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, over 60% of the students are eligible for the school lunch program. African-American students constitute over one-third of the enrollment in large central cities as compared to 17% nationwide. The nation’s growing Latino population experiences signifi cant school dropout problems. Schools that have a higher concentration of minority and low-income students are less likely to recruit qualifi ed teachers, offer rigorous curricula, and maintain high academic performance.
