We speak with University of South Carolina law professor Derek Black about the history of education as a core government service and the current wave of voucher laws in red states. Professor Black argues that these will permanently reduce education funding levels and threaten the very existence of public schools. We also talk about the #RedforEd resistance and the need to substantially increase funding for schools with many low-income students.
Overview
00:00-00:48 Intros
00:48-01:38 Why “Schoolhouse Burning” is subtitled “Public Education and the Assault on American Democracy”
01:38-03:38 Importance of Reconstruction for government role in education
03:38-06:13 Commitments to education in state constitutions
06:13-08:25 Tension between schools as reproducing social structures and vehicles for social mobility
08:25-16:35 How to achieve equity in school funding
16:35-18:49 Recent voucher laws around the U.S.
18:49-20:47 Vouchers and parochial schools
20:47-22:54 Impact of proliferation of charter schools
22:54-25:02 Why now for vouchers?
25:02-27:08 Why today’s battles over charters and vouchers are undermining the concept of public education
27:08-29:07 Libertarianism and the idea of removing government from education
29:07-30:19 Privatization and race
30:19-33:29 Reducing taxes on the wealthy and long-term reduction in public funding for education
33:29-36:23 Significance of #RedforEd teachers’ strikes
36:23-37:42 Low income parents and charters/vouchers
37:42-39:57 Building a movement that can fight against charter and voucher movements
39:57-42:27 Beyond funding, need for diverse schools
42:27-45:31 Outro
Transcript
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Soundtrack by Poddington Bear