Horace''s Hope, Friedman''s Folly explains the forces behind the current efforts to privatize education. It also works to debunk the idea that public education should be based on a capitalistic model of action that places education of our youth into the hands of corporations. It does this by presenting the original 6 principles of public education as espoused by Horace Mann, which is the basis of most state legislation concerning the creation of public schools.
- Citizens may not obtain both ignorance and freedom.
- The public should pay for, control, and maintain education.
- Children of different financial ladders should get the same education.
- The education that is taught must be nonsectarian (nonreligious).
- The education taught must use tenets of a free society.
- This education should be taught by professionally trained teachers.
These principles are contrasted with the economic model of education promoted and theorized by economist Milton Friedman. A model that is re-segregating our children by race and creed rather than preparing them for life as a member of our democratic republic.
