ABSTRACT
Public education is closely connected to the challenge of income inequality, racial/ethnic disparities, and the urban environment in our society. In the nation’s largest central city school districts, more than 60 percent of the students are eligible for free or reduced-price school lunch programs, a sign of poverty. African American students constitute about one-third of the enrollment in large central cities as compared to about 15 percent nationwide. The nation’s growing Latino population experiences significant school dropout problems. Schools that have a higher concentration of minority and low-income students are less likely to recruit qualified teachers, offer rigorous curricula, and maintain high academic performance.
