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Abigail Garcia

Kathleen Adams

RC 1000

The Inequity in Public Education in the United States

Education is the cornerstone of unleashing the development of passions and interests,

leading towards seeking out lifelong careers based off of what intrigues the learner. In the United

States, an access to a free public education is granted and children enroll to further enrich and

expand their learning experience. Many children initiate this learning experience in preschool, an

early childhood program before kindergarten, where children familiarize themselves with the

underlying foundations of early learning. However, what happens to those children unable to

enroll in preschool due to their low socioeconomic status? In skipping this stage of learning will

they be enrolled in a public educational institute with adequate resources and support to bridge

this gap? It is important to mention that these early stages of learning are vital in the

development of a child’s active interest and engagement in learning in order to maximize

academic achievement. Nevertheless, if these children are found in schools limited in resources

and support they are immediately found at a disadvantage that could possibly set them behind for

the rest of their public educational experience. Unfortunately, this is the case for many young

children throughout the United States and if the child is able to eventually enroll in higher

education in the further future they are still bearing the disadvantage that originated from the

early years in public education. Therefore, it is essential to bring forth awareness of this

unspoken issue, along with the students who are primarily impacted, and encourage effective

action towards addressing this issue.

The disadvantages or inequity found in public education often results in an academic gap.

This academic gap is apparent when children from poor school districts are performing well

below those of wealthier regions. In an analysis of both reading and math scores of children
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throughout the United States, children in poor school districts on average, score up to four grade

levels below children from wealthier districts (Rich, Cox, Bloch, par. 3). Moreover, many of the

children within these poor school districts are found not attending preschool due to financial

hardship and go straight into public schooling. Then there are those who are lucky enough to

obtain a spot and attend a HeadStart program that encourages school readiness among children

below the ages of five from low-income families (“Office of Head Start”, par. 1). However,

ultimately, children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds end up significantly less prepared

when enrolling into kindergarten, where pre-academic skills, obtained from early childhood

programs, are not acquired making learning significantly more difficult. At such a critical stage

of learning, if a child is academically prepared for kindergarten, they are most likely to succeed

in grade school, not drop out of high school, and pursue higher education, placing them at an

increased chance to be economically prosperous (qtd. in Isaacs, p. 2). Therefore, through the

discussion of the possible early origins and development of inequity in education, it is critical to

identify those groups who are at an increased risk of facing this issue that follows them down

their educational journey.

Students from low-income backgrounds, minority groups, or who become first-

generation students are often confronted with the issue of inequity in public education. Often the

students of poor backgrounds and of minority status are “concentrated in the least well-funded

schools, most of which are located in central cities or rural areas and funded at levels

substantially below those of neighboring suburban districts” (Darling-Hammond, par. 1). These

low-funded schools are much more likely to have fewer resources than schools that are well-

funded. Therefore, causing classrooms of larger class size with numerous minority students to be
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Kathleen Adams

RC 1000

equipped with scarce, low-quality textbooks, technology, and curriculum materials that are

taught by inexperienced teachers who present a poor curriculum (Darling-Hammond, par. 2).

This situation is witnessed first-hand and explained by Kandice Sumner, an educator in

humanities at Boston Public Schools. Sumner goes on to describe her teaching experience at a

school where she, at a young age had avoided, and now finds herself in “frustration, anger and

sorrow, because I can't teach my kids the way that I was taught, because I don't have access to

the same resources or tools that were used to teach me” (Sumner). Evidently, students who are in

a combination of belonging both to a low socioeconomic background and minority group are

likely to reside in the most low-funded schools. This negatively places them at a disadvantage

towards pursuing higher education once completing public education, as a result of instilling a

lack of confidence and preparedness for future, higher learning.

Therefore, it is essential to understand how the funds are established and distributed

among school districts in order to pinpoint where the disparities occur. The states bear the

authority on how education is handled within the particular state itself. Approximately over 90%

of funds are derived from state and local sources, while the remainder is covered by federal

educational funds (Epstein, 1). However, within states, are designated school districts that within

themselves handle the funding offered, in a particular manner. This manner commonly used is

explained as directing “revenue from local property taxes, which means districts in high-wealth

parts of a state are often funded more generously than districts in low-wealth areas” (Epstein, 1).

