How Most American Kids Are Kept Out Of The Best Public Schools

In the United States, the quality of education a child receives is largely determined by their zip code. This is because our public school system is heavily segregated, with affluent suburbs boasting well-funded schools and underprivileged urban areas struggling with underfunded and overcrowded classrooms.

A Fine Line: How Most American Kids Are Kept Out of the Best Public Schools

by Tim DeRoche

4.1 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	6820 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	280 pages
Lending	:	Enabled

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This inequality has a profound impact on the life chances of children. Studies have shown that students who attend high-quality schools are more likely to graduate from high school, attend college, and earn higher incomes. They are also more likely to be healthy and civically engaged.

So why are most American kids kept out of the best public schools? There are a number of factors at play, including:

• School choice: In many states, parents have the option to send their children to private schools or charter schools, which are often seen as being better than public schools. This can lead to a drain of resources from public schools, making it difficult for them to compete.
• Segregation: Housing segregation is a major contributor to school segregation. When families are segregated by race and income, it is more difficult to create diverse and equitable schools.
• Poverty: Poor children are more likely to live in segregated neighborhoods and attend underfunded schools. This is because poverty often goes hand-in-hand with other factors that contribute to school segregation, such as housing discrimination and lack of access to transportation.
• Standardized testing: Standardized testing is often used to determine which students get into the best schools. However, standardized tests are biased against poor and minority students, who are less likely to have access to the same educational opportunities as their more affluent peers.
• Zip code discrimination: In some cases, school districts explicitly discriminate against students who live outside of their boundaries. This is known as zip code discrimination.
• Zoning laws: Zoning laws can also be used to create segregated schools. For example, some zoning laws require that new housing developments be built in a certain way, which can make it difficult for families to move into more affluent neighborhoods.

The result of all of these factors is a system of public education that is deeply unequal. This inequality has a profound impact on the life chances of children, and it is a major barrier to creating a more just and equitable society.

So what can be done to address this problem? There are a number of policy solutions that could be implemented, including:

• Expanding school choice: Expanding school choice could help to create more competition among schools, which could lead to higher quality education for all students.
• Desegregating schools: Desegregating schools would help to create more diverse and equitable learning environments for all students.
• Investing in early childhood education: Investing in early childhood education could help to close the achievement gap between poor and affluent students.
• Reforming standardized testing: Reforming standardized testing could help to make it more fair and equitable for all students.
• Prohibiting zip code discrimination: Prohibiting zip code discrimination would help to ensure that all students have equal access to the best schools.
• Reforming zoning laws: Reforming zoning laws could help to make it easier for families to move into more affluent neighborhoods.

These are just a few of the policy solutions that could be implemented to address the problem of educational inequality in the United States. By working together, we can create a more just and equitable education system that gives all children the opportunity to succeed.

A Fine Line: How Most American Kids Are Kept Out of the Best Public Schools

by Tim DeRoche

4.1 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	6820 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	280 pages
Lending	:	Enabled

FREE