David Lentini of Maine writes in response to another reader on the purpose of schooling in a democratic society:
I like your idea. But I suspect that most states will have language similar to MO and ME. In fact, I would argue, that’s one of the major problems we have today—that we’ve forgotten the basic role of schools in maintaining our democracy, and we’ve become distracted with ideas of using the schools to prepare a “workforce” or create a social utopia (or both). The shift from the former to the latter was a hallmark of the Progressive Era.
Returning to the view that schools serve first to educate our children for their future roles as citizens, and not workers and consumers or “role players” in some social model, would greatly focus the curriculum on developing the intellectual faculties of the students and the attention of the parents.
Democracies require a commitment to three main qualities: equality, justice, and truth. Each of these is best supported by an education that emphasizes the development of observation, thinking, and expression. These in turn would require a focus on the arts, reading, and writing. In short, we would return to the philosophy that runs the very best private schools—the ones the élites like Bill Gates and Arne Duncan send their kids.
It would also require a commitment to end poverty, the single biggest factor in student achievement.
We would stop looking for magical solutions to avoid the poverty problem. We would stop using public education as a dumping ground for useless and superfluous technologies. We would finally grow up and stop looking for “Superman”. We would build our society on developing the most precious resources we have—our children’s intellects.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Awesome. Thanks for sharing this.
And shouldn’t education be a buffer, foil or alternative to the largely amoral forces and dynamics of the marketplace and workplace, not a replication of them? (Rhet.)
Maybe we should be asking why do we have charter schools? Why have we allowed the passing of public taxpayer dollars to “private” schools with no accountability to show their books and with the rubber stamp “ok” to make a profit, even when their “product” is subpar? Why have the teachers unions allowed the 1% to make decisions for our public schools? Why have we allowed the teacher bashing; what took so long to speak out on that? How do we stop the madness?
Suggest reading Diane’s books for more ample answers and this one, a real gem
Why School? Revised and Expanded Edition, 2014
mikerosebooks.com/Why_School_.htmld answers
When the public schools all go away, the middle class will be no more. At that point, the rich and evil ones will choose who will get educated. It will not be our middle class and poor children.
I feel like I’m living in the 1600’s. I can’t believe the ridiculous things that I am seeing in my lifetime. Our founding fathers would roll over in their graves. The demise of the United States has all been based on greed. They have ruined our country, and our country cannot go on forever like this. Our U.S. is in deep trouble.
When everything finally crashes (and believe me it eventually will), the U.S. Department of Education will be shut down. Arne’s paychecks will bounce. His reign of terror will finally be over.
Actually, we’re returning to a world very much like our Founding Fathers envisioned. The elite, rich, landowning educated citizens should be the ones running the government, whereas the unwashed masses are much too ignorant, barbaric and fickle to be involved in the serious work of government. And, of course, blacks, women, etc. are scarcely even human – perish the thought that they are capable of self-governance. It’s all about “meritocracy” where one’s “merit” is assumed to be best represented by one’s wealth and standing.
I would argue that by replacing a democratic model with an economic one has left our country morally ambiguous. Business is all about competition and profit. When people are forced into a competitive mode, many resort to lying, stealing, cheating, and misrepresentation. This type of behavior becomes the norm, and the only fault is in getting caught. How many jobs in our country are based on perception rather than the truth? Most of politics, advertising, the media, management, and even the legal system, are based on presenting a spin on perception rather than seeking the truth. Public education is more important today since today’s teachers will guide the critical thinking of tomorrow’s voters so they can make informed decisions. “Democracies require a commitment to three main qualities: equality, justice, and truth.”
The thing people forgot is that there are only a few winners in “winner take all” Capitalism. Whole groups, even whole regions and countries will be thrown on the garbage heap of history. This is what we are seeing in America and Europe now – Millions of “extra” people who have little hope or chance. We live in a post-industrial society. We don’t need thousands of factory workers! They mostly just need uneducated slaves apparently. Public school makes no sense given this scenario, and the elites know this! They import the engineers and scientists from more “educated” societies. Politics is controlled by money. This is the system from now on, unless the system changes again. My main point is that the elites do not need public schools to mold thousands of factory workers. Why pretend anymore or just go through the motions? They just have to keep kids off the street, pretend that they are learning something, and lock them down. (and maybe turn a profit)
Capitalism lauds individual gain over collective good. Public education and public libraries are of key importance in a democratic society. They offer individuals the opportunity to change their circumstance through access to learning. They provide opportunities to produce an informed electorate which is so important is a democracy. That is why the potential to “poison the well” in charter schools that represent a particular bias are concerning. Do you really want the Koch Bros. to write history books?
Here are two questions I’ve been thinking about for some time and now I’m going to ask and answer them.
There are 1.3+ billion people in China. How many belong to the Chinese Communist Party? I know the answer to this one. There are 86.7 million members in the CCP and most if not all of the millionaires and billionaires are invited to join the CCP after they get rich and most of the members who are not wealthy have a secure job, power and earn good money legally or illegally. That means that 6.7% of the popularization of China are members of the CCP.