Local taxes, the frequent determination of school funding, is an annual payment made by the

local landowner towards the local government, country, or town. Clearly, the funding within

school districts, places students of low income at an undeniable disadvantage and what is quite
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Abigail Garcia

Kathleen Adams

RC 1000

upsetting is that these students have no control of the location in which they reside and the

amount of local property taxes produced. There are those few states that are aware of these

inequities and transition towards providing districts substantial funding from state sources

without much-needed reliance on local sources (Epstein, 1). As a result, poorer districts are

provided greater resources without facing the limitations of inadequate funds if determined by

local property taxes, making the funding within the districts fairer. Aside, of the overview of the

distribution of funds and its impact on educational inequality, it is essential to identify what

actions and solutions are underway to address this issue.

Numerous solutions and actions have been initiated or considered, in order to prevent the

disadvantages faced by students who fall under the low-income status and who are apart of

minority groups in underrepresented, rural areas. For younger students, the development of

HeadStart programs by President Lyndon B. Johnson reaches out towards accommodating the

essential needs of preschool children faced with disadvantages resulting from low economic

status (Hudson, par. 2). These programs nurture and guide the child’s learning and development

in order to increase readiness before enrolling into kindergarten. For older students, the

development of the College Advising Corps helps “increase the number of low-income, first-

generation college, and underrepresented high school students who enter and complete higher

education” (“College Advising Corps | Home”). Both programs identify students at risk and

provide active support in order to bridge the gap that is developed as a result of the

disadvantages faced by the student. Moreover, these programs are nationwide within the United

States and are not simply restricted to certain regions which allow an expansive difference to be

truly made. Another quite surprising and less heard of solution offered is for a child to attend a
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Kathleen Adams

RC 1000

Universal Pre-K program. These programs are funded by the state government, meaning that

children who are enrolled in the program will not have to pay (Rock, par. 1). Therefore, children

are able to attend preschool regardless of their socioeconomic status or their academic abilities,

which greatly reduces the chances of inequity within education. The only downside is that only 3

states, Florida, Georgia, and Oklahoma, provide a Universal Pre-K program for all 4-year old

children (Rock, par. 4). Overall, these are just some of the many solutions and actions that have

been initiated in order to reach out to those students, both young and old, who are at risk of being

at a disadvantage.

Through the discussion of various points related to the issue of inequality in public

education in the United States, there is ample support revealing that there remains work to be

done to address the disadvantages that are faced by students. The origins of this issue can be

traced as early as when a child of low socioeconomic status fails to enroll in preschool and is

unprepared in starting their public educational journey. The early years of this journey are vital

in setting the foundation for a child’s continued engagement and development of learning. By

increasing awareness and identifying those children or students at risk of facing disadvantages,

one as an educator can take steps in order to provide continued support and patience to not let

these students fall behind. Each year in a kindergarten classroom, a child has a dream inscribed

in crayon to become the next doctor, lawyer, firefighter, or teacher when they grow up. Having

sufficient resources and support, especially in low funded schools, can help bring to reality the

dreams of these children and many more.

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Kathleen Adams

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Works Cited

"College Advising Corps | Mission & History." College Advising Corps. N. p., 2018. Web. 26

Nov. 2018.

Darling-Hammond, Linda. "Inequality In Teaching And Schooling: How Opportunity Is

Rationed To Students Of Color In America." National Academies Press (US) (2001):.

Web. 26 Nov.2018.

Epstein, Diana. "Measuring Inequity In School Funding". Files.Eric.Ed.Gov, 2011,

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED535988.pdf. Accessed 26 Nov 2018.

"Head Start Programs." Office of Head Start | ACF. N. p., 2017. Web. 26 Nov. 2018.

Hudson, David. "This Day In History: The Creation Of Head Start." whitehouse.gov. N. p., 2015.
Web. 26 Nov. 2018.

Isaacs, Julia. Starting School At A Disadvantage: The School Readiness Of Poor Children.
Center On Children And Families At Brookings, 2012, p. 2,
https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/0319_school_disadvantage_isaacs.pdf.
Accessed 26 Nov 2018.

Rich, Motoko, Amanda Cox, and Matthew Bloch. "Money, Race And Success: How Your
School District Compares." Nytimes.com. N. p., 2016. Web. 26 Nov. 2018.

Rock, Amanda. "What Is Universal Pre-K And How Can It Benefit My Preschooler?." Verywell
Family. N. p., 2018. Web. 26 Nov. 2018.

