While the battles rage in Iraq, Darfur and other countries abroad, we often forget the bitter domestic conflicts that pit one segment of our American population against the other. Right now, that war is the re-emergence of the long struggle for control of our public schools.

But this war is more than left versus right. It’s a fight for the very moral fabrics of our society and a cogent testimony to our values and our future.

As Americans, we have one common experience that unites us in our understanding of the world — the thirteen years most of us spend in public school. We are taught basic subjects like reading, writing and arithmetic but we are also exposed to character education and the ideals of our democracy. What we see and learn in school is a reflection of the communities we come from, and often, a predictor of the upcoming generation’s future.

As Congress and the Bush administration come together this year to re-authorize No Child Left Behind, it will be important for us to remember that there are extremists armed with anything-but-moderate agendas for our schools. It’s a tug-of-war between freedom and equality, creativity and conformity.

It’s not always accurate to characterize debates as a spectrum with extremists on both ends, but in this case, it will be easiest to capture the arguments this way. Here is a look at the competing activists:

The look-alike left

In this battle the left is composed of civil rights organizations, the National Education Association and various unions. In general, these liberals support equality over freedom. The ideal school system for them is the public school system funded completely (and strongly) by taxpayers. It is also a system that uses busing, affirmative action or any other means possible to have well-integrated schools.

But then the left goes too far. In addition to public schools that are inclusive, many of these same activists would like to see restrictive equality within our classrooms as well. They reject the idea that some students may be more gifted than others and insist that all students — regardless of ability — are placed in the same classroom with the same learning objectives. For them, stratified classrooms represent an injustice that holds back minority students.

In addition, this same crowd nobly urges for higher teacher pay and more resources for our schools. The left pleads for funding but fights against any accountability measures like standardized testing or qualifications for teachers. Accountability ensures that our schools perform well and teach the curriculum professionally.

We can’t let the look-alike left mold our students through conformity and lower our standards.

The runaway right

On the other side of this battle is the right. This group is a conglomeration of conservative religious organizations, disgruntled parents and businesses. For the most part, this wing supports a school structure that includes a choice between public and private institutions. In their view, students have a variety of abilities and needs that should be addressed through diverse classes and schools.

But then this side goes too far. In addition to choices that strengthen our schools, many of these same activists would like for the federal and state governments to give them refund vouchers to send their students to private schools — primarily religious schools. They reject the idea that the public school system can be a powerful solution to many of society’s downfalls and they actively seek to undermine its influence.

In addition, this same bunch correctly asserts that public schools are in dire need of reform including more choices, higher accountability and better results. Yet, the right fails to understand these reforms can only happen with higher teacher salaries and improved resources — not to mention the very support from the community they fail to provide. Public schools are the responsibility of everyone, not just the teachers.

We can’t let the runaway right remove its children from our public schools while undermining the primary functions of our liberating education system.

The best solution is a moderate one. Our public schools need to be funded at higher levels with higher teacher pay. We should offer many choices within the public system to every person. Communities should hold our schools accountable through testing and other measures, while also giving schools the support they need to succeed.

Put political agendas aside and think about our children for a change.