Economic Policy Institute 37d ago

Fully funded and strong public schools—with fairly compensated educators—lead to a society with high achieving students and fewer teacher shortages that disrupt learning. Yet policy initiatives such as school vouchers threaten to divert resources from public education when what is needed is greater investment, not less. On Thursday, May 14, 2026, EPI’s Chief Economist, Josh Bivens; Director of EPI’s Program on Race, Ethnicity, and the Economy, Valerie Wilson; and Economist Hilary Wething discussed public education and how critical public goods are being attacked at both the state and federal levels. From the Economic Policy Institute in Washington, DC. www.epi.org