Post 1) Inequality for Some

The inequality in the American education system is easily visible and it has an effect on many students. One of the most visible factors in the inequality of education is the difference between races and how well they perform in school. Many neighborhoods and schools that consist of mainly white citizen are performing extremely well. At the same time the racial minorities are participating in schools that are basically segregated and of inferior to their counterparts.

A recent study by the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights is analyzed by the author Motoko Rich in the article, “School data Finds Pattern of Inequality Along Racial Lines.” The study consisted of all of the America’s 97000 public schools and it shows significant differences between racial minorities and white students. Rich argues that there are several factors in which especially African-American students are inferior compared to white counterparts. For example, African-American students are more than four times as likely to attend schools where fifth of the teachers do not meet all the teaching requirements. In addition 50% of the African-American students attend high schools that do not offer the full range of higher math and science classes. This research alone is enough proof for the education system’s inequality. With inferior classes and teachers one cannot expect more than the worst.

The worst is what follows as well. Rich states the fact that African-American students get suspended three times more often than their white peers. Even in preschool African-Americans are suspended more often. Only 18% of the students in public preschools are African-American and 42% of the suspended students are African-American. It is really shocking that the discrimination starts as early as kindergarten.

An issue that is also discussed in Rich’s article is the teachers salaries. In the mostly African-American schools teachers get paid a lot less than in other schools. This is mostly due to the fact that these schools are in low-income areas. Rather than placing the least qualified and least paid teachers in these areas, there should be a policy of granting extra funding and support.

Even though we’d like to think that racial discrimination in its every form has distinguished, it is not. Children in all schools should be able to get the same level of education. The troubled schools should be addressed by government programs that would support the success of racial minorities and eliminate the inequality in education.

Work Cited

Rich, Motoko. “School data Finds Pattern of Inequality Along Racial Lines.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 21 Mar. 2014. Web 1 Apr.    2014.