by Jack McKay, Executive Director of the Horace Mann League of the USA
Education budgets slashed, collective bargaining hindered, charters and vouchers use public funds, more testing and accountability, and on and on. “Well, it could not happen in our state!” Well, it will, if it has not happened already. Just visit with collages in states like Michigan, Arizona, New Jersey, And North Carolina, to name just a few. Our nation, let alone our profession is being attacked daily by a small, but growing ideological group, who believe that privatization of almost all public services, including social security, health care, prison, and correctional services, and specifically education.
This stealth, well funded, and cult-like group, sometimes called the “conservative-radical right has a belief system similar to an oligarchy form of government that promotes small government, ruled by the wealthy elite that benefits their self-interests. Common initiatives are voter suppression, limiting taxes on private property, denying climate change, limiting immigration, while perpetuating the myths about the ineffectiveness of government services. Yes, our belief in democracy and public education for all students is in danger.
However, it is not doom and gloom. The first step in changing direction is to understand the strategies and motives of this trend.
The Conservative-Radical Right’s planned strategy is to reduce the impact and eventually replace public schools. It is a relatively simple method that has been used to reduce the so-called “dependency” on the state and the federal government to fund public education with tax dollars. Historically, public education has been a well-accepted government program to educate students to be responsible citizens and have a good foundation for college and employment. According to recent surveys, like the annual Phi Delta Kappen (PDK) has repeatedly shown that public education, particularly their local public school, has been graded “A or B” for their children’s education. Like other successful government programs such as social security and health care, public education is a valuable service provided by the citizen’s tax dollars.
For a variety of reasons, there is a segment of our society that is opposed to the viability of the state and federal government to collect and support social programs like public education. This segment, sometimes referred to as “politically conservatives” believe the government is exceeding the reach of power and the reduced expenses should be passed on to individual citizens. Other words, “if they want the service, they can pay for it, but do not tax me to be for your needs.” They would say that instead of being the tax payer’s burden, it should be the “user’s” responsibility.
The “conservative” believes that public education, like other social services, is a burden on society and like all government services popular with the majority, is an unfair burden on the more wealthy and their taxable private property. Further, they believe that public education, as a government service, infringes on their beliefs about religion, historical perspectives, gender preference, and racial diversity.
Finally, the conservative belief is that rather than a public responsibility, public education should be market driven, because educating children should be an enterprise with build in choices, competition, and accountability, similar to how the business environment sorts the successful and unsuccessful enterprise.
On one side the conservative, who believes in reducing programs that depend on tax dollars and the “progressive” who believes in the government should provide services that the taxpayer has the responsibility for the common good and the benefit of all citizens.
The strategy of the conservative is to reduce the image, as well as the burden of providing a popular program at their expense: public education.
First, Change the Image
The conservative would accept that education is a necessary well-received service, therefore taking on public education with frontal attacks would not be successful. A more beneficial strategy for the conservative would be to first undermine the image by taking incremental steps to place doubt about the success of public schools. Examples would be (a) imposing high and unrealistic proficiency standards on education, without providing the resources, (b) highlighting the alleged weak teacher’s training programs and limited career status, and (c) the alleged inability of graduate to be employable at graduation. Othe words create doubt about popular government service.
Second, Divide the Advocates of Public Education:
The second strategic move is to identify those who would benefit from the end of public education. Find those who see a financial gain or a reduction in their taxes. If a coalition of these groups can at least be neutralized, then the popularity of public education could be dampened. At the minimum, it would break down the citizen’s belief that government was giving them something of value and the appearance of the government being effective.
Third, Build a Coalition of Financial Backers that Support Public Education
By creating a vast pool of money contributed by corporate philanthropists who ideologically benefit from the demise of publicly supported education, there can be well-financed and coordinated media attacks against collective bargaining for teachers and thereby reducing the attractiveness of teaching. These same contributors (e.g., Koch Brothers and Walmart) can and have set up “Think Tanks” (e.g., Cato Institute, Heritage Foundations, American Enterprise Institute, and the ALEC Center) that further the “intellectual de-legitimation” of popular governmental service. Further, with funding, these groups can effectively elect like-minded legislators and lobby those legislators about funding priorities. Eventually, the government services, like public schools, due to lack of funding will be less effective with all students – thereby the self-fulfilling prophecy – “I told you they were not effective and now you see what happened.”
The goal of the conservative is to increase privatization and thereby “enchain” democracy – the majority. To the conservative, democracy is not in their best interest because democracy implies majority rule and majority rule reduces the power of the wealthy minority. They believe there is a need to reduce the role of government to the smallest possible source of power in order to sustain a capitalist system that rewards individuals and corporations that believe that wealth and profit are more important than civil service and social responsibility. Simply put, the less tax on the wealthy, the more power they have to protect and increase their wealth.
Steps to Sustain the Good.
By knowing the basic strategies of the conservative. By that, at least educational leaders are aware of the essential steps of a revolution: (a) change the image, (b) divide the benefactors, (c) fund the media and legislators.
First, public schools are doing great things in every classroom, with every child, every day. However, these great things are considered reasonable by most parents and educators. We need to be communicating to all citizens, not just the parents about the great things happening in our public schools. Not just newsletters and emails, but on the reader boards and social media. There is an old axiom, “If I do not hear about the community’s schools, then I assume nothing is happening in the schools.” The latest anecdotal story buffets the public school’s image. Hopefully, it is a positive story and not by chance.
Second, Unify and sustain the Coalition for Community Schools.
In every community and region, there are groups with legitimate, but divergent goals. The challenge is to find the common good that these groups can agree. The conservative’s strategy to divide and break up those groups that believe in the public school and they need help. These community groups need information about what happens in their schools almost daily. Public education advocates need to realize that there are individuals who would benefit from the demise of the local public school, e.g., homeschool coalitions, some church groups, venture capitalist who believe in private education, and the anti-taxpayer.
Third, Financial Backing.
Supporting favorable candidates by encouragement, making financial commitments, as well as, attending meetings and rallies is part of the game of politics. Another necessary step is finding and connecting with like-minded leaders in other government agencies, community service organizations, and business leaders who support public education. These community leaders need to know about the motives of the conservative (particualrly the radical right) and the impact of privatization of social services and public education.
In conclusion, public education is the cornerstone of our democracy. The concept of free public schools, for all students, regardless of gender, diversity, or social status, is the foundation of a society that is well informed and understands the need to for strong public schools supported by public funds.