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Purpose of the Series

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by Vishaal Kuruvanka
February 10, 2022

This project began in the middle of 2020, right after the pandemic had started. I had some extra time on my hands so I wrote about my good and bad experiences as a teacher just to structure my thoughts. At the time my reading was not as deep as I would've liked and hence my writing was not great either. I shelved this project and did not really think too much about it until recently, when I began to read extensively in US history through the biographies of great American leaders. This reading pushed me to think on how we could apply those leaders' thoughts and philosophy in today's modern day society, specifically within the greater public education system.


I view the public education system as the base layer to society that ultimately supplies the people of our great country with a framework to see the world through. The case for reforming public education is also an important economic argument because as we increase the quality and equity of public education, we will all benefit from the new rational actors that arrive on the economic scene to build and increase competition in capitalist markets.  As history has repeatedly shown us, economic and social frameworks change and as the framework has shifted considerably in our lifetimes, we must now consolidate the gains we have made in public education and further strengthen it to set ourselves apart from the economic competition that has begun and lies ahead of us. This foreign competition has already gutted parts of the US, partly because of easier access to cheap foreign labor but I strongly believe that to revive these parts, we must look to new paths and build the frontier. Although any investment in public education may take years to show, it is still a prudent decision to deeply invest in our people because our people have always been our best asset. Our people are the ones that built most of the modern industrial and technological worlds and showed that democracy can work. These accomplishments ultimately changed the course of mankind and it is key that we continue to invest in our people so that they can continue to build and discover the future. Education in this context is the base layer for building the frontier because it opens the mind to what is possible for our countrymen and women in this new information age.


The reason that I strongly believe in America and what it represents, aside from studying history, is because I have seen with my own two eyes, success for people that worked hard, were optimistic about the future and bet on themselves. The example that is the most prominent in my life are my parents, who came to the US almost 28 years ago. Armed with nothing other than a $100 and a couple of suitcases, my parents were able to rise up from modest means, with unrelenting hard work and service, to make a good and fulfilling life for themselves and their children. My parents’ example is not singular and has played out for millions of people across the US. My parents and other immigrants came to this country because they ultimately believed that opportunity was greatest here. While it currently still is this, other countries are catching up quick with a ruthlessness to make this century theirs. 


I still believe that America currently serves as the best place for opportunity. To lengthen this worldly mandate though, we must continue to enlarge paths that allow for Americans from all parts of society to rise and it is here that I believe education can play a massive role.


Ultimately I have always had some overarching thoughts on how we could reconstruct the education system within America and whatever I have written thus far is all directed towards strengthening my argument for strengthening public education to uplift the masses. I wanted to put my thoughts out there publicly and as I continued to work on the project, it seemed that pushing it in a collection of essays within a short book form was the best bet as I could always send portions of it to friends, fellow teachers, faculty members and policy members that I go on to meet in graduate and law school. I also believe that this pursuit would aid my writing and researching skills, both of which are immensely important in any future career. 
With that being said, I greatly appreciate any guidance or tips that you could offer on my writing as it is still rudimentary. If you have any questions please let me know and I will be more than happy to answer them. 

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On Author: 

Vishaal Kuruvanka is a former math high school teacher who taught Calculus AB AP, Algebra 2, and UT OnRamps Statistics for two years through Teach for America in Houston. He is also the founder of the national non-profit organization, Promoting Education Across the Country (PEAC) which looks to support youth social entrepreneurs at the community level. In mid 2019, he proposed to Mayor Turner to start Mayor's Student Leadership Alliance (MSLA) which is a student led council composed of student leaders representing close to 300,000 undergraduate and graduate students across Houston. MSLA is responsible for advocating on behalf of student needs and proposing policy on city wide issues to the Mayor and City Council. He was also elected as a World Economic Forum Global Shaper and holds degrees in honors mathematical biology and economics from the University of Houston. Vishaal has completed 3 MS150 Bike Marathons, 2 Chevron Houston Marathons and 1 Half Ironman Triathlon. He is currently pursuing his Master’s in Public Policy from the University of Chicago.

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