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.
Red States Are Now Weakening Child Labor Laws While Defunding Public Schools
It’s no coincidence that advocates for loosening child labor restrictions also push for expanding charter schools and voucher programs. Read more
May 19, 2023
How School Staff Won a Major Strike in Los Angeles
The service workers’ big win adds momentum to what teachers are demanding in their current contract negotiations. Read more
Apr 19, 2023
Teaching Civics in an Age of Book Bans
Despite the challenges, we can restore funding for public schools and uphold the Pledge of Allegiance we make each day in my classroom. Read more
Apr 17, 2023
What’s Behind the State Takeover of Houston’s Schools
Republican officials just moved forward with a plan to strip democratic control from one of the largest school systems in the nation. Read more
Apr 10, 2023
The Empty and Expensive Promise of School Voucher Programs
A new study on the cost of voucher programs highlights a pattern of wasting taxpayer dollars with little to show for it. Read more
Apr 3, 2023
A New Pennsylvania Court Ruling May Help Bridge the School Funding Gap
Petitioners in a lawsuit over the state’s unequal school funding scheme won their case. That precedent could spread across the country. Read more
Mar 7, 2023
Want to Fix the Teacher Shortage? Just Pay Them More, Already
Bernie Sanders’s ‘Pay Teachers Act’ would increase teacher base pay to $60,000 a year, a much-needed boost to strengthen the profession. Read more
Feb 27, 2023
Legalize Black History
Florida’s past is replete with lessons for building an anti-racist future. We can’t allow them to be purged from our classrooms. Read more
Feb 21, 2023
Voucher Schemes Are Failing Students with Disabilities
New Hampshire’s commissioner of education is being sued for diverting millions for a voucher program at a time when the public schools desperately need support staff. Read more
Feb 7, 2023