11
charter schools versus public schools; it is about
better schools,” he said, noting that there is no hard
data to suggest that charter schools perform any
better than public schools. “Public education is the
great equalizer and a noble cause that’s worth the
fight and we need to make sure that we don’t re-
segregate our schools.”
Of course, Farooqui is not advocating physical
violence or even bumper stickers saying “Our
superintendents can beat up
your reformers.” His strategy is
to mobilize the silent majority.
“Social media is a force of
history that has empowered
and amplified the vocal
minority. The absence of the
silent majority seriously distorts
the headlines and, more
insidious, is feeding a serious
deficit of trust that is slowly
creeping into public thinking,”
Farooqui said. “We need to
restore and build up trust
capital through the authentic
meaning of public relations,
relating to the public.”
Farooqui’s
background
gives him a truer global view
than many critics, and he scoffs
at some of the global comparisons they make.
“I talk with educational leaders in Singapore and
they tell me that they need to get rid of their way of
teaching and replace it with the American model.
People point to Finland and they want Finland results
without the resources Finland pours into education.
Finland values and honors the teaching profession,”
Farooqui said, adding that India, where he attended
public school “is amazing – provided you were lucky
enough to be born in a handful of zip codes.”
Under the heading of America’s marvels,
Farooqui indicated that most people remember the
space program, scientific breakthroughs and
engineering feats such as the Golden Gate Bridge
and Hoover Dam. Yet he places America’s public
education system as America’s most amazing marvel.
“As I learned more about public education in this
country, it became evident to me that public
education is America’s true competitive advantage
over the world,” he said. He identified poverty as “the
elephant in the room.”
Recalling his first visit to the Abraham Lincoln
Museum in Springfield a couple of years ago,
Farooqui said it was an
emotional experience to be
exposed to that painful
period of slavery and Civil
War in our country’s history
and how America emerged
stronger when its leaders
faced the hard facts and
met them head on and did
the right thing. Against that
backdrop, he is both
puzzled disappointed that
the present generation of
policymakers
demand
results without the courage
to face some very difficult
ground realities.
“I don’t understand how a
nation that aspires to
implement No Child Left
Behind is afraid to talk
about the role that poverty plays in our public
schools,” Farooqui said. “How can people talk about
funding formulas, Common Core and raising the bar,
but close their eyes to the poverty issue and debate
something as simple as early childhood education?
”I understand that most school administrators
wished they could focus solely on teaching and
learning and let someone else fix the trust deficit
that’s befallen our schools. Sadly, help is not on the
way. Yet, I am confident that when superintendents
and district leaders rise with one voice, they will be
surprised at what they can accomplish. If there was
one thing worth fighting for to preserve the long-term
security and strength of our nation, I would say that
one thing is public education.”
Thursday, October 9
1:45 - 2:45 p.m.
Third General Session
If We Don’t Stand Up for Public Schools, Who Will?
“Social media is a force of
history that has empowered and
amplified the vocal minority. The
absence of the silent majority
seriously distorts the headlines
and, more insidious, is feeding a
serious deficit of trust that is
slowly creeping into public
thinking. We need to restore and
build up trust capital through the
authentic meaning of public
relations, relating to the public.”
- K12 Insight Founder and CEO
Suhail Farooqui
