Originally Posted by HowlerKarma
I really don't think of it as "political" in any way that most people would like to see an educational system that does GOOD things for everyone that it serves.

There is a certain segment of the population that will never be convinced that a school is doing good things for everyone if any kind of achievement gap can be measured. It seems to me that schools have been implementing policies specifically designed to lessen or eliminate achievement gaps, but they persist. If our schools met every kid at their level (and no policies were enacted to address what kids are dealing with outside of school), I think some of the gaps people concern themselves with would grow larger than they are today (a natural reaction to eliminating programs designed specifically at reducing the gaps).

As someone who grew up in a broken home, and received no advocacy regarding a public school education that never challenged me mathematically, I see the appeal of meritocratic education. As a parent with a family income over $165,000, I will be doing everything I can to make sure my kids have their educational needs met, in and out of school. I will do my best to set them up for success, and I am not interested in funding an equally enriching childhood for every one of their peers. Contradictory and hypocritical... maybe. I can kind of see things from both sides.