In this important collection, eminent education scholars and practitioners remind us that our nation's system of free universal public education is under attack, putting our very democracy in jeopardy. Over and above preparing students for employability, American schools must prepare our youth to be informed citizens and active, constructive participants in the democratic process. These essayists, criticizing as well as lauding our educational system, believe that such a goal is best accomplished through a high-quality, public, and free system of schooling designed to serve all our children without regard to race, religion, gender, LGBTQ+ identity, (dis)ability, social class, citizenship status, or language. In the 100th anniversary year of the Horace Mann League, these thought leaders in education take stock of enduring principles, current dilemmas, and important forward directions. With profiteers growing in numbers and seeking to take advantage of systemic breakdowns, this book will serve as a rousing defense of our public schools for our nation's educators, parents, school board members, and politicians. This book: (1) Reminds all Americans of the essential roles that schools serve in contemporary society, beyond simply instilling a prescribed curriculum; (2) Presents a counterpoint to those who promote private or charter schooling at the expense of genuine public schools; and (3) Paints a complex and multi-faceted portrait of our public education system and provides a set of diverse and provocative remedies for many pressing contemporary problems of public schooling.