The better angels of our nature

CEO’s note

by Vernon M. Billy

Placing purpose before partisanship in public schools

n March 4, 1861, President Abraham Lincoln gave his first inaugural address to the people of the United States. Several months earlier, Lincoln had prevailed in a four-way contest with a substantial electoral college victory, but also one in which he lost every southern state and captured less than 40 percent of the popular vote. Five weeks after Lincoln’s election, South Carolina would secede from the union, soon to be followed by six additional states.

It was against this backdrop, a fractured nation on the precipice of war, that Lincoln spoke his first words as President to the American public. The speech is a masterclass of rhetoric and leadership. I could select any number of excerpts that apply to our current moment, but this stands out among them, “We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.”

These words resonate with me as we approach the final days of 2023, when the better angels of our nature seem elusive at times. When historians study the immediate post-COVID era of public education, I expect the theme that emerges will not solely concern academic achievement or student support or school funding or good governance. When historians write about this period of public schools, I believe they will include reflections on the increased partisanship, and the leveraging of public schools for various political agendas.

It’s important to remember that, at their heart, public schools are united by a common purpose: the education and development of children.

That’s not the full story of what’s happening in our public schools, of course. The controversies that are grabbing headlines and pitting neighbor against neighbor, left against right, paint only a sliver of the picture. Less sensational, but equally real, is all the good work that takes place in our schools — the teaching and learning, the student services, the advocacy for youth and the constant struggle to do more with less. All of these acts occur in every school, every day, in every part of this state — something that’s easy to overlook amid the conflict that has roiled communities and captured the media’s attention. Yet, it’s important to remember that, at their heart, public schools are united by a common purpose: the education and development of children. We can’t become consumed by our differences when, ultimately, what unites us is greater than what divides us. Or, as Lincoln once said, “We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.”

Education advocates can accomplish more for public schools by working hand-in-hand. These are precarious times for public schools as we deal with stagnant test scores, a mental health crisis affecting many students and staff, declining enrollment, the prospect of reduced state revenues and the expiration of COVID relief funds. Given the challenges we face, we cannot afford to fight among ourselves. We must remember that we are not enemies and join in common cause to improve our collective circumstance.

We must remember that we are not enemies and join in common cause to improve our collective circumstance.

The idea that schools are stronger together drives our work at CSBA. We represent nearly 1,000 school districts and county offices of education spread over 164,000 square miles. Our members have different demographics, different circumstances and wide-ranging views on issues related to public schools. This diversity is reflected in our advocacy. We will never be “left” or “right.” What we will be is public school-centered and driven by good education policy, not partisan passions. Often, we are the lone voice in the statewide education community holding the line for schools and resisting organizational and legislative groupthink.

This approach doesn’t endear us to everyone in Sacramento. It’s a place where people want you to choose a side. But that doesn’t concern us, because for us, it’s not a game. Our allegiance is to public schools at large, not to a political party or the prevailing trend. We focus on providing the information, guidance, training and services schools need to support students and on securing the funding and legislation trustees need to succeed in a governance role. Your position as a school board member is a sacred trust and whatever the difficulties of any moment in time, they will not deter us from supporting you as stewards of your local schools. Our mission is too great to risk ruin, so while there will always be disagreements about our schools, we cannot tolerate division that undermines our mission. We must remember the higher calling we have to keep our obligation to public schools at the forefront and appeal to the better angels of our nature.

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