The+Public+Schools+we+need

Guiding Question for Discussion: How do we maintain or improve confidence in the public school system? As future leaders, what will you do to maintain or improve confidence in the public school system?
 * The quality of the public education system relates directly to the quality of life that people enjoy, it is the main institution for fostering social cohesion and is the cornerstone of a civil, prosperous and democratic society
 * Public schools must serve all children, not just those with loud and powerful advocates
 * The cognitive and social needs of all children, emphasizing those students who may not have been served well in the past, must be addressed
 * Narrowing the gap between high achieving and low achieving students is a priority
 * Public schools must include character education
 * ** Both academic achievement and personal and social development are the core purposes of the public school system **
 * Michael Barber warns: If people begin to see private education as the better alternative for their children, they will become less willing to pay taxes to fund public education and over time public education will become **a poor service for poor people**.
 * The flight to private schools would erode social cohesion and lead to inequality
 * A high quality public school system is essential, not only for parents who send their children to these schools but also for the public good as a whole.
 * In summary: Schools need to be places that foster quality academic and social development in all students. If this doesn’t happen people will lose faith in the public school system, withdraw from it and we will be left with a public school system that is nothing more than a poor service for poor people .** 

