Editor’s note: An observant reader noted, “As a corollary to your Appalachian Chronicle post regarding elementary school education, today, November 10 is the anniversary of the debut of ‘Sesame Street.’  Let’s hear it for Skyler and Waldorf!!”

As the son, grandson, brother, father and uncle of educators, and being one myself, I’ve been exposed to much discussion about the aims of education. These discussions with fellow teachers in my family, friends and among my colleagues are not theoretical; they are based on literally hundreds of years of classroom experience. We’re unanimous, I believe, that the earliest years largely decide and define the direction of students.

This leaves us really with one key question about those first years. What are the aims of elementary education? I recently, perchance, came across a book that succinctly describes what I believe.

According to this text, “The American Educator Encyclopedia,” the “Aims of Modern Elementary Education” are thus:

The modern elementary school, while teaching the fundamentals of reading, writing and numbers, tries also to develop social understanding and creative interests in the children. It attempts to teach democratic living and citizenship, to help each child to know the ideals and promises of democracy, along with knowledge of the constitutional rights and responsibilities of the individual.

Educational leaders believe that children should be taught the co-operation, responsibility, initiative, tolerance and friendliness upon which democratic government depends. They believe that a good elementary school contributes to the growth and development of children as individuals and as members of the group. (p. 1181)

The book was published in 1955. However, I didn’t need to see the book; I heard these principles every day from our parents. I also was quite fortunate enough to visit Washington, D.C. as a high school student and meet political leaders that personified these traits.

It seems clear to me that somewhere along the way we that we have forgotten why we have public schools. It is to create the next generation of people leading the American Experiment into a very uncertain future that requires imaginative, courageous leadership based not only in knowledge, but also wisdom-based values.

We have them. We know them. Yet, we ignore them. It shows.

© Michael M. Barrick, 2025. Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash