Mary Kempen

Reflection on Savage Inequalities

10/19/14
The saddest thing about Jonathan Kozols 1991 book Savage Inequalities is that it still addresses
a contemporary topic in education. Kozol argues that schools in the United States have become re-
segregated by race, and justice calls for a redistribution of money to poor school districts. In chapter
after chapter, Kozol cites statistics and anecdotal descriptions of poor urban schools contrasted with
those of wealthier neighboring schools. Reading the book almost feels like a case of educational
slumming, or visiting poor neighborhoods to experience a kind of pleasure from viewing the ghastly
spectacle of poverty, but the biting critiques that Kozol levels against the wealthy, their institutions like
the Wall Street Journal, and state and federal governments indicate that Kozol intends for his work to be
a call to action. Unfortunately, instead of redistributing funding for schools along state or national lines
rather than within school district boundaries, poor children got No Child Left Behind. Twenty-three
years later, America is still waiting for the actions Kozol demands and still waiting for equity in education.
The depiction of inequity in Savage Inequalities forces me to think about the kind of school in
which I hope to teach. Do I want to work with the children of privilege who so heartlessly reject the
proposal of integrated busing on account that it will not benefit them? Their schools will have all the
latest technology and resources a teacher could wish to use, and as the book reveals, these children
achieve high academic proficiency. However, they struggle to learn empathy and generosity. They
skillfully defend their privileges with sophisticated arguments, but they do not seem concerned with the
fates of the impoverished children who are condemned to live in the poorer school districts around
them. If I work in a school populated by wealthy white children, I will probably disturb my students by
making them think about the moral issues of poverty they would rather ignore. It would be hard for me
to teach a Spanish class without making references to the debates around illegal immigration and the
poverty which drives it. Am I prepared to handle such students reactions to these topics or their
parents potential complaints? While wealthier districts pay higher salaries, would I feel guilty and out
of place if I were to teach in one of them and not raise questions about equity?
On the other hand, teaching in an impoverished district is as unattractive as Kozol claims it is. A
teacher who chooses to work in a decrepit school where up to 40 children are crammed in a makeshift
classroom and are forced to share outdated textbooks probably feels a sense of vocation to sacrifice
himself or herself to serve the poor. Teaching in these places where hope is scarce requires fortitude. I
would like to believe that I have the necessary fortitude and commitment to serve, but I am not sure
that I do. It is much easier for me to simply support Kozols argument that we should redesign our
funding models for schools so that all schools receive the funding they need to enable all children to
learn so they may compete on a level playing field. Calling for political action demands no special effort
or discomfort on my part. If political change never happens, as it has not in the last 20 years, I may not
even pay additional taxes to support destitute schools. I would like for urban children to enjoy all the
opportunities that peers in rich districts enjoy and would part with a larger share of my salary to secure
such resources for them, yet I pause to consider teaching in a poor urban district. Kozols stories
intimidate me. Who would not prefer to teach somewhere that has lower drop-out rates, more children
who read at grade-level or higher, and adequate facilities to house the classes? Although administrators
and job-seekers discuss finding the right fit for schools, what happens when there are not enough
devoted servants to fit all the schools in need?
Wherever I teach, I will need to love my students as they are and adapt my lessons to their
needs. Whether this means I will find ways to challenge the extraordinarily privileged or challenge the
underprivileged, I do not know. To give each of these groups the education they deserve, I must
continue to learn about and prepare to teach them both.
Reference:
Kozol, J. (1991). Savage inequalities: Children in Americas schools. New York, NY: Crown.