An Economic Argument for Public Education in the Public Interest

By:  Brian Crowell and Marla Kilfoyle, The Badass Teachers Association

 

Public Education exists for the good of public interest.  Teachers are the first line of defense in protection of the public interest and advocacy for the middle class and poor.  The economic systems that protect the public interest and secure democracy are currently under attack by the corporate takeover of public education.  This argument discusses the essence of the economic need to protect our public schools which protect the public.

The United States was the first country in the world to express "Monetary Sovereignty" in its constitution. In our constitution congress was given the power to initiate "credit" and "money" to conduct the countries business. Alexander Hamilton established this theme in his First Report On Public Credit. He followed up with his Second Report on Public Credit and later his report on manufacturers. Democracy, according to Hamilton, was the power of elected citizens to create credit and not private central bankers. This is the policy that echoes in the Presidencies of Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, John Quincy Adams, Abraham Lincoln (Greenback), Eisenhower (NASA and The National Highway Act) and of course FDR and JFK. Most of the major public projects in the United States could be funded by debt free credit, for example JFK's E.O. 11110 could be used to finance major projects.

 

 

Since Nixon destroyed the United States Notes policy,  America has been on a net decline in infrastructure spending per capita, middle class salary per capita, and we have seen our debt balloon mostly because we are no longer able to pay our sovereign debts with debt free currency. The "solution" in having a monetary democracy is rooted in our founding fathers and our constitution. Unfortunately the European Monetary Oligarchy has upset the balance of sovereign vs. non sovereign hence the trouble we are in now. Interestingly enough the last President to call for a "New Bretton Woods" cooperative economic system was Bill Clinton in his speech to the Council on Foreign Relations.

Public Credit is a necessity for a functioning society. For example Roads, Bridges, Public Transportation, SCHOOLS, and hospitals enable societies to function. These economic building blocks create the conditions for a successful and prosperous society. With most of these being privatized, we are destroying society as a whole. The issue is that America was created with its own economic system called The American System of Economics. This system is a hybrid of Socialism and Market Capitalism. The fundamental issue is that our Economic System was taken away from us in 1963.

John F. Kennedy was the biggest advocate for Public Credit in modern history. NAWAPA was a huge water project with Canada, approved by Kennedy, but abandoned after his death. NASA and the moon mission created Laser Technology. Privatization destroys society because by definition there is no longer a question of "The Public Interest". Therefore, the concept of all players being at the table goes away. Is this why Bill Gates so easily bought off the AFT and NEA via Common Core?

Teachers historically are the building blocks of society and "The Public Interest." An attack on teachers is by definition an attack on the Public Interest. Gates and the media give a false symbolic narrative. All of the benefits of productivity including "teaching" go to the top 1%. What we Badass teachers want is the "benefits of labor, hard work and productivity to go to the poor and middle class in the PUBLIC INTEREST. Gates is saying the benefits of productivity "meaning public education" should go to the 1%, which means he has to "buy" public education. The elite are good at using language to manipulate the narrative.  This isn't about welfare or victimization it is about what, not who, defines the public interest. Bill Gates DOES NOT define the Public Interest. Public School Teachers do, which is why Common Core must go.

School district policies need to protect the public interest and need to be directed toward creating a school environment in kindergarten, and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, that are free from discriminatory attitudes and practices.  The top down forced Common Core standards and Corporate Education reform deny the public of public education vested in the public interest, they are indeed discriminatory because they deny labor, hard work, and productivity to go to the poor and middle class.  Common Core are not standards that impress moral and civic education to include human relations education, with the aim of fostering an appreciation of the diversity of this nation.  The Common Core Standards do not promote understanding, awareness, and appreciation of the contributions of people with diverse backgrounds and of harmonious relations in a diverse society. Common Core does not allow each teacher to endeavor to impress upon the minds of their students the principles of morality, truth, justice, patriotism, and a true comprehension of the rights, duties, and dignity of American citizenship, and the meaning of equality and human dignity, including the promotion of harmonious relations, kindness toward others, the humane treatment of living creatures, and to instruct them in manners and morals and the principles of a free government. Common Core does not allow each teacher to encourage, create and foster an environment where students can realize their full potential.

 

  Our children are not for sale, they are not products. It is the job of every teacher and parent  in this nation to rise up to protect the Public Interest.  This is what we have been charged to do since the signing of our Constitution.  Common Core, which has been sold to the American Education system, is not in the best interest of the public, it is not about children and equity, it will not magically lift children out of poverty,  it is about the destruction of our public education system for profit.  Public education protects the public interest, which in turn creates a strong democratic society.