Why do we accept these fallacies?

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about public schools lately. Both of our sons have started at new public schools this year, Alex at Crosswinds Middle School, and Nathaniel at Tri-District Elementary. These are schools with innovative curricular structures, and passionately involved, smart teachers. Good things are happening there. I’ve written before about the ways in which the No Child Left Behind Act is calculated to kill public schools, rather than help them, and today I read an excellent Op-Ed piece in the Atlanta paper (Vouchers Sure to Hurt Those Most in Need) that reminds me of the reality that actually, public schools are doing better than we believe. Why is the fear and pessimism about public schools so high? Perhaps because cynical political operatives are interested in nurturing a sense that government is not good for anything constructive…. I mean, after all, what would happen if people woke up and started believing that our democracy allows us to make real changes that would benefit all people? Imagine what we might accomplish!