If you forced two hungry people into an arena, especially who already disliked each other, and told them only he who emerged triumphant got fed, would you be surprised if they fought? The surprise, of course, would be if they did not.
That is, essentially, what public schooling does: Forces diverse people into political arenas called “school districts,” and increasingly “states,” to determine whose children will get the intellectual food they need. Yet education analysts and commentators have long ignored the distinct possibility that public schooling spurs constant conflict, and the corollary, that choice would foster peace in education.
The deafening debate over critical race theory (CRT), and to a lesser extent the treatment of transgender students, seems to be changing that. While I have written for years about how public schooling divides and choice can bring more peace, it has rarely generated much discussion. But now others are increasingly tackling those themes.
Of course, more writing does not mean more accepting the need for choice.
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