**Jabbar, H., & Espinoza, D. (2026, March). The cycle of disinvestment in public schools: How public school criticism drives policy and disinvestment. National Education Policy Center. https://nepc.colorado.edu/sites/default/files/publications/PB%20Jabbar-Espinoza.pdf
The authors of this brief argue that the most common critiques of public schools contribute to what they call a “cycle of disinvestment.” They characterize the cycle as starting with the erosion of public trust in schools that drives funding cuts that, in turn, lead to a weakened public school system that draws criticism. They also argue that many of the loudest attacks on public education are not grounded in evidence but are instead manufactured by groups seeking to portray schools as failing. The brief also highlights five themes found in common criticisms of public education, such as “students are underachieving” or “schools indoctrinate youth” and explains how each one distorts or selectively uses data to advance privatization rather than genuine improvement.
**Hlavacik, M., & Schneider, J. (2024). Talking back to the failing-schools narrative. Phi Delta Kappan, 106 (1), 15–18. https://kappanonline.org/talking-back-to-the-failing-schools-narrative/
A common trend in public polling is that adults believe public schools are doing poorly at the national level but believe their local neighborhood school is doing much better (we will examine this and other public polling data during Session I of our meeting). This article aims to explain why this is such a predominant belief. The authors argue the belief is shaped by certain rhetoric, media, and policies that fuel skepticism and undermine the real successes of schools. By examining decades of reporting and public opinion data, the authors argue that a crisis-focused storyline has distorted perceptions of public education and call for a more nuanced, accurate understanding of how schools are truly performing.
**This document is a priority reading.