Response to Savage Inequalities by Jonathan Kozol

I think that Kozol makes a good point of bringing home improvements that need to be made in many public school systems and the devastatingly gross disservices these schools are doing to American and to the children who attend them. Before reading this I was completely unaware of the injustices that plagued the public school systems of so many states across this nation. So many of these schools could not only provide exceptional learning experience, they could not provide the necessities. An example is the fact that Camden High School in New Jersey could not afford lunch facilities. This meant that many students left campus for lunch, and all anyone could do is hope that they returned.

There were a few glimmers of hope in the teachers, who despite not having the money, still provided the class with fish tanks, and bookcases. I would have expected most teachers to have given up on their education.

Most of his observations were appalling, to say the least. It is a horrible idea that a school system would allow children in East St. Louis to attend a school with sewage problems. That tells the students that administration thinks nothing of their health or education. The sad part is that these schools will try to find ways of improving their drop out rates, without really addressing the obvious.

Kozol quoted one teacher who asked " why should they [the students] learn?" This alone speaks volumes about the types of teachers these underprivileged schools are getting. It is a pure travesty that a teacher would even ask such a question, and this quote sounds as if the teacher has given up on the students. And if they give up, the students will give up as well. One teacher was shocked that most showed up for class. I think the reason that they do show up is that they hope to learn something that will better prepare for the future. The sad reality is, going to a school that clearly under values education, is futile.