Savage Inequalities

The sixth and final chapter of Savage Inequalities spends less attention on the material causes and aspects of inequality in education, and more energy discussing the legal battles surrounding it. This is in line with a theme developed in the previous two chapters, but with two new arguments added thereto. First, the resistance to equity in public schools can be decisively pinpointed in recent history, and, second, that state and federal governments are as much responsible for these inequalities as local municipalities and school districts. To argue these points, Kozol focuses on a series of court cases in Texas, from the mid-20th century on.

Previously, Kozol described the controversy in school equity as a battle between the conservatives who favor "liberty" (that is, local control and "school choice") and the liberals who have "equity" (that is, federal government intervention and assistance). However, Kozol believes that this dichotomy is deceptive, and that local control is frequently subverted on the state level. In Kozol's view, "[s]tates' rights" are often regarded as a synonym for "local control," but this characterization is inaccurate. Indeed, Kozol finds that local school districts control relatively little: their textbooks, teacher certification and college examination schedule are decided by the state.