For the Common Good: Recommitting to Public Education in a Time of Crisis

Since the early years of the United States, public schools have been expected to fulfill multiple purposes that benefit the whole society as well as individuals. Now, the COVID-19 pandemic has jolted us into a stranger, harsher, and more challenging future than most would have predicted. Mass closures of school buildings have created unprecedented disruption and have left teachers and school leaders struggling to carry out the most basic education functions however they can. The current crisis will transform public education in dramatic and unpredictable ways. Education leaders and teachers will need to adapt and plan. With children at home, many parents are gaining a better appreciation of the expertise and contributions of teachers and school leaders. Families are recognizing the importance of services like school lunch and breakfast programs. This heightened awareness can be useful in marshalling public support to help schools through the challenges that lie ahead. To support this effort, the Center on Education Policy (CEP) at the George Washington University has issued this report, which draws on the ideas in one of CEP's most popular publications, "Why We Still Need Public Schools," and reconsiders them in the current context. This new report highlights the multiple purposes filled by public schools in American society and discusses why, in this time of upheaval, it is crucial to maintain a robust public education system. [For the report "Why We Still Need Public Schools," see ED503799. For the companion report, "The History and Evolution of Public Education in the US," see ED606970.]