In addition, in the last 30 years, China is responsible for 90% of poverty reduction in the world. Since the start of far-reaching economic reforms in the late 1970s, growth has fueled a remarkable increase in per capita income and a decline in the poverty rate from 85% in 1981 to 6.1% below the poverty line in 2014.
There are more than 316.1 million Americans in the US. How many are successful capitalists?
CNN says there are 9.63 millionaires in the US (3% of the population), and 492 billionaires (0.00015% of the population).
The U.S. has a poverty rate of almost 15% and it’s been increasing. There is also a 2nd poverty rate in the U.S. It’s called Extreme Poverty.
A new study from the National Poverty Center finds that 1.65 million American households are living in “extreme poverty,” and these households include 3.55 million children. Using a World Bank definition, the research defines “extreme poverty” as surviving on less than $2 per day, per person, each month. This measure is roughly 13% of the official U.S. poverty threshold. The study utilizes data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) between 1996 and 2011.
http://nlihc.org/article/extreme-poverty-rise-united-states
America has protection for freedom of speech, but China doesn’t. The U.S. has the largest prison population on the planet, about twice that of China, the country with the second largest prison population but more than four times the people.
I won’t answer the last two questions. I leave that up to readers.
How would you rate the U.S. capitalist economy for reducing poverty?
Is freedom of speech more important than suffering/starving in poverty?
Lloyd,
Provocative post. I know little about modern China. I assume it’s not really communist anymore –that it just retains the facade. That’s it’s now fascism in disguise. But you seem to suggest that communist ideals still guide the government and that these are doing good for the poor. You also seem to suggest that suppression of freedom of speech may be a necessary evil for the state to retain control over the plutocrats and pursue its equalizing agenda, but perhaps I’m misconstruing you.
I’m working on a post that explains China that will appear on my iLookChina.net blog in the next few weeks. It’s complicated. Tricky post.
On a more positive note (yes, even I can be positive sometimes), people all over the world are “waking up” or “unplugging” from the Matrix. Just go on YouTube, and look at some of Russell Brand’s videos. He is using his fame to get the message out. He is a wacky comedian, but also highly intelligent. England is experiencing the same thing we are here in America. Many of the elites want to dismantle the National Health Service (NHS) in England, etc., etc…Unions, working people, and the poor are demanding a more just society all over the world.
I’m always intrigued when people speak as though there is some sort of objective, agreed upon purpose for our educational system. Some believe that the purpose is to educate moral future citizens. Some believe it is to overcome and right the wrongs of the past. Some believe it is to prepare young people to participate in the marketplace. Are any of them right or wrong? Seems to me one of the fundamental challenges we face is that there is not an agreed upon purpose. Sadly, I don’t think there ever will be. Its impossible to get 4 people to agree on where to go to lunch. Can we really get millions of people, each with their own agendas and interests, to ever come to agreement on this? No way.
Yes, and we as educators, continue to play defense instead of offense. The engineers of this EDreform movement had this all set in motion before most of us in the trenches even saw it coming. Educators have always been terrible at this game. We prefer to put our time and energy into our students. And so Corporate Baggers have seized an opportunity, yet again, to get richer at the expense of the rest of us. Our tax dollars into their pockets, as the national debt grows. Some of us tried early on to stand on the steps of our capitals. It was already too late, even back then. Our legislators happily opted for ALEC created legislation because those who donated to their elections told them it would be great for our state. And we continue, as a nation, to vote for the very people who are creating these problems.
Such ignorant voters. You see, they don’t want an educated citizenry. If we really did educate our children to make informed choices (instead of filling in bubbled selections) then they might realize we no longer have a real democracy. Those to whom it matters most don’t even bother to vote anymore. Ah, Choice! What a wonderful word. But is it really choice when the options are controlled by the billionaires? Just look at New Orleans. Rich parents continue to send their children to private schools while parents of children in poverty get to choose between an “F” charter school or a “D” charter school. Next year that charter school will close down and open under another name.
A democracy depends on an educated citizenry to make informed choices. The architects of this new paradigm don’t want educated citizens. Poor Bill Gates, such brilliance wasted. Just think what he could accomplish if he focused his billions on addressing poverty instead of ruining public education. Oh, never mind, none of his worldwide initiatives have actually produced anything positive for the Common good yet anyway. But why should that stop him? The sad part is that we are all complicit because we feel powerless to do anything about this. I want so much to do something but I feel powerless against this machine. We will soon have a whole new generation who doesn’t even know better. They will accept this “new” status quo created by these ignorant fools!
I have argued for years that one of the most important things public schools can do is to prepare students to be involved in our government, and I teach with that goal in mind. I truly believe that’s why social studies has been denigrated and cut for years now. Students who don’t know or understand history, geography, civics, etc. will be less likely to see what is happening to our government. As social studies teachers, we do our utmost to help students see these connections, but with social studies being reduced to a bunch of “skills,” with no content, it’s a losing battle.
