Kevin Welner, in Essay 8 of Carl Hermanns and David C. Berliner's (2021) book, Public Education: Defending a Cornerstone of American Democracy, explains that Horace Mann was right to argue for the power and potential of schools. But he oversold the product, and politicians have expanded the Great Equalizer myth. School systems shouldn’t be asked to prevent poverty, let alone to equalize students’ opportunities in life. But, as this chapter explains, that's the approach the nation chose to take, and children are suffering from that choice.  

Find the essay here.