Kozol’s Savage Inequalities

Jonathan Kozol was born in 1936 in Massachu machinatets. Throughout his life, he has been extremely wide awake in public issues. He spent several(prenominal) t to each championing in public shoals, fighting against the inequalities there, but in any case fighting for the civil rights ride and equality for every(prenominal), despite race or ethnicity. Most of the civilizes Kozol taught at were inner-city schools, confusable to the ones he writes close in his allow (www.wikipedia.com).Kozols purpose in composition the book was to expose the gigantic inequalities that be present in todays schools. He provided a snapshot of galore(postnominal) distinct focal points schools are unequal patronage, teacher quality, school environment, materials, and more. He profiled several distinct schools, in articulationicular, inner-city Chicago schools and suburban Chicago schools ( forward- musical noteing Trier), to show the commodious differences in every aspect of these schools , and the effects that these differences had on the students.Kozol also think to show the multitude of different issues that went into creating the problem, such as deprivation of funding, lose of materials, lack of quality teacher, political laziness or outright backup (towards inner-city schools), parent misinformation (or lack of information), lack of parental education and knowledge about the system, and more. These differences all account for why the schools are so vastly different silver is not the lone(prenominal) problem and simple resultant role.Kozol accomplished his purpose. As one is reading the book, one is filled with shock, horror, and indignation at the vast inequities that exist in the schools. One concomitantly telling section is his exemplar of the kindergarten students, who Kozol describes as bright and longing to learn, even in the inner-city. However, these kids who catch every ability to learn are given some materials and poor teachers, and they hand out to thrive.This failure, he explains, results from the education system failing them, and not from their own lack of anything. He clearly illustrates the unfairness of the school system, and proposes some interesting solutions. In the kindergarten family unit in one of Kozols examples, there are no pictures on the wall, there are ancient textbooks, there are few toys to play with, and there is a teacher who is almost too devolve to care. The teacher knows that whatever happens, many of these students depart drop out of gamy school, and many of those will land in jail. The teacher does not count that she can make a difference, even though at this age, with the students eager and primarily well-be eat upd, she could.The purpose was well accomplished because of Kozols many examples. The government agency he used the case studies was especially interesting. In the case of New Trier, the parents were unwilling to tax themselves at a high rate, but their income and home va lues were so high that they will had plenty of cash. Therefore, the school had glorious class offerings, facilities, teachers, and students. In poorer territorial dominions, like Lawndale, parents taxed themselves as much as they could, and they save couldnt afford to have true school buildings, new-sprung(prenominal) materials, and good teachers. This difference in personality and attitude of the people in the district further illustrates Kozols point.In addition, Kozol highlights the sheer environment differences in the schools. In the suburban districts, teachers come in everyday, on time or they are pillow slip to discipline or cosmos fired. He quotes one principal in an inner-city school as saying I take everything that comes through the door, which elbow room that teachers who are absent more often than not, or who show up a couple hours late everyday alleviate have jobs. These environments pose a complete lack of caring on the part of the teachers.This is at least in part because the teachers genuinely believe they cannot make a difference. Many know that most of the students will drop out of school and end up in prison, illiterate, and with no job or a poor job. many teachers even see this effect as positive, stating that the kids who truly care remain in school until graduation. However, this is a terrible way to think about students, and only perpetuates the situation.Also, the suburban schools tend to be newer, bright lit, with plenty of classrooms and bathrooms and decorations. The urban schools are lucky to have one operative bathroom that isnt clean, dark windows, and a building that is falling apart(predicate) around them. In some cases, urban schools have extremely overcrowded classrooms, no working bathrooms, no libraries, no computers, no decorations, and are extremely depressing. Students dismay skipping school at a young age merely to invalidate these circumstances.Kozol also discusses the attitudes of the law makers. Ma ny refuse to spend more coin on these failing schools because it would, in their estimation, be like pouring bullion into a black hole. In other words, useless. This goes to show that government officials are not doing anything to solve the problem in fact, they often are the problem, by refusing to believe that anything could change. Their lackadaisical attitude exacts to turn around quite an than rewarding the students who are already succeeding, they should attempt to help the students who struggle, who will only turn around if the law makers bring to do their job and urge for all students.The section on Corla Hawkinss class was particular interesting. In it, Kozol illustrates one of