The League of Women of Women Voters of Lewisburg Area Forum series will continue on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, with a talk by Abe Feuerstein, Professor of Education, Bucknell University, “The Imperiled Nature of Public Education”.

Professor Feuerstein will discuss the historical rationale for public education in the US and the growing popularity of public school alternatives such as charter schools, vouchers, and homeschooling, that fundamentally redefine public education as a private good. Feuerstein writes, "While much is problematic about our public education system, we must remember that our democracy cannot be taken for granted and that our public schools remain our best vehicle for preparing the next generation to engage productively in pursuit of the common good." In a recent address marking the third anniversary of the January 6th attack at the US Capitol, President Biden expressed his concern about the state of American democracy. "Today," he noted, "we’re here to answer the most important question. Is democracy still America’s sacred cause?” For those in the field of education, such a question can only be answered by looking at the current politics surrounding public education, once considered the bedrock of American democracy. 

Abe Feuerstein joined the Bucknell faculty in 1996 and is currently the education department chair. He teaches courses on educational policy and social foundations of education and supervises student teachers. His scholarship focuses on charter schools, media framing of school reform, and the influence of neoliberalism on school policy. He previously served as Associate Dean in the College of Arts & Sciences and Writing Program Director. Before teaching at Bucknell, he worked as a chemistry teacher and administrator in private and public schools. 

Photo and full bio here: https://www.bucknell.edu/fac-staff/abe-feuerstein 

The meeting is open to members and the general public.  All are welcome.   

An optional $15.50 buffet lunch will be served beginning at 11:30 am. Reservations are requested although not required so we can provide the restaurant with a more accurate count of the food needed for the in-person lunch. Kindly send an email about your intentions to attend and eat the buffet to LWVLAForum [at] gmail.com before March 18, 2024. The program will begin at noon.  

The meeting will be recorded and promptly posted after the event on the League website: What You Missed | MyLO (lwv.org)

For more information, email LWVLAForum [at] gmail.com.