Savage Inequalities

In Savage Inequalities, Kozol details the harsh environment of inner city schools and the reprehensible management of such that affect poor children. Kozol specially emphasizes the deep segregation found among schools, especially in class and race. He describes the disturbing reality of many poor /Black or Latino schools without proper plumbing, clean environments and saturated of hazardous conditions (such as chained doors). Kozol goes on to mention that proper spending and tax raises would be a solution to many of these issues because more money would go to these schools, hence attracting better teachers and consequently improving school quality.
Although it is fair to say that the quality of education in the United States (especially for poor Blacks or Latinos) can be caused by the deeply entrenched segregation, reasons are more diverse than what Kozol explains. Many of the countries problems can be easily blamed on the many “-isms”, such as classicism and racism, however, many institutions are structurally disjointed and especially the educational structure. The first main problem that education in our country faces is curricula. The disparity among what children learn in one side of the country or even in one part of the city essentially causes inequality. The Departments of Education nationwide work seemingly differently and uniquely, and although fair democracy is one main reason to support this, is it fair education for ALL children nationwide? There have been cases where drug and violence infested high schools have been completely reformed, thanks to the discipline and organization brought on by a determined leader (such as the case of East Side High School in Paterson, NJ). This would be possible nationwide if school leaders and administrators nationwide had one main goal and a concise plan to reach it. The lack of communication and structure within the school system itself often times diminishes this window of opportunity.
Another important factor that Kozol fails to mention is family values. If a child is not taught from an early age to value his/her education, is the school solely responsible to inspire the individual? If things were to improve as a society, we would have to realistically re-evaluate our priorities. Along with this, we would have to look at ourselves and examine if we are the cause of the problem. In Savage Inequalities, Kozol affirms the importance of investing more money on schools. The road to higher investments leads to higher taxes. It is beyond clear that many in the United States are against higher taxes, even for beneficial contributions to education. The United States is currently undergoing a budget crisis where political battles ensue if, how much and for who taxes should be hiked. Even when raising taxes means universal health care, many decline the opportunity. Although class and race may be a contributor, the failure of the system for underprivileged students also has to be attributed for the inadequacy of the organizational infrastructure and the lack of awareness and care by many of us.