Who are Public Schools For?

Imagine a first grade student who recently moved to this country.

Maybe they are Russian. Maybe their family is secular. Maybe faith is quiet in their home, or complicated, or simply not talked about much. They walk into school eager, curious, and wanting to belong.

October arrives. The classroom fills with Halloween costumes, decorations, and excitement. At home, this child may hear that Halloween is strange or unfamiliar. Some Russian families keep their children home that day. Not out of protest. Just uncertainty. Just difference.

December comes. Christmas songs play during morning work. Crafts come home in backpacks. Stories are read without explanation, because everyone seems to already know them.

This child learns a few things early.

School has a version of “normal.”

Belonging sometimes means understanding things that are never explained.

And some parts of their family’s story are easier to keep at home.

When stories like this are shared, the response is often the same: That’s just life in the United States. Learning the dominant culture is part of belonging.

And it’s true that living together requires adaptation. Public schools are not meant to erase the reality of a majority culture. But there is a difference between learning about the world and being quietly taught which stories matter most.

Public schools do not exist to center any one family’s traditions, including those held by the majority. They exist to serve everyone. That means widening the circle, not asking children to shrink themselves to fit inside it.

Inclusion is not about celebrating everything. It is about balance, context, and intention. Familiar traditions can still matter deeply without becoming the default language of school.

When we hold this distinction clearly, no child is asked to disappear. And no child is taught that belonging requires leaving themselves behind. That is not about taking something away. It is about remembering who public schools are for.