Summary of Savage Inequalities

Irl Solomon's history class

Irl Solomon teaches at a high school in East St. Louis; the school is a disadvantaged
school in a low-income community that is what many call ghetto. While his classroom is
described as the highlight of the school, the reality is that at the end of the day the majority of
students will not graduate. The classrooms are over-crowded and the class offering is dismal.
The students have no pride in their school and have low self-esteem as they see their
surroundings and are aware that even if they do manage to graduate, a diploma from a ghetto
school would ultimately mean nothing in a competitive higher educational environment. The
students discuss the atrocious conditions of the school and how they basically see no benefits in
their schools. While Mr. Solomon tries his best to help students, the reality is that the poor
conditions are non-conductive.
Jennifer's views on schools in poor area (Bronx & East St. Louis)
Jennifer is a high school student that came from the Bronx, where she describes schools
as hell; at the time of the article she attends a prestigious school in Rye, New York and she
views schools like her former schools as not really deserving of financial help. She basically says
that although everyone deserves the opportunity to take the same courses; however, she does not
believe that money paid in taxes should really be infused into these schools as to quote from the
article she doesnt see the benefit.
Contrast East St Louis with the school in Rye, New York
While the school in East St. Louis is the stuff of nightmares, the school in Rye, New
York is like a dream. The school gets more funds, has more classes available, the teachers are
amazingly paid and most importantly, the student-to-teacher ratio is low. However, in the
reading the school and the area it is located in, is described as high-income, predominantly
Caucasian and Asian and for the most part although the students speak of equality, they have a

really racist view. When proposed on the transportation of minorities from ghetto areas to their
school, they gave three basic reasons on why they believed it was a bad idea: there would be a
potential loss of funds through equalizing that would be damaging to the town; they believed that
bringing black students into the school would be damaging as they would face racism from the
adults in town; lastly they believe that poor kids would lack motivation and that aside from that
they would ultimately fail because of many other factors. Later on in the article some students
say that instead of bringing these students into their school, they should be left in their school
and that there should be some attempt at fixing these schools aesthetically to try and make them
equal. The economic differences these students observe have warped them in their ideals, where
they basically justify a separate but equal approach.
Perspective / Opinion
After reading this article I will say that nothing has changed. I went to a high school in a
low income community; where the student to teacher ratio was ridiculous, the average class size
was 35 to 40 students. I was fortunate that I was placed in honor classes or AP classes, so we
received more resources. However, no resources went to the average classes; their textbooks
were update last, they didnt have access to a more stimulating curriculum and many of their
teachers actually took the approach of I showed up to work, I get paid, I dont care if you learn
or not.
Ive met people who went to school in more affluent neighborhoods and they would
sometimes joke and say my school is so ghetto, when I would ask them which school and they
replied, I would tell them thats not ghetto, I went to Lincoln, thats ghetto. They would
answer me with okay we are nowhere near as ghetto as that. Those that attend more affluent
schools often have this real disconnect on the real hardships that low-income schools face.