What is the purpose of public education? Writing from his experience as a father, small business owner, and policymaker, Georgia’s Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle presents a comprehensive vision to transform the way that public schools educate our students. Beginning with an idea which unites all Americans—that public education establishes the foundational promise of opportunity for all individuals by empowering us with the ability to learn, develop, and obtain anything we are willing to work for—Cagle makes the case for reforming our schools and rethinking the premise behind how we set and measure goals for student achievement. This is truly the challenge of a generation.
Public schools are important—not just because of the millions of students who will spend thirteen years of their lives learning and preparing for the future in their classrooms—but also for the hundreds of thousands of teachers and educators who spend countless hours each week going above and beyond their duties to make sure all students are able to succeed. Most importantly, the central role of public education includes fostering the strength of our families, communities, and upholding the guiding principles of our nation.
Seeking to remove the obstacles that impede student achievement, while eliminating any justification for complacency in our schools, Cagle explains a thoughtful vision for the future of public education, turning the status quo on its head in favor of leading individual systems, schools, teachers, students, and communities to educational excellence—today and for future generations.