We Never Learn

There are few public intellectuals more closely associated with a topic than Jonathan Kozol is with education inequality in America. I remember reading his 1991 book, Savage Inequalities: Children in America’s Schools, just before embarking on high school teaching stints in Brooklyn and Boston. Trust me, Kozol’s research checked out then. And it checks out now. “Educational opportunity is still apportioned mostly by parents’ ability to pay for housing in desirable ZIP codes. Some aging school buildings are still laced with lead. Black and Latino students are still disproportionately subjected to harsh forms of discipline: silent hallways, isolation closets, even physical restraint. ‘I don’t brook with forced optimism right now,’ Mr. Kozol said in an interview. ‘If we’re talking about Black and Latino children in our public schools, I think it’s unrealistic to be optimistic.'” In the NYT (Gift Article), Dana Goldstein catches up with a now 87 year-old Jonathan Kozol who is offering up one last new book and the same old school, singular message. Jonathan Kozol Fought School Inequality for Decades. Here’s One Final Plea.