Savage Inequalities: Children in America's Schools [Hardcover]

Kozol goes far to point out the disservice we are doing to Jefferson's idea and to the children of this country (U.S.A.). We are so wrapped up in "saving" money, that we are willing to sacrifice the children of the poor so that we can continue on in our own comfort. It has reached the point where some schools now teach "job skills" (typing, shop, etc.) to the children of the lower class. The only message this conveys is to tell them that this is all they're good for.

The book goes even further and examines every concievable excuse for this disparity. For those who believe that the current system of education in this country is fair and equitable, this book will show you that it is anything but.

This book is an eye opener as to the educational system in this country. Segregation is alive & well decades after Brown v. Board of Education. Most of the schools he visited are close to other wealthier (and predominately white) schools so he can really show the inequality between them. The poorer schools have limited to nonexistent materials and equipment. One school in New York (known simply as public school 261) conducts classes in an abandoned roller rink with no identification and not even a single encyclopedia set. One of the few exceptional teachers he found had to buy materials out of her pocket (pg. 47). The enormously high drop out rates at these schools are almost welcomed as they free up seats in the over-crowded classrooms (pp. 54 and 111). Most heartbreaking is that so many teachers and administrators he talked to seem to have given up on improving conditions and saving these kids. More than once, adults are quoted as dismissing the matter with "They're not going anywhere" (pp. 52 and 160). Kozol also looks at the neighborhoods outside of the schools as further proof that these children are at a disadvantage from the beginning. One neighborhood in the southside of Chicago has one bank, one market, 48 lottery stations, and 99 bars and liquor stores (pg. 41).

The author's solution is financial: more funding if not by diverting money from the more affluent schools than by state funding. As depressing as these stories are, sadly, I do not think this book will sway the opinions of those who feel added funding will be wasted on these schools. I sympathize with the author's goals but, even I begin to be exasperated by some of the attitudes of the teachers and school officials in these schools. One school has a barrel in the counselor's office because the roof leaks so bad (pg. 103). One of the counselors admits the students wish it would stop raining in the office (well, duh). I find myself wondering aloud why nobody fixes it, whether a custodian, male teacher, or someone in the community. Woodrow Wilson school in New Jersey has 50 computers. Sounds great, but 40 cannot be used because they've melted. Why? They're set up above the boiler room and they are still there! (pg. 149). Why aren't they moved? Someone points out the school's namesake, but Wilson stood for self-determination (i.e. the 14 points). I know these are easy questions to ask when one does not live and work in such conditions and there are probably good answers to them but that is what skeptical readers may think when they read this book. While the study is eye opening, unfortunately, I do not think it will sway the opinions of those who feel that funding such schools is sending good money after bad.