Understanding Today’s Public Education Landscape: A Critical Conversation about How to Protect Public Schools as a Cornerstone of Democracy
On June 3, Education Law Center hosted our 17th annual Education Justice Lecture and fundraiser: Understanding Today’s Public Education Landscape: How We Got Here and Where We’re Going. This virtual event featured Jennifer Berkshire and Jack Schenider, authors, educators and hosts of the Have You Heard podcast, in conversation with ELC Executive Director Bob Kim.
At a time when public education is under attack, this engaging conversation reinforced why ELC’s work is more urgent than ever. Please make a tax-deductible contribution to support our efforts to protect public schools and students.
Across the country, students’ access to well-resourced public schools, strong civil rights protections, and meaningful educational opportunity is under increasing threat. Students deserve safe, inclusive, and fully funded schools—but that work takes resources and sustained commitment.
The lecture explored the growing threats facing public education, including chronic underfunding, the rapid expansion of school voucher programs, proposals for publicly funded religious charter schools, attacks on federal support for public schools, and the erosion of federal civil rights enforcement. The discussion emphasized that these trends threaten not only educational opportunity for students, but also the foundational role of public schools as essential institutions that strengthen communities, advance equity, and support democracy.
The speakers also highlighted the broad support across the country for public schools, and the important role public education plays in bringing together students and families from diverse backgrounds. Rather than simply defending the status quo, they called for a renewed vision of public education that is fully funded, community-centered, and responsive to the needs of all students. The conversation also addressed concerns about growing inequality, the impact of artificial intelligence and virtual learning, declining civic engagement, and the risk that school privatization could leave many students with fewer rights and opportunities.
The lecture concluded with a call to action for educators, advocates, families, and community members to help connect policy decisions to their local impacts, engage in conversations about the future of public education, and build broad coalitions in support of strong public schools as a cornerstone of American democracy.
ELC thanks our long-time lecture sponsors NJEA, AFT New Jersey, Arnold & Porter, and White & Case, and the many organizations, law firms, businesses and individuals whose support makes our work possible. An electronic copy of the event journal is available here.
To make a tax-deductible contribution to ELC, please click here. It’s not too late for your contribution to be counted towards our Education Justice Lecture fundraiser.
Access a recording of the webinar here.
Press Contact:
Sharon Krengel
Director of Policy, Strategic Partnerships and Communications
skrengel@edlawcenter.org
973-624-1815, x240