Public education serve as important equalizer | Guest op

By Cindy Prescott
For the Kent Reporter

The rules of etiquette require us to have many small conversations throughout each day. While standing in line at the bank or the market, or even pumping gas. But sometimes, a conversation ensues that surprises us.

The other day I was having my nails done. I talked to my manicurist about the general types of things people discuss during manicures, such as whether you have children, the weather, your job.

I was very interested, then, to hear a wonderful story about education from this young manicurist. She told me about growing up in Vietnam and living with her grandparents. She had never attended school. When she was 18, she went to Canada to finally meet the rest of her family and to live there with them. She told me that she was able to go to ELL (English language learner) school there for four years and learn to read and write.

I got to thinking about how important that short education was in the life of my manicurist. It’s said that education is the great equalizer, and this is an example. Now, with the ability to read and write, she has many opportunities open to her that were unavailable to her in her past life. She has begun to study for the test to be a citizen of the United States. She can become an informed voter who makes a difference in the direction of her country.

In this turbulent time in public education it is even more important to remember that education is the great equalizer. In our country, no matter who you are, or who your parents are, you are entitled to a free public education. It is my opinion that public education remains one of the most important rights we all have access to.

So why shouldn’t we just give up on the public option and allow privatization to enter into the arena? Aren’t public schools failing? Don’t teachers use poverty as an excuse to allow public schools to fail?

Actually, poverty is not an excuse a teacher would use, but it is an explanation for what is happening in our public schools. Many of you may have heard about Finland having the best international academic scores this year. When you compare the poverty rate in the United States to that of Finland, you find approximately 20 percent for the U.S. and about 3 percent for Finland.

If you further disaggregate the scores for poverty and look at test scores for the United States for 10-percent poverty and under, the United States comes out on top of all other countries tested by the PISA international test.

And so for that little fourth-grade boy in my class a few years back who was living in his car with his family, poverty will be a reality, but public education will still be his right. If schools are privatized, those families who live in cars may not have the energy, time or education themselves to advocate for their child. Those children remain in public schools, which then become even more segregated for socioeconomics.

There is still much work to do. I don’t stand here as a public school teacher and tell you all is well in our halls. But I do stand here with the opinion that a free public education is due to every little fourth-grader who enters my door. A free public education is due to every child in our country, not just those who are able to pay or those who have the energy and ability to advocate for their children.

Cindy Prescott is a fourth-grade teacher at Crestwood Elementary School and vice present of the Kent Education Association. A Kent resident for 20 years, she has been teaching in the Kent School District for 15 years. Her four children have attended Kent schools and her grandson is now just starting kindergarten in the district.