Savage Inequalities: Children in America's Schools

Written by Jonathan Kozol

Narrated by Mark Winston

For two years, beginning in 1988, Jonathan Kozol visited schools in neighborhoods across the country, from Illinois to Washington D.C., and from New York to San Antonio. He spoke with teachers, principals, superintendents, and, most important, children. What he found was devastating. Not only were schools for rich and poor blatantly unequal, the gulf between the two extremes was widening—and it has widened since. The urban schools he visited were overcrowded and understaffed, and lacked the basic elements of learning—including books and, all too often, classrooms for the students.

In Savage Inequalities, Kozol delivers a searing examination of the extremes of wealth and poverty and calls into question the reality of equal opportunity in our nation’s schools.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Mar 19, 2010
• ISBN: 9781441841636

Jonathan Kozol

Jonathon Kozol has been awarded the National Book Award and the Robert F. Kennedy Book Award. His previous books include Amazing Grace and Savage Inequalities. He lives in Byfield, Massachusetts.

Reviews for Savage Inequalities

[steller0707 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

While the circumstances in these 1988-1990 scenarios may be different from today’s particular circumstances, the principles still stand. There is an inequity in the education of our children in many school districts, especially in urban districts that represent the highest concentration of children in poverty. The promise of Brown vs Board of Education, much less that of Plessy vs Ferguson, has not been achieved. Much as the laws of Jim Crow have been circumvented by “nice white people” so the ways in which we finance schools and educate our citizens have been thwarted by circumvention. School choice, reliance on test scores, method of funding have all played a part in the erosion of our schools, and have helped to fuel the dissension we see in our culture and on social media. Kozol ends this award-winning book with this statement: “There is a deep-seated reverence for fair play in the United States, and in many areas of life we see the consequences in a genuine distaste for loaded dice; but this is not the case in education, health care, or inheritance of wealth. In these elemental areas we want the game to be unfair and we have made it so; and it will likely so remain.” Unfortunately, we have not been able to prove him wrong.

[larryerick · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Simply put, this book is a report on how minorities in America are compelled to live in segregated schools with a fraction of the support that affluent white schools receive. The author is a good writer, but I take exception with his presentation. His whole argument could have been presented in a quarter of the space. A huge percentage of the book consists of examples of where white/affluent schools are good and minority/poor schools are trash. Fine, I believe him. I believed him after the first three or four detailed examples. I didn't need a dozen more examples. The author does eventually get around to reasons why the differences are so great and so prevalent and why the "haves" are making sure the "have-nots" stay that way. He also presents that case well, and much more concisely. However, he does little to say what we, the readers, should do about it, especially since he points out how strong the human element is for "protecting" what we have. Some reviewers of this book commented on how "angry" the author was. I'm sure he was, but it doesn't come through in his writing, unless you feel that pointing out injustice as poor manners. And for what it's worth, I finished reading this book the same day of the Newtown school shooting. Despite the horror and sadness of that event, the book had me thinking and wondering how that tragedy to a white affluent community compared to the day-after-day, year-after-year tragedy of poor minorities living with substandard schools, housing, and environmentally trashed neighborhoods.

[dukefan86 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I read this book pretty early in my teaching career, and it was an eye opener for me in learning about the disparity in schools.

[julierh · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

a searing look at the disparities between wealthy/well-funded and poor/substandard school districts; very interesting (and upsetting)

[nazgullie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is excellent. Kozol writes honestly and passionately about the inequalities in the public school system in our country. I'll go a bit further than simply giving this book a high recommendation, and state that this is a book that everyone should read. There are a great many injustices in our country, that many of us have no idea how deep and pervasive they are. I would liken this work to Upton Sinclair's 'The Jungle'. It's a book that must be read, because it will open our eyes and minds to what's really going on right under our noses. Awareness is power.

[labbit440 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Essential for understanding the state of schools in America today. A great text to recommend to people who insists that American society is meritocratic, or that racism is no longer a problem, or that lower class people are just lazy.

[marcopolo_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Depressing. Kozol not only takes the reader into some of the poorest schools in the US, but also looks around the neighborhoods, talks to the children and teachers and parents, and tries to paint a broad picture that includes some of the arcane tax and funding laws that combine to allow this to happen.

[jayceebee_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the most depressing book I've ever read because it's real. It's one of those "everyone should read this" books. America's children are not all afforded an equal education and the extreme "inequalities" will really shock you.

[tinas37 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Read bits and pieces for school. Just horrifying to learn of the conditions in these schools!

[joye_22 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Awesome, slightly preachy, but we need it--right?