I don't know if you want to call it institutional racism or what, but as long as property taxes are a major source of funds for schools, there will always be inequality in the quality of education offered.

For instance, in Illinois, looking at a few different schools:
School A is in a rich area, has an average expenditure per student of about $12,000 and a crazy high average teacher salary of over $100,000. Their students score in the 90th percentile.

School B is in the capital and has a very split racial profile (as opposed to School A which is lily-white) and has a student expenditure of about $7,000 per and average teacher salary of about $60,000. They've been in about the 25th percentile the last 3 years.

School C is in an urban area with a high black population, another area that income wise is very similar to School B, with expenditures of $6,700 per student and an average teacher salary of $55,000. They've also been in the 25th percentile the last 3 years.

Basically, this is more of a socioeconomic issue than it is a racial issue concerning achievement. But School A can spend more per student and can hire and retain better teachers. There are certainly more factors than just money in student achievement, like parenting (not only parenting skills but parenting availability--more single parent families in the lower socioeconomic class, and if that parent does in fact work, there's often no parent present).

But there are myriad reasons why "black" schools tend to do more poorly. Money is a big part of it. Parenting is a big part of it. And cultural issues, like what Bill Cosby has pointed out about the priorities of many young African Americans, are a big part of it.

So some of the blame can be put on the people themselves, but there is definitely some level of institutional racism that is to blame as well.

I've generally found that the people most preoccupied with this stuff always blow it out of proportion though. I've been in many "training" sessions where we've had people come in and tell us we're racists and how terribly racist all the social systems in place are. There's some truth to what they say, but mostly they're bullfluffting themselves.

Likewise, people who deny there is any type of institutional racism are also deluding themselves.

As usual, the truth is usually somewhere in the middle between the two loudest groups.

Pretty good post Twain, except for the part about the truth being in the middle. But it reminds me of Ohio, where I'm originally from.



Ohio State Constitution requires the state government to fund public education efficiently. It was interpreted that the law was meant to prevent school districts from becoming “starved for funds” or “lack[ing] teachers, buildings or equipment.” In 1991, a lawsuit was filed - DeRolph v. State – protesting the inadequacy of Ohio’s funding system.

Ohio’s public education funding system depends largely on property taxes. Schools and districts in less affluent areas receive less money to spend per child than other, wealthier districts that collect more in property taxes.

It’s been 13 years since the Ohio Supreme Court deemed the way Ohio funds public schools as unconstitutional and people are still waiting for the state to come up with a solution.

http://columbusoh.about.com/...School-Funding-Reform.htm


so this system was declared unconstitutional over a decade ago and they still haven't fixed it, because the motive just isn't there. poor areas still have poor schools, rich areas like upper arlington have freaking fountains and fluff at their public schools, and uniforms donated by A&F.

I teach in a rural North Carolina High School that is about 50% African American and 50% Native American with the smattering of other races less than 1%.

We have very little money and I am among the lowest paid teachers in the United States for my education and experience ($35,000, MA, 7 years), but some things are more important than money. (I don't dispute that poor wages lead to statistically bad teachers, but not all us poor teachers are bad.) The people who have lived here their whole lives have a survivalist culture.

They are not bad parents, but going to school isn't a guarantee of being successful and they know it. I don't think there is much left of institutional racism, but the damage is done and there is a society of people who survive by trying to work the system. That means not getting married and having lots of children to maximize profits.

I resent the government for propagating this rather than the people who are merely using the system available to maximum gain. Unfortunately the gain is a short term on that leaves a person dependent on that system since education is systematically ignored.

There is not immediate fix to this problem other than to stop giving tax assistance for having children. As for the differences in wealth, education definitely needs to be supported since without the assistance I would want revoked, the only path to prosperity would be education and resulting productive work. Unfortunately the emancipation 150 years ago didn't grant those freed any property or real privilege.

There is no fair fix to the economic divide between blacks and whites in the United States. All that should be done is provide equal access to education and civil rights laws to help prevent institutional racism. Beyond that, only time will heal that very deep wound.

Racism, unfortunately, is the last excuse for underperformers, despite the fact that many other groups who were discriminated against stopped underperforming a long time ago.

It is time to learn, of course, that smart people have smart children.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/.../2009/03/090317142841.htm

costs too much money to get da edumacation. i don't want to fund some fatass union blob to just sit there and grade all the home work that i do.