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Public education is slowly being starved of the necessary sustenance it needs to survive. Its pulse weakens with every funding slash. Organs are shutting down, and its breath is labored. Schools are slowly dying an inhumane and painful death.
Some folks cheer. Others turn away. A few fight desperately to keep them alive when death seems imminent.
I do not exaggerate. We are losing them.
Public education isn’t just another option – it is the heart that pumps opportunity to every child, the lifeline for those with nowhere else to go. But today it is under attack. Funds are being siphoned from our most at-risk students and transferred to private and charter schools all in the name of equity. HA.
Here’s why public education is irreplaceable—and what we stand to lose if it disappears.
1. Public schools accept everyone!
Charter schools surround the public school where I teach. Every year, we receive students from those charter schools who have been kicked out due to behavior or refused admission because the schools couldn’t support their unique needs.
Public schools are legally required to educate every child, regardless of their disability or their academic or behavioral challenges. Where will these students go when public schools cease to exist?
2. Public schools are the backbone of special education.
Millions of our students are educated in public schools. They rely on the public education system for legally protected services like speech therapy, individualized education plans (IEPs), and one-on-one support.
Private schools can deny admission to students with special needs, and charter schools often lack the resources to provide proper accommodations. Without a strong public education system, many children with disabilities will be left without the support they need to thrive.
3. Public schools champion diversity and inclusion.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion have become bad words. How did that happen?
I guess empathy and tolerance are also now bad words.
My children attended very diverse public schools, with students from every race, religion, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic background. Do you know what they learned? They learned how to work alongside and form relationships with people who were very different from them.
And that is how it should be.
When we weaken public education in favor of exclusive charters or private institutions, we create an education system that is even more segregated by class, race, and ability.
4. Public schools serve English language learners.
More than 5 million students in the U.S. are learning English, and public schools provide the bilingual educators, language programs, and other supports these students need. Many charter and private schools lack or limit these services.
Additionally, English language learners are overrepresented in high-poverty schools. Withdrawing our Title I funding will remove access to wraparound programs such as family engagement, tutors, and mental health programs.
Without adequate language support, these students risk falling behind, having higher dropout rates, and losing access to higher education and career opportunities.
5. Public schools provide a safe haven for vulnerable kids.
For many students, school is more than a place to learn—it’s a lifeline. Public schools provide free meals, counseling, after-school programs, transportation, and social workers to help students facing poverty, homelessness, or trauma. They are safe in our schools.
We can’t take away their security and their ability to feel like they are welcome.
Many charter and private schools don’t offer these services, leaving the most vulnerable children behind. Without strong public schools, millions of kids would lose their only source of stability and support. That would be a crime.
6. Public schools strengthen democracy by educating everyone.
A strong democracy requires an educated public. Public schools teach civics, critical thinking, and social responsibility, ensuring that all students—not just the privileged—understand their rights and how to participate in society.
Yes, schools need to focus on the basics, but how do we teach that when students do not know how to self-regulate and interact appropriately? Extra funding has ensured that behavioral and SEL support is in place. A lack of funding for these programs will harm vulnerable students.
Bring them back to life.
Instead of slowly draining public education’s lifeblood, let’s kickstart its heart. Public schools are not meant to wither away—they are the strong heartbeat of our communities. Unlike selective or profit-driven institutions, public schools exist to serve all, and, without them, opportunity begins to fade.
Instead of slowly severing their lives, let’s give public schools a blood transfusion. Please don’t take away the programs for our neediest students. Charters and private schools receive public money without the same responsibilities or oversight. If we don’t fight back, the economic divide will widen in our country, and social problems will increase. Instead of dismantling public schools, we should invest in them because when education is only for some, opportunity is only for some.
And that’s not a future any of us should accept.
