o Why is it important to look at education as an area of racial inequality?
o
What are the typical characteristics of the schools Kozol
is describing?
o
What is the relationship between real estate value and school ratings?
o
What are the persistent conditions of minority schools?
o
Why are there “minority schools” 50 years after Brown vs. Board of Education,that ruled it
unconstitutional to have “separate but equal” schools for children?
o
What is, according to Kozol, one major reason
for the decrepit and bad minority schools?
How
does one measure how much money a school gets?
Main
sources of funding inequities in schools:
-
property tax
-
attendance zone gerrymandering
-
grants
-
parent volunteers and contributions
o Describe the racial distribution in the gifted classes versus the remedial or mentally retarded classes?
o
Why is it – or is it not -- a good idea to bring the best resources
(teachers) together for the gifted students?
o
“Pulling yourself up from the boot straps” and unequal opportunities
o
Argument: “Why throw money at schools in poor neighborhoods, when there
is little likelihood that the children will be able to succeed, because they
come from dysfunctional families”
Suggested
Sites for optional further research:
o
lawsuit that demands a reorganization of the state’s allocation of funds
to New York City Schools
State
by State Comparison of Expenditure per pupil
-
http://www.visionforchildren.org/vcr/pdf/avgexpenditure.PDF
-
http://members.aol.com/educintel/eia/Tribute/tables3-4.PDF
-
Financial
Equity in the Schools
-
State's
Shameful Defense: Money Doesn't Matter
Schools
in New York City
-
New
York City Board of Education – School Based Expenditure Reports 2000-2001
-
Why
do Per Pupil Costs Vary – The Answer from NYCBoE
-
NYCBoE’s Break Down of School Funding
-
Funding
Inequities statewide according to Educational Priorities Panel
o Options in School Finance Reform in New York State (pdf) detailed report on funding inequities and effects
of funding reform efforts
o Ghastly Graduation Rates in NYC
-
Chancellor
High Schools Report from NYCBoE
-