Public Schools Advocate is a project of The Progressive magazine that aims to pull back the curtain on those individuals, foundations, and groups working both to privatize our public schools and to limit the role of schools in creating a critically democratic citizenry.
Launched in 2013, and originally called Public School Shakedown, the project covers the fundamental struggle for democracy going on around the country, as teachers, parents, and others rally to protect our public schools.
We changed the name to Public Schools Advocate in 2021, embracing a broader goal to empower teachers, parents, and other community members to organize and advocate for strong public schools that serve all students well.To that end, we work with a diverse group of fellows—teachers, advocates, activists, thinkers, and others in the progressive education movement. We regularly publish their writings, support them in attending conferences and other events, and assist them in getting the word out about one of the most important issues facing our democracy today.
Teaching Media Literacy Is the Only Real Answer to Fake News
We can’t stop disinformation, but we can teach students to think more critically. Read more
May 14, 2022
Biden Takes Aim at Wasteful Spending on Charter Schools
For years, charter schools have gotten away with wasting billions in federal funding, but a wave of new proposals would end the grift. Read more
Apr 11, 2022
Tennessee Is About to Take School Privatization to an Extreme
The state’s assault on public education includes a charter school real estate grab, a partnership with a fundamentalist Christian private college, and a potential statewide voucher program. Read more
Mar 10, 2022
Community Schools Could Fix a Major Problem in Education
By emphasizing communication and trust-building, they offer a solution for repairing the frayed relationship between parents and schools. Read more
Mar 2, 2022
The Authoritarian Impulse Behind the Book Banning Wave
Conservatives’ attempts to remove books from school libraries is reminiscent of the white parents who opposed desegregation. Read more
Feb 24, 2022
Educators Shouldn’t be Ridiculed for Worrying about COVID
In states like Oklahoma with low vaccination rates, pressuring educators to reopen schools only serves to empower rightwing agitators. Read more
Feb 16, 2022
The Critical Flaw Behind Teacher Evaluations
New research shows that endlessly evaluating teachers has made no impact on student outcomes. Read more
Feb 3, 2022
Why Students Need to Learn about Reconstruction
It’s difficult to understand today’s racial injustices without knowing about the radical decade that followed the Civil War. Read more
Jan 29, 2022
Inside Chicago Teachers’ Bid for Safer Schools
Despite Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s opposition, the Chicago Teachers’ Union was able to secure better protections against COVID through democratic organizing. Read more
Jan 14, 2022