Municipal Heads and Educators to Parties: Present a Plan to Save the System

The establishment of the 'Coalition to Save Public Education' was announced – a broad initiative of educators, municipal heads, policy experts, academics, researchers, school principals, teaching staff, parents, and students. Its goal is to return public education to the center of the national agenda and make it a central issue in the upcoming elections and the next government. The coalition will demand that every party present a clear worldview regarding the future of public education and commit to practical steps, including presenting a worthy candidate for the position of Minister of Education and establishing a national education council.

Today (Wednesday), the establishment of the 'Coalition to Save Public Education' was announced – a broad initiative of educators, municipal heads, policy experts, academics, researchers, school principals, teaching staff, parents, and students. The coalition's goal is to return public education to the center of the national agenda and make it a central issue in the upcoming elections and the next government. The coalition's establishment comes against the backdrop of the ongoing crisis in the public education system, reflected in declining student achievements, a growing shortage of educators and teaching staff, widening gaps between the center and periphery and between educational streams, an increase in violence among children and youth, erosion of the status of educators, and damage to public trust in the system. Coalition members argue that for years, education has been pushed to the margins of national priorities, even though it directly affects the future of Israeli society, the economy, social cohesion, equal opportunity, and the state's resilience. During the election campaign and after, within the coalition negotiations to form the government, the coalition intends to act on the public, professional, and political levels to place education at the heart of public and media discourse. This will include publishing studies, data, and policy papers, holding conferences and public events, and bringing the voices of educators, parents, and students to the forefront. Additionally, the coalition intends to present a public demands document and require every party seeking public trust to present a clear worldview regarding the future of public education and commit to practical steps. Among the demands: presenting a worthy candidate for the position of Minister of Education, establishing a national education council, establishing a council for secular public education, ensuring budgetary equality among all educational streams, and long-term investment in education and management teams. Among the partners in the initiative are Rami Hod, CEO of the Ideological Center at the Berl Katznelson Foundation; Dr. Michal Tabibian-Mizrahi, CEO and founder of the Manor Center; Shirly Rimon Bracha, CEO of the Next Generation Fund; Dr. Ariel Levy, CEO of the Council for Secular Public Education; Dr. Roni Ramot from Kibbutzim College; Noam Bar Levi, CEO of the Liberal Authorities Forum; Itamar Kramer, director of the Public Education Watch; Prof. Manuel Trajtenberg; Laura Milo, director of 'The Lighthouse'; Lior Hadas, chairman of Hoshen and VP of the Hotam organization; and Iris Wolf, formerly a senior official in the Ministry of Education. Also joining the initiative are municipal heads, including Head of the Gezer Regional Council Rotem Yadlin, Mayor of Givatayim Ran Kunik, Head of the Kiryat Tivon Local Council Ido Greenblum, Head of the Jezreel Valley Regional Council Shlomit Shihor Reichman, Mayor of Herzliya Yariv Fisher, Mayor of Ganei Tikva and Chair of the Local Government Education Committee Lizy Delaricha, Head of the Even Yehuda Council Matan Katzman, Head of the Upper Galilee Regional Council Asaf Langlevan, Head of the Hefer Valley Regional Council Dr. Galit Shaul, Head of the Daliat al-Carmel Local Council Rafik Halabi, Head of the Jordan Valley Regional Council Idan Greenbaum, and Head of the Eshkol Regional Council Michal Uziyahu. Rami Hod, one of the coalition's initiators, said: 'The last government brought years of neglect of public education to a peak and deepened its severe discrimination against religious public education and Haredi education. The next government must reverse course and place public education at the top of national priorities. We call on all parties seeking to lead political change to also commit to educational change.' Rotem Yadlin added: 'As a municipal head, I encounter daily the budgetary gaps and complex challenges we face in managing the education system, from a shortage of personnel to the need for pedagogical stability. Public education is not a footnote in the election campaign, but the foundation for the future of all our children.' According to her, 'We expect the parties to present genuine and proven commitment: a budgetary plan that reduces gaps, a commitment to full core curriculum for every student, and long-term investment that will restore stability to classrooms. This is the time to put education at the center, because it is our greatest responsibility towards the next generation.' Shirly Rimon Bracha said: 'It is time to stop treating education as just another public service. It is the most important national infrastructure and one of the most neglected. Israel's future – security, economy, health, and more – depends entirely on the quality of education. We have no more time to waste.' Dr. Ariel Levy added: 'The public education system has reached a critical juncture, and we are close to a point of no return. A deep repair of our national educational infrastructures is required. The test of politicians will come already in the coalition agreements, by including practical and binding clauses for quality public education and closing the budgetary gaps between streams.' Dr. Michal Tabibian-Mizrahi concluded: 'The education crisis is not a decree of fate, but the result of years in which education was pushed to the bottom of priorities. The next government will be required to rebuild the infrastructures on which the system relies: quality teaching force, equitable budgeting, professional management, and binding national planning.' According to her, 'The election campaign is the moment of truth. We will no longer settle for slogans about the importance of education, and we will demand that every party present the public with a practical plan, a worthy candidate for the position of Minister of Education, and a clear commitment to implementation already within the coalition agreements.'