Public schools, public goods, and public work

Abstract

When determining whether public schools constitute a public good, it’s important to understand what we mean by a public good. An economic definition, common among school choice advocates, focuses on the individual benefits of getting a good education. Within such a definition, selecting a school may be compared to selecting a box of cereal at the supermarket. Kathleen Knight Abowitz and Sarah M. Stitzlein argue for a more civic-minded vision that focuses on how public schools both promote and benefit from a vision of shared liberties, shared governance, and a shared future. This vision requires looking beyond individual choices to highlight the many practices within schools that bear considerable social and political benefits.