Sumner, Kandice. "How America's Public Schools Keep Kids In Poverty." Ted.com. N. p., 2018.
Web. 26 Nov. 2018.
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Annotated Bibliography

Darling-Hammond, Linda. "Inequality In Teaching And Schooling: How Opportunity Is

Rationed To Students Of Color In America." National Academies Press (US) (2001):.

Web. 26 Nov.2018

Darling-Hammond offers an overview and identifies how the issue of inequality in education

within the United States is exhibited. She goes on to provide statistics about academic

performance, race, and finances that correspond towards the disparities arising from the inequity.

Furthermore, the details she provides in the text about the unequal distribution, such as the lack

of educational resources and the scarcity of educators, drives Darling-Hammond to address the

value of a quality curriculum for an overall enriching learning experience. To conclude she

provides a set of suggested actions aiming towards the equalization of education.

Epstein, Diana. "Measuring Inequity In School Funding". Files.Eric.Ed.Gov, 2011,

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED535988.pdf. Accessed 26 Nov 2018.

Epstein identifies the disadvantages faced by low-income students and addresses the issue of

unequal funding for low-income school districts. She mentions how the numerous districts

within the state tend to rely on local property taxes in order to determine the distribution of

funds. Through a variation of data collected for numerous states within the United States, Epstein

presents the reader with the different amounts of funding and effort that each state sets forth.

Revealing the inequity, she urges awareness and actions to be taken by either governing policy

makers or supporters, in order to change how funding among schools are approached.
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Kathleen Adams

RC 1000

Isaacs, Julia. Starting School At A Disadvantage: The School Readiness Of Poor Children.
Center On Children And Families At Brookings, 2012, p. 2,
https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/0319_school_disadvantage_isaacs.pdf.
Accessed 26 Nov 2018.
Isaacs emphasizes the importance of increasing the attendance in early childhood programs

offered before kindergarten, for all children. She highlights the contrasting school readiness of a

child based on social class and other external factors, with support of statistical charts and tables.

However, the major point she presents to the reader is how poverty heavily influences a child’s

school readiness and identifies early childhood education as crucial to prepare a child for their

educational journey. By promoting the access of preschool programs to children from low-

income areas, Isaacs believes this to be the most promising act to increase a child’s school

readiness.

Rich, Motoko, Amanda Cox, and Matthew Bloch. "Money, Race And Success: How Your
School District Compares." Nytimes.com. N. p., 2016. Web. 26 Nov. 2018.
The authors of this article capture the academic gap between minority and white students,

through statistical data presenting the racial achievement gaps. Moreover, they go on to discuss

how students residing in poorer districts score or academically perform lower than those from

richer school districts. Often, times these poorer districts are unintentionally segregated, found to

be highly populated with students of color who reside in low-income areas. Therefore, the

segregated schools are also found to display large academic gaps. The authors conclude the

article by discussing the steps many school districts are partaking that includes redesigning

ineffective curriculums and increasing support for students who are struggling academically.
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Kathleen Adams

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Rock, Amanda. "What Is Universal Pre-K And How Can It Benefit My Preschooler?." Verywell
Family. N. p., 2018. Web. 26 Nov. 2018.
Rock provides a brief overview of what Universal Pre-K programs are and where these programs

are located in. Universal Pre-K programs are free for attending students because of funds

provided by the government. However, not every state has or allows every child to be eligible for

this program. Florida, Georgia, and Oklahoma are the states that provide every child a chance to

enroll without restrictions, to a Universal Pre-K program. Rock goes on to conclude that these

programs are important in effectively preparing students for the future because it grants all

children, regardless of socioeconomic status, an opportunity to an early educational experience.

Sumner, Kandice. "How America's Public Schools Keep Kids In Poverty." Ted.com. N. p., 2018.
Web. 26 Nov. 2018.
Sumner, is an educator in humanities for the Boston Public Schools and in her discussion she

presents the exclusion of a quality education for students in schools within low-income regions.

Offering her own experience of this issue, Kandice goes on to mention how the low-income

school that she teaches in lacks the resources that are essential to promote a richer learning

experience. Without these necessary resources, she believes that the student’s future potential in

public education and higher education is impacted. Through her discussion she hopes that

audiences will be aware of the disparities and take action to change it.