Public Education Under Attack: How EPI Research and Tools Support Investment in Public Schools

EPI’s Chief Economist, Josh Bivens; Director of EPI’s Program on Race, Ethnicity, and the Economy, Valerie Wilson; and Economist Hilary Wething discuss public education and how critical public goods are being attacked at both the state and federal levels.

Our research demonstrates that fully funded and strong public schools—with fairly compensated educators—lead to a society with high achieving students and fewer teacher shortages that disrupt learning. Yet policy initiatives such as school vouchers threaten to divert resources from public education when what is needed is greater investment, not less.

Funders in the education landscape can help advance this work by supporting EPI’s efforts to provide the data, tools, and resources most needed to strengthen education advocacy and ensure it delivers the greatest impact for working families. With a special introduction from Peter Rivera, Program Officer for Education at the William + Flora Hewlett Foundation.