Income Inequality In Education

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Pages: 4

In the United States, the idea that “you can be anything you want to be” is instilled into the minds of children from a young age and on. For children whose families are wealthy, this is an easily obtainable goal. However, for children whose families are less fortunate, this is less of a possibility. Income inequality—or the gap between the rich and the poor—as well as opportunity inequality make it nearly impossible for those stuck in poverty to make their way into the middle class. However, income inequality and opportunity inequality do not determine whether a child will prosper in life. While these may put in place a barrier or obstacle, a private or more funded education is not the sole factor that paves one’s way to success. Children are able to achieve success—and therefore become mobile in their social class—through their own talents and characteristics as well as the resources that are presented to them. Education is not the only resource for success that …show more content…
As part of the “No Child Left Behind Act”, the United States has currently set in place a “Common Core Curriculum” that provides every student with the basic skills needed to achieve success and prosperity. This is regardless of whether or not the school is “equitably funded” as Jared Bernstein and Ben Spielberg of The Atlantic write in their article “Inequality Matters” (7). By the time these children are graduating high school, they are equipped with enough knowledge and resources to go to college if they desire to do so. In fact, “[pay for college graduates has risen by 15.7 percent over the past 32 years…” as reported by Steven Rattner of The New York Times (1). Children in the United States have the ability to plan a successful future for themselves rather than one that is limited to