The Pros and Cons of Public School

Public schooling in the United States refers to our nation-wide, free education that is available (and compulsory) for all children. Our public school system is governed by federal and state laws which means that it is largely standardized from school to school, state to state. While some differences exist based on specific location, the foundational principles and philosophies of public schools remain consistent. 

HIstory of public schools

Back in the 16 and 1700s, as our country was just forming, small, local schools were formed primarily because of the desire to have children be able to read the Bible. The puritans wanted children to be able to read the Bible for themselves rather than being read to and explained the meanings. 

Now, obviously we know that we have a separation of church and state in the US and that all began with the ratification of the Bill of Rights in 1791. And as our country grew and became more diverse, both ethnically and religiously, there was growing recognition of the need for public education to be inclusive and secular. 

The Founding Fathers believed that in order for democracy to thrive in America, we would need competent, literate citizens who could understand social and political issues, who could vote wisely, and who would protect their own rights. 

Free public education began to take hold in the 1830’s. In the early years, non-white groups were often excluded from school and when they did gain access to public schooling, they were often under-served or educated in separate schools. Additionally, schooling for girls and for children with disabilities took longer to catch on. 

Why does this history matter?  Why is it relevant to school choices today?

Part of the original goal of public schools was to have competent citizens who could keep our democracy alive. And because of this, it makes sense that our goal would be to educate all students to the same level. Sometimes I’ve wondered about why all high school graduates need the same thing but the history of the school system sort of answers this. The goal of public school is not to facilitate each student’s strengths and passions but to ensure they all get the same basic, foundational education. 

But at the same time, the system has not accomplished this mission to ensure that all students received a free, good, education. We know that a lot of disparities still exist today. There have been disparities in our history that were allowed by law- like not allowing any Black person or any woman the right to quality education- and today those disparities are not necessarily caused by our laws but they persist based on a variety of factors. We know that the quality of education in our country depends on where you live and because of that, our country remains very divided across racial and socioeconomic lines.

The TOP 5 major strengths of public schools:

1. 1. It is free education for everyone. This is a real privilege and something that many children in many other countries wish they had. For many children, free public education may be the one shot they have to get out of poverty. 
   2. Student populations in public schools reflect the communities in which they are located. Students are more likely to be exposed to students from different cultures or income levels and also to students with mental and physical disabilities. Public schools welcome students from all walks of life, regardless of socioeconomic status, ethnicity, or ability. They serve as melting pots of diversity, fostering an environment where students learn from each other’s unique experiences and perspectives.
   3. Public schools are required to provide a host of additional services to students by law. Things like transportation to and from school, free and reduced lunch, special education services for students with disabilities. 
   4. Teachers are qualified. That means different things based on which state you are in but all teachers are minimally required to have a Bachelor’s degree and many states require specific coursework or completion of certificate programs as well.
   5. And finally, public schools are held accountable by state-mandated assessments and accountability measures. We will get into the flip side of this in a minute but do know that the standards for learning are set by federal and state governments and test scores are used to determine how schools are performing 

The challenges of public schools

1. 1. Teaching to the middle and leaving learners behind. When we reflect back on the earlier mini history lesson about why public education was created in the first place, we see that the intention was not to instill a life-long love of learning in students. It was, more or less, designed to educate children in a standardized way to ensure that all kids had the basic (and same) level of education. And not much in this vein has changed over the past 120 years. The learning standards in public schools are set by federal and state governments and they dictate what teachers must teach and when. For example, every child will learn equivalent fractions in the 4th grade. But what about students who were ready for that before 4th grade? Or the child who needs more time on previous math concepts? Teachers often must “teach to the middle” so that slower learners are sometimes left behind and not achieving full mastery of the subject and a more gifted learner may be unable to move on even if they’ve already mastered the material.  (You can learn more about this concept of mastery-based learning here)
   2. Emphasis placed on standardized testing.  Now you may remember that one of our top 5 strengths of public schools was that they are held accountable by state-mandated assessments and accountability measures. But many people today (including educational experts, teachers and parents) believe that standardized testing has been taken too far. The emphasis placed on standardized testing in public schools often leads to teachers “teaching to the test” and focusing on students’ rote memorization at the expense of critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills. Additionally, standardized tests are known to be flawed and biased, meaning that the tests do  not accurately measure student learning or potential yet the hyper-focus on “test scores” still remains. 
   3. Because public schools are run by our government, the system is known for its bureaucracy and red tape.  Decisions regarding curriculum, policies, and resource allocation may be influenced by bureaucratic processes rather than educational best practices. Because of all the bureaucracy, it seems that any movement towards reform is rather superficial: should we use this reading curriculum or that one? Longer day or shorter day? Year round or not, etc. The questions of reform never seems to question the underlying models on which the educational system is founded. But also, the sheer size and magnitude of a nation-wide public school system means that making a change is incredibly difficult. So much educational research has been done in the last 15 years that informs us about the best practices for education and because of technology, we’re learning a lot about brain development and what actually happens in the brain to facilitate learning. So we have this research- we know a lot about what works- but yet the public schools have a very hard time making changes and implementing new things because of all the red tape.
   4. The quality of education provided by public schools varies widely across districts and demographic groups. Striking inequalities exist between racial and socioeconomic groups. Because our public school system is tied to tax dollars, schools in poorer  communities do not have access to the resources, curriculum, and teaching quality as more affluent neighborhoods. 

