Public education is a cornerstone of American democracy. Our transformation from a collection of disparate colonies to the world’s greatest power has been fueled, in large part, by our dedication to the principle that all children should be educated at public expense in locally governed schools “well enough” to become self-sufficient, contributing members of American society. Today, in the knowledge age, when the definition of “well enough” has dramatically changed, our continued commitment to this principle is of paramount importance. Attaining a high-quality education is now the key ingredient for individual success. To ensure this success, we must work to maintain and continually improve transparent, fully accountable public schools capable of unfolding the full potential of every child – schools where dedicated, qualified teachers and the people who support them welcome every student and respond to ever-rising expectations. We must appropriately fund public education as the last great institution making good on the nation’s promise to create the one from the many. In doing this, we counter the malignant growth of tribalism destroying our social fabric. We must promote and support public schools as symbols of community autonomy, vitality, and tradition; social centers where people gather to enjoy sports, theater, and music; places where even conservative calculations suggest every tax dollar invested yields a seven-fold return. Public education is one of America’s most precious resources and we have never needed it more.

Public education is facing a triple threat: a viral pandemic; constrained resources; and privatization. The spread of Covid 19 has placed district leaders under tremendous pressure to solve an array of unprecedented problems against a background of conflicting and emotionally charged public opinions. The fiscal constraints imposed before the pandemic have complicated their response and the precipitous downturn in the economy foreshadows future budget cuts that will impact the classroom and heighten public concern. At the same time, self-proclaimed reformers with anti-democratic agendas are intensifying their campaign to privatize the PreK-12 arena. Accountable to no one, often elected by no one, posing as innovators, these anarchists are convinced that unleashing the disruptive powers of capitalism will produce the graduates we need. They promote the concept of competition even though a generation of vouchers and charters has produced scant evidence of their success when the students are drawn from the same socio-economic backgrounds. Representing think tanks and corporate interests, they lobby elected officials to replace public education with a splintered system of barely regulated schools disconnected from the common good. They hype the emotionally charged word “choice” while millions of taxpayer dollars are diverted to the pockets of private companies who are all-but unaccountable for their results. Separately, each of these threats weakens the public’s commitment to public education and undermines support for local schools. But, in combination, they are lethal if left unchecked.

We are engaged in a struggle for the future of public education, which is tantamount to fighting for the promise of America as our Founders conceived it. We must maintain a vibrant network of public schools, but this is not possible without active, broad-based community support. The Schools Cannot Do It Alone Network with its expanding coalition of state chapters was created to help district leaders increase support for their schools. Participating districts are using Jamie’s evolving library of pro public education content to energize their staffs and strengthen ties with stakeholders. In just ten minutes a month, superintendents are broadcasting a steady stream of positive messages across their districts via email, web sites, and social media. Sharing each new installment helps the people of their communities better understand: 1) the challenges they face every day; 2) why public education is important for everyone – even taxpayers who have no children in school; 3) common myths and misconceptions about public schools; 4) why public schools are not a business; 5) how schools have changed over time and why the process must continue; 6) public education’s greatest threats; and 7) public education’s incredible record of success. The video series at the center of the process is divided into two parts: one stream created to engage the public, and one produced to uplift the staff. When shared in tandem, the videos set the stage for ever increasing student success. And the positive effects are felt statewide as the Network grows.