”
Show me a community where the push to privatize education has produced no dichotomy of “haves” and “have nots,” and I will help you produce the science fiction movie that you have at hand.
Joe, Joe, Joe. It’s OK to admit that your dream has been co-opted by the billionaires and it just hasn’t turned out the way you envisioned. The politicians call it “evolving”. Why not honestly learn from this failed “reform” movement and adapt for children’s benefit? The reformy king has no clothes.
Joanne and M – Comments received regularly from parents & students all over the country, convince me that there is plenty to celebrate, and plenty to be concerned about, with both district & charter public schools.
Here’s an example of the weekly newspaper column I do. You might want to add comments. Responses came from people in 3 states. Ms. Wood is an award winning, former (district) school teacher and administrator from Florida.
http://hometownsource.com/2013/04/03/now-he-has-hope-and-we-have-hope/
Now he has hope, and we have hope”
By Joe Nathan on April 3, 2013 at 9:22 pm
Today, two stories help illustrate why there’s no single best school for all students. First, a parent speaks, then a student.
“We have a 10th grader who has amazing abilities in music and guitar, but he has pace and reading issues and Asperger’s. He had help in public schools from third grade on… he was successful, had friends, and a good attitude. This was through eighth grade.
“The minute he stepped into a large suburban high school, everything started to slowly go south. Due to his learning problem, he was forced to take a social skills hour, to help with homework… That took his elective. He never could… take a music course because this had to be his elective with an IEP (individual education plan). High school became read a book, take a test. Even with an IEP…he got him SO far behind….
“He gave up on school, teachers, adults, us, even though I spent most of this school year doing homework with him, emailing teachers, reminding them he has an IEP. Meanwhile, he found the “I hate Life” crowd at school, and started having panic attacks three times a week, finding him crying on the bathroom floor. …we didn’t know what to do.
“He lost Hope, he felt stupid, he told us he can’t learn. He also had a stigma problem , wanted to fit in so bad…nobody could help him,. He ended up with no hope or sense of accomplishment.
“We checked out Main Street in Hopkins. Some of (his) friends went there…He wanted to as well.
“Now he has hope, we have hope. Music is his ’major’ at Main Street. He plays his guitar in the middle of the day. He gets up an hour earlier… without complaining. The school has 300 students compared to thousands. Staff is so friendly, they knew my kid by name week one.
“Whatever your Major is, say guitar, it can be incorporated in every class, even math. Each teacher has options for projects to use your major.
This week (he) has a project in Forensic science. He has to give a report on a real solved case. If he presents it in an artistic form, there is potential for more points than a traditional form. (He) is going to write a song telling the story… this is more engaging for my son than typing up a report.
“(He) has had a school attitude change, in a good way. The way school operates there is so much better for him. He was having 2-3 panic attacks/week last semester…not one since he started at Main Street.”
Here’s a second story: “I dropped out of public high school (with my parents’ permission) in 11th grade due to the emotional stress of peer pressure and being harassed by your typical mean girls. When I defended myself, the principal punished me. I did not feel good about myself.”
“One of my best friends graduated (from) Blue Sky Charter School. She told me about her success, so I enrolled.
“Blue Sky has literally changed my life. I can get online any time of the day or night. My schedule is much more flexible so I can work part time, do school and still have time for my family and friends…My books are always home or where I have internet access, not left in my locker at school. My grades are great. No drama, no mean girls, and teachers that care.”
Over the years, hundreds of students/parents have written to me. Some succeed at district schools, some at charters. They’ve convinced me that no single school is perfect for everyone.
Joe Nathan, formerly a Minnesota public school teacher and administrator, directs the Center for School Change. Reactions welcome, joe@centerforschoolchange.org
… systems that we MUST support … [universal] access to an education … elected public boards …
The system mandated by state constitution ed clauses is that envisioned by Thomas Jefferson, Horace Mann, and William Holmes McGuffey. When is the last time federal, state, and local policy has aligned to support that vision? Who endorses board candidates based on support for that vision?
Promoters of our collective death wish for common schools seem willing to let the public education doomsday clock advance toward midnight…
Please identify L G. Sorry if I should already know this……I am on the Board of Directors of Public Schools First North Carolina. Heard Diane in Raleigh. THANKS for all you’re doing to try to safegard public education. Loved this quote. Dot Kearns
I can’t identify LG because she has no other identifier. That is how she signs her name. If she wants to identify herself, she is free to do so.
Hi, Dot. I’m just another reader on here.