Education

Oregon Area Progressives are STRONG proponents of public education.

We believe that public education is the foundation of our democracy. In the words of John Dewey, American philosopher, educator and leader in the progressive movement in education in the United States in the 19th & 20th Centuries, "The aim of education is to enable individuals to continue their education ... (and) the object and reward of learning is continued capacity for growth. Now this idea cannot be applied to all the members of a society except where intercourse of man with man is mutual, and except where there is adequate provision for the reconstruction of social habits and institutions by means of wide stimulation arising from equitably distributed interests. And this means a democratic society."

To that end, we believe that federal, state and local governments have a responsibility to their citizens to provide "equitably distributed" resources for public education. We encourage citizens to become knowledgeable regarding issues related to their public schools, including federal, state, and local budgets; legislative policies, such as the expansion of voucher school programs which siphon public funds for private schools; and local school board initiatives that impact access to public education by all students.

The Wisconsin Public Education Network (WPEN) is an informal, non-partisan alliance of parents, educators, board members, administrators, schools districts, and groups all over the state committed to the public schools that work together to share information, ideas, and actions that support public education.

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