A common rallying cry for progressive supporters of public education is the need to “save public schools” or to “keep public schools, public.” Yet, this begs the question what does it mean to save public education when public education has always been a tool of white supremacy?

Perhaps instead of saying "save public schools" we should say "let's create schools that effectively serve the entire public." Perhaps instead of saying "keep public schools public" we should say "let's transform schools so that they serve the entire public."

This reframe may help us to better identify the root of the problem, which is not uninvolved families, bad teachers or school choice but rather the systematic disinvestment in racialized communities and the schools that are located in these communities.

Until we as a society are willing to invest in low income racialized communities, very little that is done in the name of the "public" is going to benefit them. Instead, members of these communities will continue to have to fight for the scraps left by a white supremacist system.