Kozol, J. (1991). Savage inequalities: Children in America's schools. NY. Crown.

Jonathan Kozol has visited many schools across the United States. Savage Inequalities is an account of his visits. He talks about his experiences and the many
inequalities he sees between the white upper class and the poor lower class schools. The attrocities he describes are heartbreaking. Kozol discovers that not only are
upper and lower class schools not equally cared for, but in a supposedly integrated society, these children are segregated. Blacks, Hispanics, and Asians have their
poorer schools while whites have their rich.

In Savage Inequalities, Kozol not only talks about the inequality in schools, but the inequality in their own personal lives. The description of some of the ghettos
Kozol visited makes you wonder how America's citizens can be treated this way, with utter disrespect. The author said that the only thing that separates these parts
of the U.S. and the third world countries is the sewage system, which in several areas does not even work. Unsanitary conditions are a trademark of these areas and
crime is anything but dormant.

Kozol argues for the lives of the children that live in filth and go to school in buildings that literally are falling down on them. Things should be equal and he
wonders why the unfairness is so obvious and nothing is being done. Kozol's wish is that all schools will be equally funded and that all children may have the same
opportunities and the same right to live in a peaceful, clean neighborhood.

The reason that I chose this book is that I have never been exposed to anything Kozol talked about. I needed a look into others lives that don't have it as good as me.
I went to school in an all white elementary and high school in Central Oregon and have never experienced even a little of what Kozol refers to in his book. I needed
to see the other side because some day, I might be the one working in an area that has no electricity, no paper for the bathrooms and raw sewage running down the
halls. I need to be prepared.

Questions I had:

1. What do you think of government subsidized schools?

2. What about school choice for the less fortunate?

3. Why is this obvious inequality in our public schools being virtually ignored?

4. I would like to know if these black children were given the same opportunities as the upper class white children Kozol talked about, would they do as well in
school?

5. How could a society as advanced and as civilized as ours allow such segregation and brutal unfairness to occur among our children?

Submitted by Chrisine John


I chose to read this text because I have read another book by Kozol and
found it very interesting.  It was a real eye opener and I wanted to see
if this book was similar or did some of the same things.  I was able to
read the book quickly while enjoying every page.  Many times I wanted to
cry while others I was just shocked.  It also made me think how lucky we
are and how little we know about.

After reading this selection from Kozol I kept asking myself how can
this be fair.  How can human beings see this happening and let it
continue?  I don't understand how others can sit and see innocent
children being treated so terriblely.  That isn't even the word but it
is terrible that the socioeconomic level of community will reflect on
the schools and their children.  How is the cycle going to be broken if
nothing is done?

I guess I have already asked some questions, but here are some more:

1.  Have you gone back to the districts to see if anything has been done
since the publishing of this book?

2.  Have you done any more research on any of the west coast and western
United States schools?

3.  How were your interactions with the teachers and what were their
feelings about you writing this book?

4.  Did it bring them hope or did they think it would help?

5.  What kind of responses did you get from readers, school districts,
goverment officials when the book was published?

6.  Were you discouraged by anyone not to publish this book?
 

I hope that this is sufficiant.  Let me know what you think.  I am still
working and should be posting most of my things this week.  Thanks for
your help.

Lisa Dickover


Kozol addresses many inequalities that face American schools.  His
personal observations found him in several cities across the United
States.  He describes the impoverished quality of life among many
Americans.  This quality of life is transcendent to the schools in their
neighborhoods.  Low income neighborhoods cannot generate the tax dollars
to fund equivalent school programs to that of the wealthier neighborhoods
across the U.S.  The title Kozol chose for this book is perfect.  There
are savage inequalities amongst American schools.  The million-dollar
question is how do we fix this problem?

I chose this book because I have read others by Kozol.  I think its good
to be exposed to a little pain once in a while.  Reading Kozol writing
always humbles me and allows me to focus on the real reasons why I chose
to be a teacher.  There are schools out there that do not have the funds
and resources and need superior educators to make up for that.  As
educators I think we need to examine that responsibility and opportunity.

The following are question I came up with after reading the book:

1. Have the school districts improved since the book was written?

2. Does Oregon have any schools and neighborhoods with the inequalities
described in the book?

3. How does a teacher survive (emotionally) in such poor environments?

4. Is our government addressing this situation?

5. How can student needs be best met?  What are those needs?

Submitted by Steve Miller

Jonathan Kozol, in Savage Inequalities, takes his readers into a dark,
 dreary, and very poor school system that isn't in some non-industrial,
 "underdeveloped" country , but right here in the USA. Kozol presents the
 real facts about America's school system and does this by personally
 visiting school systems such as in New York and San Antonio. He describes
 the horrific conditions of the classrooms and schools that children are
 being taught in. In New York, Kozol found a school where "the chalkboards
 are so badly cracked that teachers are afraid to let students write on
 them for fear they'll cut themselves. " (Kozol, 1991: p. 99). The roofs
 leak, the paint is falling off of the ceilings, and we expect children to
 learn and become successful in this type of environment. Savage
 Inequalities documents the racism, lack of funding, poverty, and horrific
 conditions that America's children are trapped in. This book should be
 read by all Americans because I think that their perception of the school
 systems would change and we may see more funding going towards the
 improvement and cleaning up of America's school system.
 
 I chose to read this book because I saw a video called Children in
 America's Schools which was based on Jonathan Kozol's book. After
 watching that film I was absolutely appalled by what I had seen. I never
 had a clue that anything like this was going on in our country and I felt
 like I should read Kozol's book to get more information on this topic.
 Since I am going into education I felt it was appropriate as well as my
 responsibility to expose myself to this reality and to learn as much about
 it as I can.
 
 Questions that I came up with are:
 1. How prevalent is this problem in Oregon?
 2. How can our government allow students to go to school's whose building
 codes are not even acceptable?
 3. If we had taxpayers read this book and see the video would they be
 more likely to vote in favor of more taxes going towards schools?
 4. How can these places that are stuck in such poverty and dilapidation
 find any teachers to come work for them?
 5. What happens when the district decides to close down a school because
 it is so unsuitable for learning?

From: Tanya Klann
 

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