Savage Inequalities: Children in America`s Schools By Jonathan Kozol

Kozol 's Savage Inequalities

Jonathan Kozol was born in 1936 in Massachusetts . Throughout his life he has been extremely active in public issues . He spent several teaching in public schools , fighting against the inequalities there , but also fighting for the civil rights movement and equality for all despite race or ethnicity . Most of the schools Kozol taught at were inner-city schools , similar to the ones he writes about in his book HYPERLINK "http /www .wikipedia .com " www .wikipedia .com

Kozol 's purpose in writing the book was to expose the vast inequalities

br that are present in today 's schools . He provided a snapshot of many different ways schools are unequal : funding , teacher quality , school environment , materials , and more . He prod several different schools , in particular , inner-city Chicago schools and suburban Chicago schools (New Trier , to show the vast differences in every aspect of these schools , and the effects that these differences had on the students . Kozol also intended to show the multitude of different issues that went into creating the problem , such as lack of funding , lack of materials , lack of quality teacher , political laziness or outright disdain (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 money is not the only problem and simple solution

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 particularly telling section is his illustration of the kindergarten students , who Kozol describes as bright and eager to learn , even in the inner-city . However , these kids - who have every ability to learn - are given few materials and poor teachers and they fail 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 class in one of Kozol 's 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 tired to care . The teacher knows that whatever happens many of these students will drop out of high school , and many of those will land in jail . The teacher does not believe that she can make a difference , even though at this age , with the students eager and primarily well-behaved , she could

The purpose was well accomplished because of Kozol 's many examples . The way 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 property values were so high that they will had plenty of money . Therefore , the school had excellent class offerings facilities , teachers , and students . In poorer districts , like Lawndale parents taxed themselves as much as they...