LETTER: Why public education matters: Preserving democracy

We live in a country where it is the duty and privilege of each citizen to elect their leaders. Our form of government, a democratic republic, which is “of the people, by the people, and for the people,” is still new in the grand scheme of history.

Like all forms of government, it is vulnerable to corruption and strife and always has the potential to be undermined by bad leadership. But it is also resilient as long as the people who choose their leaders understand their government and the ways it affects their lives and the world.

This is where public education shows itself to be foundational for maintaining a free country. To quote Thomas Jefferson, “Educate and inform the whole mass of the people … They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty.”

Public education can ensure that “the whole mass of people,” including, ironically, more people than Jefferson himself ever presumed to include, have the knowledge and skills they need to support their families, contribute to their communities, and participate in their government.

Public education means that every child, no matter their family’s economic status, has the opportunity to learn to read. It means they have someone to teach them math, history, and science. They have the chance to develop skills in music, art, and technology. They also have special help available if they have a learning disability or another barrier between them and their education.

A quality education assists students in developing critical thinking skills and the ability to understand causes and effects in the world. Each of these skills sets a young person up for a better life in a myriad of ways, including their capacity to make wise choices as they participate in civic life.

Public education upholds the value that every child matters and is worthy of an education. This tracks right along with our national ideal that each person has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and that their voice is needed to make our nation great.

As we look to preserve liberty and self-determination for future generations of Americans, we must remember that public education is foundational to our national strength and resilience. We must protect and strengthen our public schools and ensure that each and every child has access to a quality education. Our democracy depends on it.

Laura Johnson is the Pottstown School Board Treasurer. These views are her’s alone and not intended to speak on behalf of the school board.