INCREASING SUPPORT FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION

Throughout its history, public education has witnessed and survived many threats to its quality, but the 1980s bring threats to its very existence. The consequences of tuition tax credits and vouchers are well chronicled--a profusion of private schools serving segregationist, cultist, ideological, parochial and proprietary interests would leave in the public schools only those students no one else would have. So far, tuition tax credit and voucher proposals have been defeated, but proponents continue to pursue their cause by battering the image of the public schools.

Despite polls which regularly show the majority of the public to hold teachers in high regard, to feel public schools are doing a good job, and to be opposed to tax credits, public school accomplishments regularly are overshadowed by disproportionate media attention to problems.

When asking how our public education system, recognized as the best in the world, continually comes under such abuse, educators must assume partial blame. First, we rightfully examine and reexamine ourselves, probably more than any other profession. In the process, however, we flag our problems to the exclusion of any mention of more numerous successes. Second, as school board member attacks administrator who in turn attacks teachers and vice versa, the public ultimately perceives that all must be incompetent. While recognizing that inevitably various education constituencies are going to find themselves at times in adversarial positions, we must also recognize the need to coalesce around our common goals of the perpetuation, promotion and improvement of public education.

RESOLVED, that federal support be given to the major education organizations to establish mechanisms for the compilation and dissemination of information on effective school programs and practices; and

RESOLVED, that AFT leaders at all levels strive to work cooperatively with representatives of other education organizations, school board members, administrators and state education department representatives in promoting the importance of education to societal needs, publicizing public school successes, lobbying for education funds, and improving standards and quality in the schools; and

RESOLVED, that AFT will continue its efforts to increase public knowledge of the relation education has to societal interests, such as the economy, defense, space and technological needs, crime prevention and protection of Social Security income.