Yes, it’s all part of the plan. New focus now is only on a narrow set of standards for reading and math created by a bunch of blowhards who tout CCSS as snake oil. And our legislators who know nothing about education have bought into this… hook, line, and sinker. The sad part is that our education departments at both national and state levels have set us up for failure. No teacher left unscathed. No child left untested. No charter school left unrewarded. I am not cynical by nature, but this has become too much for me. I refuse to give up only because I know the students I serve have no voice. I am hanging on mainly because I believe one day these students will rebel against this cruel abuse they are being subjected to in the name of reform. I believe this is part of the reason so many of them have “checked out” through misbehavior, refusing to participate, or dropping out. The sad part is that the powers that be have set this up so that we as educators have no choice but to play along of move along to some other profession. For now I choose to hang in with the students.
Oops, “or” move along…
“The powers that be”, are an unholy alliance of corporations with the state. I think they call it fascism. That is why these blogs are usually dominated by people over the age of fifty. Anyone younger has received an education dominated by philosophy that puts the state before all else. The Constitution is meaningless as the “unalienable” human rights described within are dependent upon the concept of a creator anyway–a word received as blasphemy in the current halls of academia. Where did it all go wrong? Moral relativism, faithlessness, soullessness.
‘We would finally grow up and stop looking for “Superman”.’
There is no Superman. Superman is a comic book character, a fantasy.
There are heroes. But real life heroes—for instance Medal of Honor recipients—are mortal and most of them die becoming a hero. The man of steel, Superman, never dies like us mortals do because he is a figure on paper or a screen.
Since Superman is a comic book and flim character, that means that anyone Waiting for Superman, will be waiting for a lifetime because Superman will never arrive. He doesn’t exist in the real world.
Then we have this: 24 Reasons Teachers Are the Unsung Heroes of the World—this is a post worth sharing.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/jonmichaelpoff/teachers-are-real-life-superheroes#.wpGgZjoDQV
Maybe you could be Bernie Sanders running mate in 2016? We need to have an Idealist, not another WALL STREET lacky like Christie, Bush, or Hilary. Someone whose beliefs are more valued than the size of their bank account.
Reblogged this on carolbach and commented:
agree wholeheartedly
Succinctly stated and absolute truth. Education should not prepare one for a vocation; it should prepare one for citizenship. The humanities are central to engaging and preparing students to think critically, engage in rhetoric and participate actively in shaping society. Children should not be treated as a product on an assembly line receiving a censored education that occupies an ever increasing part of their life. Children are not simple national resources; they are human beings.Where is the outrage?
Does anyone know what post Lentini’s response comes from?
Duane Swacker, David Lentini was commenting on “Arne’s Worst Idea Yet.”
Mil gracias.
Ah, so David L is moosesnsquirrels???
moosesnsquirrels and I were discussing the purpose of public education. Here is my post to which he responded with the above (by the way thanks Diane for bringing this back up as it is one of the most important and least discussed fundamental questions we should be examining):
““My larger point however, is that I think we need to revisit the question of the basic function of public schools. I think many of the assumptions of what we can do, and how much we’re willing to pay for it, have been disproved by experience. The gap between what the pubic expects and what can be delivered reasonably is now being filled by the likes of Duncan and the de-formers. I fear that if we don’t have this debate, then the public schools won’t survive.”
You’re quite correct with that paragraph. So, then:
What are your thoughts on the basic function of public education?
I believe we must start with both the “raison d’etat” and the “raison d’etre” for public schools. With the reasons for public schooling being found in each states constitution the place to start might be to compile those reasons. For example here in Missouri the reason as given in the constitution is: Article IX-EDUCATION
Section 1(a) Free public schools–age limit.
Section 1(a). A general diffusion of knowledge and intelligence being essential to the preservation of the rights and liberties of the people, the general assembly shall establish and maintain free public schools for the gratuitous instruction of all persons in this state within ages not in excess of twenty-one years as prescribed by law.
Or for Maine:
A general diffusion of the advantages of education being essential to the preservation of the rights and liberties of the people; to promote this important object, the Legislature are authorized, and it shall be their duty to require, the several towns to make suitable provision, at their own expense, for the support and maintenance of public schools; and it shall further be their duty to encourage and suitably endow, from time to time, as the circumstances of the people may authorize, all academies, colleges and seminaries of learning within the State; provided, that no donation, grant or endowment shall at any time be made by the Legislature to any literary institution now established, or which may hereafter be established, unless, at the time of making such endowment, the Legislature of the State shall have the right to grant any further powers to alter, limit or restrain any of the powers vested in any such literary institution, as shall be judged necessary to promote the best interests thereof.
So perhaps by cataloguing/listing all the state constitutions’ “raison d’etre” we might discern the similarities and commonalities and use that as the starting point of such discussion.
Your thoughts?? Or anyone else’s???
The first paragraph was his and the rest is mine.