Jonathan Kozol Quote

The usual reduction in class size, says the —from 30 to 24, for instance—isn’t enough to make a difference. If this were really true, and if the wanted to help the poorest children of Chicago, the logical solution would appear to be to cut their class size even more—perhaps to 17, as in Winnetka. This is a change that even the ’s editors concede to be worthwhile. But this is a degree of equity the does not entertain. It contemplates a minor change and then concludes that it would make only a minor difference.In actual fact, as every teacher of small children knows, the difference even from 30 kids to 24 would be a blessing in most cases, if some other needed changes came at the same time. But the does not speak of several changes. The search is for the one change that will cost the least and bring the best return. Changing parent values is the ideal answer to this search because, if it were possible, it would cost nothing and, since it isn’t really possible, it doesn’t even need to be attempted. Isolating one thing and then telling us that this alone won’t do much good and, for this reason, ought not to be tried, is a way of saying that the children of the poor will have to choose one out of seven things rich children take for granted—and then, as a kind of final curse upon their dreams, that any one of those seven things will not make a difference. Why not offer them all seven things?