Public Education Is an Essential Public Service, Like Electricity

In a new essay for The Catalyst journal published by the Bush Institute, Pete Geren, President and CEO of the Sid Richardson Foundation, argues that public education should be viewed as an essential service and that “like electricity, no city can thrive without it.”  Geren contends that an entire city’s leaders and citizens are responsible for the success of their students. The stakes, he says, are high for all residents. 

“If we fall short in providing high-quality public education throughout our city, it degrades other essential public services,” he notes. “It degrades public health, and public safety, it increases poverty, and leads to the decline of neighborhoods, property values, and employment opportunities.”