For decades, media outlets and policymakers have promoted a false and misleading narrative—that America’s public schools are “failing.” This storyline has been strategically advanced by far-right conservatives and neoliberal reformers, using emotionally charged rhetoric to shape public opinion.
Since the pandemic, the attack has intensified through coordinated disinformation campaigns aimed at dismantling the image of public schools as safe, effective, and democratic spaces for learning. Trump's Education Secretary, Linda McMahon, echoed this message when she claimed, “Children should not be trapped in failing schools.” This is the goal of Project 2025-to dismantle our public education system.
But are schools really failing? And by what measures?
In this webinar you will learn:
DR. P.L. THOMAS
Dr. P.L. Thomas is a Professor of Education at Furman University and a former English teacher in rural South Carolina. He is the author of How to End the Reading War and Teaching Writing as Journey, Not Destination and co-editor of Critical Media Literacy and Fake News in Post-Truth America. In 2013, Dr. Thomas received the NCTE George Orwell Award for Distinguished Contributions to Honesty and Clarity in Public Language.
If you care about truth in education, equity, and the future of public schools, this webinar is for you.
Uncover how the “failing schools” myth was created, hear from an expert who’s been tracking the rhetoric for decades, and walk away with the insight and tools to push back against disinformation and defend our public education system.