Have you ever heard of summer learning loss?

Summer learning loss refers to the phenomenon where children lose up to a month’s worth of learning over the summer months when retested at the beginning of the school year. Research consistently shows that “the summer slide” disproportionately affects children of color and from low socioeconomic statuses. Some critics argue that it exacerbates educational inequities, particularly for students from low-income families who may lack access to enriching summer activities and educational resources. 

This is an area of interest to us at The Education Breakdown because it’s an example of how research shows that taking 3 months off at summer is not typically in the best interests of students’ learning, but it’s another one of these areas where we just accept that this is “the way it’s always been done.” So why DO we have summers off in traditional schools? This can be traced back to historical and practical reasons, as well as cultural and economic factors. Several key factors contribute to the practice:

• • Agricultural calendar: In earlier times when many families lived by farming and agricultural activity,  children supported in planting and harvesting crops during the summer months. As a result, schools adjusted their schedules to accommodate the needs of agricultural communities, allowing children to assist their families during peak farming seasons.

• • Urbanization and Heat: Before the widespread availability of air conditioning, urban schools faced challenges with extreme heat during the summer months. Many schools lacked adequate ventilation and cooling systems, making it uncomfortable and impractical to hold classes during the hottest part of the year. As a result, schools often closed for the summer to avoid health risks and discomfort for students and teachers.

• • Cost Savings: Closing schools during the summer can result in cost savings by reducing expenses related to utilities, maintenance, and transportation. Consolidating instructional time during the rest of the year may also allow for more efficient use of resources and facilities.

How do public school parents and kids feel about their education?

In January 2024, a new report was released from Common Sense Media where they interviewed thousands of voters and over 1200 kids ages 12-17 about their opinion on the state of public schooling today. Respondents said that schools are not up to the task of preparing children for a successful future and more than half of both the adults and adolescents said that K-12 public schools are doing a “poor” or “just fair” job of educating children. 

The biggest concerns and challenges highlighted by respondents were:

• • students falling behind academically

• • teacher shortages due to burnout

• • low pay for teachers

• • bullying and mental health struggles

When adult respondents of the survey were given a list of possible solutions for schools, here are the top five things they said that would have the biggest impact: 

1. 1. providing individualized learning plans based on each student’s needs;
   2. increasing teacher pay
   3. providing additional social-emotional and mental health support
   4. reducing class sizes
   5. and improving teacher preparation.

1. Additionally, “more testing” and “setting higher standards for students to meet” were at the bottom of the list, the report found.

So what can we do? What does our public school system need?

Our public school system certainly has a lot of challenges and a lot of things to try and overcome. At the same time, most people in our country agree that our public school system is necessary and important. We need for our young people to be well-educated and prepared for the future. Many, if not nearly all, of these concerns raised by the Common Sense Media study could be adequately addressed with sustained, increased funding. We know that teachers are not paid well, schools are overcrowded, and we need more services for student mental health. And all of that takes money. And unfortunately our society doesn’t value the education of our children enough to put in the money that it really takes to do that well. 

Now remember: our goal here at the Education Breakdown is to equip you, our reader, with the knowledge you need to make the best educational decisions for you and your family. These decisions are so personal and what’s best for one family is not necessarily what’s best for another family. So we aren’t here to tell you what’s right and what’s wrong but instead to try and give a holistic view and hopefully educate you on some things you didn’t know before. . 

Let us know what you think! Leave a comment!