Is public education too valuable to be “thrown away”?
This question has been posed by the Alameda Education Foundation’s “Step Up” campaign on garbage cans, garbage trucks and a city billboard.
The foundation’s public awareness campaign for a local parcel tax — involving parents, community members and the Alameda Education Association — spotlights school cuts in Alameda such as pink-slipped teachers, the elimination of sports and music programs, and other cutbacks that hurt students.
A billboard shows a dump site filled with school materials and the statement, “Our Public Schools Are Too Valuable to Throw Away.” The same message has been printed on banners decorating city garbage trucks, with pictures of specific programs that have been cut in Alameda. All materials have been donated for the campaign.
On March 18, a media event used 100 garbage cans or “dump sites” strategically placed around town, with teachers, students and others inside the containers talking to media about the importance of not throwing away public education.
“We’re trying to put a face on what’s being lost, when we talk about budget cuts,” explains Brooke Briggance, executive director of the foundation. “These cuts affect real teachers and real students. I feel like we’re throwing away our future in the state of California, and using Alameda as an example for the bigger question, which is ‘What will happen to society when we throw public education away?’”
Events such as these are one way to communicate the importance of public education.
Other ways that can help include:
- Repeat simple, effective, positive messages about public education. Messages can be shared through multiple channels — such as local and national media, ethnic publications, progressive faith-based institutions and live venues. The message may not be heard the first time or first several times it is uttered, but eventually it will register with the public consciousness.
- Explain how balancing the budget with a cuts-only approach hurts vital services that all Californians need and deserve. Lawmakers must consider revenue increases to fund education and other crucial programs that help children, the poor and working families.
- Share positive stories about public education with local media. Share examples about individuals, schools and communities where public education has made a positive difference.
- Become a pro-education blogger. Spread positive messages about public education.
- Engage in community outreach. Teacher organizations can develop strategic allies within their communities including churches, philanthropic organizations and parent groups. (See story, page 18.)
- Be a spokesperson for public education. Don’t refer to schools as “failing,” or if you must, use quotation marks or refer to them as “so-called failing schools.” Be proud and act proud of public schools and talk about the good things they do.
- Explain why, based on the history of corporations, privatization of schools is not in the public interest. By raising problems that have arisen as a result of privatization in areas such as prisons and health care, make the case for preserving education for all.
- Stay informed about the nature of opposition to public education. If the political opposition to public education continues on its present course unchecked, public schools and teacher unions — as they now exist — may become a thing of the past.
From the study “Responding to the Attack on Public Education and Teacher Unions,” by the Commonweal Institute. For a copy of the Commonweal report visit www.commonwealinstitute.org.
