When did public education become public enemy No. 1?
Published: Thursday, July 07, 2011, 5:38 AM
By Michael H. Zang
The notion that all citizens are entitled to an education is deeply rooted in the history of this country. Horace Mann espoused this concept while serving as the secretary of education for the commonwealth of Massachusetts beginning in 1837.
Pa. Gov. Tom Corbett speaks at the Pennsylvania Grassroots School Choice Coalition rally for school vouchers in April in Harrisburg. Photo by John Whitehead, The Patriot-News.He professed that an education for all would produce an enlightened society and citizens who could participate in our form of democracy and contribute to the economic livelihood of the nation.
Now, Gov. Tom Corbett and other public officials pontificate the evils of public education. Their rhetoric describes a flawed system. One that is too expensive. They propose drastic reductions in the cost of educating the youth of this nation.
The recently passed state budget includes significant reductions to