ABSTRACT
Public education in the United States is undergoing immense change. Digital technologies of the past ten years have created a growing sea change in the what, why, and how of education, and while some of this change has indeed liberated access to content, experts, and learning experiences, in other domains these changes threaten to bring a new and higher degree of disparity in access and quality to public school students. In this chapter, and through a combination of literature review, current event and policy analysis, and practical examples, we will review the history of public education in the United States, then look at what is happening now with the increasing impact of digital technologies, and finally examine potential futures in terms of what will lie ahead for this particular public good.
