Why School?

The newest PDK poll on education shows that Americans don’t agree on the most basic question about the very purpose of a public school education.  Is it to prepare students for work?  To prepare them for citizenship?  Or to prepare them academically?  Less than half (45%) of adult Americans say preparing students academically is the main goal of a public school education and just one-third strongly feel that way. Other Americans split between saying the main purpose of public schools is to prepare students for work (25%) and for citizenship (26%).