Public education is the foundation of democracy and the basis for the promise of equality in our society. It is an institution that is cherished by the overwhelming majority of Americans.
The right of every child in the United States to free, universal, public education was first won during the post-civil war period when freed slaves demanded the education they had previously been denied. This right was eroded during the 60+ years of Jim Crow segregation, but then reaffirmed through the Brown decision and the civil rights struggles that ensued to implement Brown.
Yet, for the last twenty years, public education has been under constant attack by the advocates of free-market economy and privatization. Despite the fact that study after study show public schools performing better than charter schools, the drive to close public schools to make way for charters continues unabated. The opening of every charter drains funds from the surrounding public school district, further eroding already under-funded public schools.
Hand in hand with this attack on the right to a public education, has been an assault on the comprehensive curriculum that previously characterized public education. Art, music, sports, drama and accelerated courses are being slashed, as funding for education is cut to the bone. The role of the public school, as a window to the wider world for children without the resources to travel beyond their neighborhood, is being destroyed.
This assault on universal, comprehensive public education is creating a new form of Jim Crow, second-class citizenship. Increasingly, particularly in predominantly Latino/a and black urban districts, many children have no public school in their immediate neighborhood. The schools that are available to them, be they public or charter, provide only a narrow technical education, designed to prepare them for low-paying jobs. Only the wealthiest (and in our nation, that means with few exceptions, only white students) retain access to the knowledge and accomplishments of the ages, and the opportunity to fully develop their talents.
Challenge to the State Takeover of DPS
Lawsuit against Detroit School Closings
Robb Bobb Broad Conflict of Interest Lawsuit
Detroit Board of Education vs. Robb Bobb
Baxter ruling on the Detroit Board of Education v. Bobb