If anyone were to ask me who I think was the most influential President of our country, I would automatically name Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, and Franklin D. Roosevelt for leading our country through great challenges and Teddy Roosevelt for his conservation and foreign policy efforts. Then I'd add John F. Kennedy and Barack Obama for inspiring a new generation in our country.
Lastly, I would name Lyndon B. Johnson for his "Great Society" legislation.
LBJ, who ascended to the Presidency in 1963 after JFK's assassination, was elected in 1964, but chose not to run for re-election in 1968 after the escalation of American troops in Vietnam, a highly unpopular decision. But his "Great Society" domestic policy legislation that passed with bipartisan support during his Presidency has since positively impacted the lives of so many in this country. These programs sought to eliminate racial injustice and poverty through wide-sweepng legislation that protected civil rights, established Medicare, Medicaid, and food assistance, provided federal funding for schools and higher education, banned housing discrimination, and strengthened environmental protections.
When I graduated with a BEd in Early Childhood Education in 1973, there were no elementary teacher positions in our Department of Education. Fortunately, I was able to secure a job with Head Start, a program that was created in 1965 as part of President Johnson's War on Poverty. The next fifteen years with Head Start gave me experiences that impacted me for my whole career as a teacher and a principal. (Read my blog about my Head Start experience here.) If not for President Johnson, I might have pivoted to another profession.
President Johnson was so committed to helping those who were struggling; I wondered why and did some research. I discovered that Lyndon Johnson had an impoverished upbringing in rural Texas, living with his family on a farm with no electricity or running water. Growing up, he experienced the struggles of rural poverty, but he had parents who believed in him and allowed him to find his way in this world after he graduated from high school. (Lyndon B. Johnson biography) I also learned that he spent a year as a teacher in an impoverished area of Texas, working with mostly Mexican immigrant children. (Lyndon B. Johnson The Teacher) Working with these students gave LBJ the realization that ALL students deserve an opportunity to succeed. At the signing of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act on April 11, 1965, President Johnson stated, "Poverty must not be a bar to learning, and learning must offer an escape from poverty."
I am grateful that we had leaders back in President Johnson's time who understood the importance of education for all students and the role of the federal government in supporting states with funding. I know how much our school relied on federal funding to provide services for students who needed extra support as special education or disadvantaged students or English Language Learners. Teachers also benefited from funding that provided professional development opportunities to improve teaching and learning at our school.
The present administration in Washington, D.C. has pledged to dismantle the federal Department of Education. They have also pledged to eliminate Head Start, a program which is near and dear to my heart. Not every family can afford to pay for preschool, but every child deserves that opportunity. That is the purpose of Head Start and why this program was established as part of the Great Society. (Impact of eliminating Head Start)
For over 60 years, public schools in our country have benefited from federal funding to supplement state funds. In Hawaii, roughly 11% of our operations are federally-funded. (See graph) Our HIDOE will have tough decisions to make if they intend to provide the level of services which our communities expect from our schools with the loss of millions of dollars in federal funding. If we believe, as President L. Johnson did, that every child deserves an opportunity for a quality education that will prepare them for their future, we must advocate for the continued support from the federal government to level the playing field in every state. Our future depends on it.
“Our aim must be to give every child the best education he is capable of absorbing. For education is the foundation of freedom and the first step away from poverty.”
President Lyndon B. Johnson
