Socioeconomic inequality is built into residential & school systems, despite what "ed reformers" have to say about the individual quality of a given teacher. Read the Schott study on "educational redlining" and the Brookings Institution study on the correlation of housing values with high student test scores. Current "ed reform" strategies bracket poverty and inequality; from the Schott study: "Unfortunately, rather than organizing our educational system to pair these children with our most expert teachers, who can help 'catch them up' with their more advantaged peers, we actually do just the opposite. The very children who most need strong teachers are assigned, on average, to teachers with less experience, less education and less skill than those who teach other children."
Instead, we should refocus our efforts on "…restoring full funding of education; instituting equitable access to schools and programs for all children; providing school resources linked to need rather than competitive models, insuring students with identified literacy needs full social and educational support (including health and eye care as well as food security); evaluating schools based on student opportunities to learn ('access to high-quality early childhood education, highly prepared and effective teachers, college preparatory curricula and policies and practices that promote student progress and success'); and addressing teacher experience as well as pay equity within and among schools."
Studies Suggest Economic Inequity Is Built Into, and Worsened by, School Systems
truth-out.org
In light of the new research, several components of no excuses education reform are likely to increase the current problems with social and educational equity, instead of addressing them.
