How California’s Growing Income Gap Affects Our Schools
By Peter MathewsAn American child’s chance of acquiring a quality education depends more on the parents’ income than on almost anything else, including ethnicity.
Because property taxes are a key source for K-12 funding, affluent districts have more to spend on education. Low-income districts don’t have the resources and facilities necessary to help most of their students achieve their potential. Governor Jerry Brown’s Local Control Funding Formula is a small step in the right direction. But even with it, the affluent Shoreline Unified School District in Marin County will spend around $18,000 per pupil, while less affluent Long Beach Unified will spend around $9,000. Lynwood Unified School District will spend even less. Money isn’t everything, but an adequate amount is necessary.
That’s why the growing income gap between the super rich and the average worker in America (40 to 1 in 1980, 400 to 1 today) is devastating to our schools and society. Let’s compare two Long Beach high schools.
The higher income levels of Wilson High School parents produce an environment which enables their children to do better in school. It helps a lot when your parents have more income to put you in private music, ballet and tutoring classes, and more time to help with your homework. Jordan High School parents love their kids just as much and want the best for them, yet their generally lower incomes and tougher work schedules make it harder for their children to climb the educational and economic ladder. Of course there are exceptions: a low income child may occasionally succeed by overcoming major hurdles because one parent stays home and is able to tutor and mentor her or him, while the other parent works grueling hours at two or three jobs to make ends meet. Or one grandparent is still at home to help. This is increasingly difficult because, with the outsourcing of jobs