Fighting Education Shock Therapy

[Igel]

1. It's a vexed problem.

The entire "race-based" business.

Consider this: Most deportations are of Central Americans.

School closings disproportionately affect majority African-American schools.

It's an outrage. Both must be because of racism.


Well, consider this: The Dream Act would mostly affect Central Americans.

Title I funds disproportionately affect majority African-American schools.

Use the same reasoning and you'd have to say these were racist programs when, in fact, they're pretty much the opposite.


The deportation/Dream Act disproportionality is due to the fact that illegal immigrants are disproportionately Central American for reasons of geography. The other detail is that urban schools typically have more money than failing rural schools and are more litigious.

Failing schools are disproportionately majority African-American, so both Title I funding and school closings that affect failing schools can't help but affect mostly AA schools.

Were it otherwise there'd also be the claim that there was discrimination. When you look at these kinds of things you need to consider the pool you're drawing from.