At the center of the social construction and interpretation of education sits the fourth estate. Through ideological media "voices," in part, education's meaning and the social reality in which schools reside are constructed for and with the community. This study looks at one vehicle of popular and influential communication overlooked by educational researchers: editorial cartoons. The cartoon's influential qualities grow out of its ability to define complex issues through graspable, portable realities. The study used a sample of 153 editorial cartoons spanning 13 years to define the most pressing educational issues during the given time period and the rhetorical visions of education perpetuated through the artists' constructs. As the study revealed, readers see a decidedly negative vision of education through editorial cartoons. In the social construction and interpretation of and debate over education's purpose and future, such a vision holds significant implications for educators and public relations professionals. (Contains 1 table and 5 figures.)