Historically, there has always been a link between education and the reduction of poverty. Free public schools in America were created to alleviate poverty by giving every child the opportunity to receive an education. So the question is, does education lower poverty or does poverty lower education?

In Colonial days, education was considered essential for the public well-being and it was not subject to individual or family prerogatives. Although only wealthy children had the privilege of going to school, all parents, including the poor, were required to educate their children to be God-fearing and “serviceable in their generation.”

If parents neglected their duty, the community had the right to intervene. For example, Massachusetts passed a Poor Law in 1735 that states: “That where persons bring up their children in such gross ignorance that they do not know, or are not able to distinguish the alphabet of twenty-four letters, at the age of six years, in such case the overseers of the poor are hereby empowered and directed to put or bind out in good families such children, for a decent and Christian education…unless the children are judged incapable, through some inevitable infirmity.”

You read that correctly. If families were so irresponsible as to fail to educate their children, the community would take those kids away and do the job for them!

By 1840 the heavy influx of immigrants and expanding territories changed the social hierarchy as communities became fragmented. The shift brought social instability along with great fear that the country would fall apart because of vice and crime. There was concern that children who were not educated properly would be tempted by drunks, gamblers, criminals, and prostitutes. Families who did not educate their children became a national threat. The citizens mobilized to create free “common schools” for all children. They also built orphanages and other childcare institutions to house and educate little scoundrels who were orphaned, abandoned, or whose families were deemed unfit or too poor to educate them properly.

No matter what their income, families are the most important educators for their children. And children who do not receive adequate education at home are at risk.

On a micro-level, education reform must start with the family. If a child enters first grade unable to say the alphabet or count to 10, who is responsible?

Ensuring quality education should require standards and accountability for parents, too. If the family is unable to provide proper support there should be some type of aid or intervention to ensure that the child is not left behind.

On a broader scale, our public schools should be improved, not destroyed. Many of our schools are failing for reasons that have little to do with education and a lot to do with larger socioeconomic issues such as high concentrations of poverty, unemployment, gangs, drugs, violence, and, in many families, the belief that education will not make a difference. We need to fight these conditions and change those beliefs.

Ensuring quality education requires a collective effort that includes schools, parents, students, churches, charities, community leaders, employers, and the government. But the government can’t do it alone with top-down mandates. We’re all part of this. The goal must not be to vilify America’s teachers, but rather to help communities, parents, and children reach their potential and appreciate the vital importance of a good education.

Joan SerVaas
The Saturday Evening Post

However, the global financial market has created an economic culture focused more on quarterly reports than long-term growth. Many manufacturers have left the United States, shifting operations overseas to low-wage countries. The global economy mushroomed. The stock market flourished. Hedge funds and institutional investors made billions, while CEOs enjoyed generous salaries, stock options, and bonuses.

But what about the communities, closed factories, and thousands of unemployed left behind? And how do companies that continue to operate in America compete with low-priced imports?

In this issue, we write about Munro Shoes, a family-owned company in Arkansas that has struggled to survive the tsunami—or in this case shoenami—of inexpensive Asian imports. When Don Munro bought the company in 1972, the United States was the largest producer of shoes in the Western world. In fact, almost every shoe purchased in America was made in America. Today, more than 98 percent of shoes purchased in the United States are imported from Asia, mostly from China, according to the American Apparel and Footwear Association.

Adapting to changing market forces is how American businesses survive. In the past, some merchants and consumers have taken a more direct approach.

In the 18th century, the East India Company of Great Britain wanted to be the sole provider of tea to America. The colonists, however, resented the company’s high prices and the Crown’s taxes, so they smuggled in tea that local merchants sold for much less. Not to be outwitted, the British government waived the tax, so the East India Company could slash prices and drive local competitors out of business. The American response was as direct as it was dramatic. Led by Samuel Adams, colonists stole onto ships at night and dumped 45 tons of tea into Boston Harbor.

The archives at The Saturday Evening Post offer many illustrations of Americans taking unprecedented action when necessary. Our history is filled with accounts of the resourcefulness of American companies, like Munro Shoes, and the readiness of consumers, like Samuel Adams, to take direct action.

In this issue, we also offer some practical ideas for weathering the present financial crisis. In “Setting the Stage,” interior designer Lisa LaPorta provides cost-conscious tips for making your home more attractive to prospective buyers. Writer and financial planner Cathy Shouse shares common-sense strategies for surviving tough economic times in “All I Need to Know About Investing I Learned on the Farm.”

We’d like to hear how Americans in your area are responding to the current crisis. Send your letters to letters@saturdayeveningpost.com or post your comments below.

Joan SerVaas
Publisher, The Saturday Evening Post magazine

Joan SerVaas
Publisher, The Saturday Evening Post magazine