School vouchers are currently a popular topic among politicians and interest groups pushing to defund public schools and shift taxpayer funds to private for-profit or religious institutions. “By funneling public taxpayer money away from public schools, [vouchers] whittle away the ability to provide a high-quality education that is free at the point of service to all children in a community. This allows continued claims of a failing public education system. Yet, what is truly at stake is the future of a system that operates for the common good.”
The current administration’s assault on education illustrates public schools’ crucial role in our democracy. Understanding why public schools matter as a common good for our communities and nation is vital to countering efforts — such as the push for school vouchers — to undermine the public education system.
Media stories about the state of public education abound. So how do we make decisions and engage in critical conversations about the future of our public schools and society? We must be discerning about the information around us. Thinking about what information is provided, the source, why a story is developed, and whose perspective is represented and whose is missing can be valuable in evaluating accuracy and reliability and in understanding the intent behind media information.