Social Class in Public Schools

This article shows the pattern of socioeconomic class differences in schooling outcomes and indicates some of the causes for those differences that lie within the public realm. Those causes include "nested inequalities" across boundaries of states, school districts, schools within a district, classes within a school, and sometimes separation within a class. In addition, urban public schools demonstrate a particular set of problems that generate differential schooling outcomes by economic class. The article also demonstrates ways in which class biases are closely entwined with racial and ethnic inequities. It concludes with the broad outlines of what would be necessary to reduce class (and racial) disparities in American public schools .

The American dream will succeed or fail in the 21 ^st century in direct proportion to our commitment to educate every person in the United States of America.
            —President Bill Clinton, 1995 ( Clinton, 1995 : 617)

There is no greater test of our national responsibility than the quality of the education we provide.
      —Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore, 2000 ( Gore, 2000 )

Both parties have been talking about education for quite a while. It's time to come together to get it done, so that we can truthfully say in America: No child will be left behind.
                —President George W. Bush, 2001 ( Bush, 2001 )