Introduction to the Study:
Public schools are the largest public institution in our nation. On
the average school day, approximately fifty million children in kindergarten
through grade twelve-about one-fifth of all our citizens are in school.
At a time when education is the buzz word in political campaigns and
budget discussions from the federal government to state legislative
houses and into local communities, it is appropriate for people of
faith to take a serious look at public education. Despite a variety
of alternatives being discussed and promoted, the vast majority of
children in the United States will in the near future find themselves
in a public school. If we believe with some of our founding fathers
that education is the foundation of a democratic society, then the
question arises as to what we want the future citizens of that society
to know and what obligations the total society has to prepare children
for their future– our future.
 Public schools are expected to educate
all children in the community- regardless of family background, economic
status, or other elements
of diversity. Many parents and communities look to the schools to
produce moral, thinking adults, without examining the wider culture
in which
the children live. Children who come to school stressed out by conditions
at home, such as poverty, abuse, neglect, family insecurity,or over-worked
parents, are unable to give full concentration to lessons. Children
are vulnerable to the things that stress their parents. Parents dealing
with their own exhaustion and stress often make teachers and schools
scapegoats for their children’s failures.
Despite state efforts to equalize financial resources available for
each child, there still remain differences between the per-pupil
expenditures in affluent (often suburban) communities and poorer
(often urban and
rural) communities. It is not surprising that educators and politicians
have come up with a variety of solutions to address widespread concern
about public schools.
Through the General Conference, The United Methodist
Church has spoken: “The
public school is the primary route for most children into full
participation in our economic, political and community life. As
a consequence of
inequities in our society, we have a moral responsibility to support,
strengthen, and reform public schools. They have been, and continue
to be, both an avenue of opportunity and a major cohesive force
in our society, a society becoming daily more diverse racially,
culturally,
and religiously....Local churches and all communities of faith
must become better informed about the needs of the public schools
in their
communities and in the country as a whole. Only through adequate
information can we defend public education and the democratic heritage
that it
supports.” (1)
There is no doubt that today’s children
will grow up to live in a more complex world as adults. Children
need to learn how to learn,
how to creatively adapt to new situations, how to read critically,
and how to solve problems. Today’s schools must join with
parents and communities to help all children become adult citizens
who are
life-long learners, committed to the common good.
The issues are
many and they vary from community to community. In some places
groups of concerned persons are already busy addressing
what
they consider the most pressing needs for children in their area.
It is possible to identify a common concern and work together
to address
the issue. In other places, the most pressing need may still
be waiting
to be defined.
The overall goal of this study is for each person or group
-
to examine the issues
-
to decide on what most needs to be done to strengthen public education
in their community and state
-
to develop a plan to begin or to take a next step; and
-
take action.
Leaving no child behind will take the combined efforts of all our citizens.
-Public Education: Issues and Challenges by Mary Grace Lyman
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