Confronting the Viability of “Music for All” in the Face of School Privatization Threats

Music education has been present in public schools in one formal capacity or another for nearly 200 years, and the vitality of traditional public schools is crucial for ensuring “music for all.” In this article, we describe (a) the socio-ideological and economic incentives that motivate the school privatization movement and (b) how school privatization efforts have gained momentum since the civil rights era and the emergence of the contemporary notion of “school choice.” We then explain the typical strategies some legislators and critics tend to use to undermine and disparage public schools. Last, we suggest a variety of steps public school music teachers can take to become informed of their local political realities and work to minimize the potential damage to their local public school institutions because of privatization. Ultimately, we challenge music teachers to help others remember that public education is, indeed, a “public good” rather than a private commodity and that schooling is first and foremost about providing for children rather than earning profits.