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Abstract:
More than 150 years ago, Horace Mann, the 19th century champion of publicly funded universal education, argued that education is “is the great equalizer of the conditions of men, the balance wheel of the social machinery.” While his words were shaped by the context of the time, Mann’s recognition that an educated and engaged populous is essential for our individual and collective well-being remains true today. The central idea behind Mann’s balance wheel metaphor is that equal opportunity to acquire a quality education is a prerequisite for equal opportunity to participate in our political, civic, and economic institutions—and that the welfare of a democratic society depends on broad participation in those institutions. While much progress has been made in establishing and supporting a universal educational system in the U.S., substantial disparities in educational resources, opportunities, and outcomes persist. These educational disparities – too often correlated with race, ethnicity, and economic background – continue to undermine the potential of education to serve as “the great equalizer.” In fact, our system of public education has often functioned as a fundamental source of structural inequality in the U.S., with impacts felt by individuals, communities, and our society as a whole. This lecture focuses on why our educational systems perpetuate inequality, how disparities in educational opportunities negatively impact individuals and the collective good, and what policies and resources are required to ensure equal opportunity for all. The estimated returns on investing in education—and the estimated costs of not doing so—provide strong evidence supporting public investment in universal education. Perhaps even more compelling are the implications for democracy—and the moral and ethical imperatives of a just society.
Speaker:
PROVOST JENNIFER KING RICE
Jennifer King Rice began her appointment as senior vice president and provost in July 2021.
She was previously dean of the College of Education, where she focused her efforts to align educational resources with initiatives to advance excellence, equity and social justice in preschool through graduate school. Rice has served on the faculty and in college leadership roles at UMD for more than 25 years, and has been recognized as a UMD Distinguished Scholar-Teacher.
Before coming to Maryland, she was a researcher at Mathematica Policy Research in Washington, D.C. Rice’s research draws on the discipline of economics to study policy questions concerning excellence and equity in K-12 education systems. An expert on school finance and teacher policy, she regularly advises state and federal agencies.
A prolific scholar, she has served on the editorial boards of American Educational Research Journal, Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis and Education Finance and Policy. In addition to positions as a National Academy of Education/Spencer Foundation postdoctoral fellow and a visiting fellow at the Urban Institute, she is a past president of the Association for Education Finance and Policy.
She completed her B.S. in mathematics and English at Marquette University and earned her M.S. and Ph.D. in educational administration and social foundations from Cornell University.
