The Left Needs an Inspiring Educational Vision to Counter Conservative Classical Education
Source: Nora De La Cour. "The Right Has a Lofty Vision for Schools. Where’s Ours?." April 2, 2026. jacobin.com
The Gist
The author argues that conservatives are winning the education debate by offering an inspiring vision of schools that develop character and wonder, while liberals only talk about test scores and jobs. To save public education, the left needs to create its own compelling vision of what schools should accomplish for human development.
Conclusion
Public education defenders need to develop and articulate their own expansive, inspiring vision for K-12 education that goes beyond test scores and job training
Premises
- Conservative classical education offers an appealing vision of schools that form souls, nurture wonder, and pursue truth and virtue
- Liberal education discourse is relentlessly negative, focused only on test scores, employability, and accountability measures
- The Right has moved beyond job training rhetoric to pursue the demolition of universal public education through voucher programs
- Conservative classical schools are proliferating rapidly (264 new schools between 2019-2023) with compelling marketing about human flourishing
- Current education reform constraints prevent teachers from sharing their passion and engaging students with meaningful content
- The concept of classical education and great books study can serve progressive values, not just conservative ones
- Without a competing vision, the Right will claim the territory of inspiring education philosophy permanently
Assumptions
- Parents and students are attracted to educational visions that promise meaning and human development beyond economic utility
- The current liberal approach to education reform is insufficient to counter conservative alternatives
- Classical education and great books study have inherent value that transcends political ideology
- Public education can be defended more effectively with a positive vision rather than defensive arguments
- Teachers' passion for their subjects is crucial for student engagement and learning