The Texas Constitution of 1876 guarantees children the right to a free public education because it is “essential to the preservation of the liberties and rights of the people.” Those words reference the long-established thought of those like Thomas Jefferson who argued that public education is essential to preserving a democracy, and that the democracy had the duty to provide that education universally. Nevertheless, our body politic has long suffered the iniquities of racism, sectarianism, and self-interest in the provision of a public education that threatens our children and our democracy. People of faith continue to be essential advocates for an adequate and equitable system of public education so that every child has the opportunity to fulfill their human potential.