Brooks, Petrilli, and Murray: Conservatives Confront Class Realities
There is one fact about America today that has not been mentioned in the political debates: nearly 25% of our nation’s children are growing up in poverty.
This nation leads the advanced nations of the world in child poverty.
Two articles today by conservative writers suggest that some hint of realism may enter the national discourse.
David Brooks wrote a column today expressing alarm about the growing inequality of opportunity among children, as affluent parents invest more in their children and lower-income parents have not. There is some hope here that Brooks is beginning to think that the large and widening opportunity gap is a social problem, not a result of bad teachers and bad schools. He concludes by saying that liberals are going to have to voice more support for two-parent families, as though their not voicing support affected the behavior of lower-income families. More impressively, he concluded that “Conservatives are going to have to be willing to accept tax increases or benefit
Should We Be Like Sweden?
This nation leads the advanced nations of the world in child poverty.
Two articles today by conservative writers suggest that some hint of realism may enter the national discourse.
David Brooks wrote a column today expressing alarm about the growing inequality of opportunity among children, as affluent parents invest more in their children and lower-income parents have not. There is some hope here that Brooks is beginning to think that the large and widening opportunity gap is a social problem, not a result of bad teachers and bad schools. He concludes by saying that liberals are going to have to voice more support for two-parent families, as though their not voicing support affected the behavior of lower-income families. More impressively, he concluded that “Conservatives are going to have to be willing to accept tax increases or benefit
Should We Be Like Sweden?
A while back, a reader wrote that we should try to be like Sweden, because it is among the “best in the world.” Sweden now has for-profit schools and choice, so presumably the choice-based reforms of our day will make us more like Sweden.
I pointed out that on the latest PISA, Sweden does not outperform the U.S.. Its ranking are virtually identical, despite the fact that Sweden does not have our high rate of child poverty, nor our demographic diversity.
A reader commented today:
I pointed out that on the latest PISA, Sweden does not outperform the U.S.. Its ranking are virtually identical, despite the fact that Sweden does not have our high rate of child poverty, nor our demographic diversity.
A reader commented today:
| Facts: Sweden’s education system gained high quality outcomes as an almost completely public system. Sweden has steadily dropped in education output rankings since introducing the public/private hybrid. |