By Marian Wright Edelman
“Strong Schools Brighter Futures!”
“School helps me grow!”
“I can get into good trouble!”
“What do we want? GOOD SCHOOLS! When do we want them? NOW!”
These are just a few of the messages students in grades K-12 at Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) Freedom Schools® summer programs chanted and carried on handmade signs at marches and rallies across the country for their July 23 National Day of Social Action project. More than 12,000 scholars in CDF Freedom Schools programs participate in this annual event, a collective organizing effort centered around CDF’s mission to build community so young people grow up with dignity, hope, and joy. The day is always led by young people with support from caring adults and community members, and together they organize, mobilize, and raise awareness about an issue that directly affects their lives and futures. This year’s event focused on the message “Public Education is a Public Good,” reflecting CDF’s core belief that education is a building block for civic life and work and has a major impact on children and young people’s ability to flourish.
The scholars’ joyful, urgent calls for strong public schools couldn’t have been planned for a timelier moment, as some adults are seeking new ways to undermine the nation’s public education system right now. But as CDF puts it: “We believe public education is a cornerstone of democracy, opportunity, and justice. When we invest in education, we invest in the leadership, well-being, and futures of our children and youth . . . Education is more than academics. It shapes our communities, our democracy, and our collective future. Public education is one of the most powerful tools for social mobility. Investing in education helps every child, no matter their background, reach their full potential. When we center public education as a common good, we bring people together across divides.”
CDF cites data showing our students deserve better:
- Schools in the United States spend an average of $20,387 per pupil, the third highest spending among the 40 other developed nations in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), but statewide funding formulas and allocations create gaps in the amount of funding actually spent per child. This leads to similarly wide gaps in access and outcomes.
- The U.S. spends 2.7 times as much per person on incarceration as on public education.
- Thirteen states have no civics course requirement, and only seven require a full year of government or civics instruction.
- While the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause requires states to provide equal access to schooling, Plyer v. Doe ruled that undocumented children can’t be barred from attending public schools, Board of Education v. Rowley stated that schools must accommodate students with disabilities, and Brown v. Board of Education declared separate but equal schooling illegal, nothing in our country or courts guarantees the right to an education. In fact, in San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez, the Supreme Court found that education is not explicitly protected by the Constitution.
Our children and young people do indeed deserve more. CDF also notes that research shows lifting up public education as a public good with a proven track record of contributing to democracy, workforce development, and civic engagement unifies people with differing perspectives. Loud and widespread support for this unifying message is sorely needed right now. As CDF sums it up: “Education is the foundation for children and youth to build upon to ensure a successful, healthy, engaged, and safe adulthood. We must continue to uplift public education as a necessary investment, tout its successes, and work together to advocate for necessary improvements.”
As students prepare to start a new year in the next few weeks, what kinds of classrooms and school communities will they find? Will their schools be fully equipped and fully committed to preparing every child, no matter their background, to reach their full potential? Or will their experiences vary more widely than ever from school to school and state to state? Will adults be working together to strengthen local public school systems for all students, or tearing those systems apart? Just as the scholars in CDF Freedom Schools programs know what kinds of schools they want and deserve, students across the country deserve schools that will allow them to thrive. Adults everywhere must do their part to step up, speak out, and vote to support them.