the bright spots in otherwise terrible inner-city schools. Ms. Hawkins is a unique teacher who cares about her students, who makes sure they come to school, who forces them to respect her and each other. She spends a lot of her own money on supplies for the classroom, including a set of encyclo pedias. She assigns homework everyday in order to promote responsibility.She sits the students in teams at groups of desks, and has them teach each other the lessons. Her emphasis nub that students in her class succeed much more than the average student in the school. Ms. Hawkins also teaches the students all-important(a) social skills. She doesnt give grades at all in the first quarter she gives team grades in the second she gives pair grades in the third she gives individual grades in the fourth. In this way, she teaches the kids to learn before being competitive about grades, and then to help one another and succor more than compete. Later, she teaches the students to look out for themselves.One of the unfortunate problems with this is that these students will have one year of excellent teaching, and then will go back to the veritable(prenominal) way that things are in inner-city schools, meaning that their chances of success are still jolly low overall. It also gives the stu dents as taste of what could have been, which means that overall, one good teacher doesnt change anything.The best solution is to correct the problem by changing the way the schools are financed. quite of refusing to put money into the schools, politicians should be eager to put more money into them, enough to build new buildings (or improve the current ones) and to hire truly qualified teachers. If that occurs, change will begin at the bottom levels, as students come in and find teachers with higher expectations, and materials to support learning. People need to stop being completely hopeless about these schools and these students and start adult them what they need. Without the proper materials and quality teachers, there is no way that students will care, or learn.In some states, school funding is done in an unconstitutional way. In fact, in most states, schools are funded at least in part by property taxes. This offers an immediate inequity, since poorer areas, like inner-city areas, will automatically have lower property values, and therefore, less money for schools. A new funding plan that distributes money more equally, or based on need, is in order. A suburban school with already current materials, computers, and new buildings does not need as much money as an inner-city school with of age(predicate) materials, no technology, and a crumbling building.Currently, the thinking in education is to give money to the students and districts who are already winners. Money is allotted as a scratch for success. This value needs to change, so that money is given based on need, because the value is success and opportunity for everyone, not just for the privilege few.Reading this book changes ones view on the way schools are handled in this country. It seems perfectly fair to grow up in a privileged district, and to go into education as someone who wants to continue that tradition of excellence. However, confronting the problems that cheek many schools today s hows that education is not perfect, and not every school or student is nearly as lucky as some.This new realization will change the way a person looks at being an administrator. Perhaps, instead of fighting for every dollar for a particular schools excellent AP program, one would choose to distribute that money to districts who do not have things they need. Or, instead of purchasing new textbooks much and getting rid of the old ones, one might choose to deal new textbooks for another school, or to donate older (but still fairly recent) ones to a school in need.Also, when it comes to making policies, one might choose to consider what is best for all students, rather than only a pocket-sized group. Many of the students in a poorer district do not have anyone to advocate for them. Their teachers and politicians mostly will not, and their parents may not know how to. Some people in their district, and some of the students themselves, may not even verbalise English. An administrator f rom any district may be able to balk up and fight for them. If enough administrators begin to value equality in education (and separate is not equal, whether it is separated by race or social class), changes will begin to occur.This book is a very eye-opening look at the reality of schools today. It is an important thing to realize not all schools are equal. Many students are suffering because of the lack of opportunity their schools provide, in the long run setting them up for near certain failure. The only way this will change is if educators stand up and fight for change, and an educator who has not intimate about these inequalities will not be able to stand up and fight. Every educator should know what is really going on.This book comes exceedingly recommended. Kozol goes into the schools and paints vivid pictures of what the schools are actually like. Hes not writing from a high horse or a strictly faculty member perspective. He is showing what the day to day realities ar e for so many students. He is high-lighting the problems in a completely real-world way. Kozols book is an important one in the field, and one that everyone should read.BibliographyKozol, Jonathan. Savage Inequalities.Jonathan Kozol. Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia. Accessed November 10, 2006. Website http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Kozol.