Our nation must decide what public education is supposed to accomplish.
Public education in America exists for one fundamental purpose.
To prepare each new generation for the responsibilities and opportunities of adult life.
An educated person communicates clearly, reads with understanding, writes with precision, speaks effectively, and listens thoughtfully. Communication is the foundation for learning.
Education should develop curiosity, careful observation, logical reasoning, sound judgment, and the ability to distinguish evidence from opinion. Facts are important, but the ability to evaluate facts is even more important. Life continually presents new problems. Education should prepare individuals to solve problems they have never encountered before.
Science is not simply a collection of facts about the natural world. It is the most reliable method for understanding the natural world through observation, measurement, experimentation, and verification. Every American should understand enough science and mathematics to evaluate evidence intelligently, whether the subject is medicine, engineering, economics, agriculture, public health, or the environment.
An educated person understands the world in which they live.
History explains how the present emerged from the past. Geography explains the physical world upon which civilization depends. Economics explains how societies create prosperity and allocate resources. Constitutional government provides the freedoms we enjoy and imposes the responsibilities required to preserve them.
The responsibilities of self-government include electing public officials, serving on juries, obeying the law, challenging unjust laws, participating in public debate, and helping shape the future of our communities and nation. Public education is essential to preserving a free Republic.
An educated person understands the civilization of which they are a part. Literature, music, art, philosophy, and the humanities introduce each generation to the accumulated wisdom, imagination, and creativity of those who came before them. Education is about more than earning a living.
An educated person knows that knowledge without honesty can become deception. Intelligence without integrity can become manipulation. Ability without self-discipline often goes to waste.
An educated person never stops learning. Public education should inspire a lifelong curiosity that continues to ask questions, seek better evidence, and welcomes every opportunity to learn.
These educational goals describe a single objective: to prepare each new generation with the knowledge, judgment, and character required to preserve a free society. That is the enduring purpose of public education in America.
Goals for public school education in America
June 27, 2026 | Schools
Our nation must decide what public education is supposed to accomplish.
Public education in America exists for one fundamental purpose.
To prepare each new generation for the responsibilities and opportunities of adult life.
An educated person communicates clearly, reads with understanding, writes with precision, speaks effectively, and listens thoughtfully. Communication is the foundation for learning.
Education should develop curiosity, careful observation, logical reasoning, sound judgment, and the ability to distinguish evidence from opinion. Facts are important, but the ability to evaluate facts is even more important. Life continually presents new problems. Education should prepare individuals to solve problems they have never encountered before.
Science is not simply a collection of facts about the natural world. It is the most reliable method for understanding the natural world through observation, measurement, experimentation, and verification. Every American should understand enough science and mathematics to evaluate evidence intelligently, whether the subject is medicine, engineering, economics, agriculture, public health, or the environment.
An educated person understands the world in which they live.
History explains how the present emerged from the past. Geography explains the physical world upon which civilization depends. Economics explains how societies create prosperity and allocate resources. Constitutional government provides the freedoms we enjoy and imposes the responsibilities required to preserve them.
The responsibilities of self-government include electing public officials, serving on juries, obeying the law, challenging unjust laws, participating in public debate, and helping shape the future of our communities and nation. Public education is essential to preserving a free Republic.
An educated person understands the civilization of which they are a part. Literature, music, art, philosophy, and the humanities introduce each generation to the accumulated wisdom, imagination, and creativity of those who came before them. Education is about more than earning a living.
An educated person knows that knowledge without honesty can become deception. Intelligence without integrity can become manipulation. Ability without self-discipline often goes to waste.
An educated person never stops learning. Public education should inspire a lifelong curiosity that continues to ask questions, seek better evidence, and welcomes every opportunity to learn.
These educational goals describe a single objective: to prepare each new generation with the knowledge, judgment, and character required to preserve a free society. That is the enduring purpose of public education in America.