We must treat the disease of racism. This means we must understand the disease.
– Sargent Shriver

I was the only white kid in my neighborhood for most of my youth even in high school, so reverse racism was just as apparent as racism.
– Shia LaBeouf

I’d like to flag an absence, a topic that too often falls off the news feed lately — segregation. De facto segregation appears to be thriving in the United States. Zip codes remain a staggeringly strong force in predicting educational excellence. Zip codes also remain a great predictor of neighborhood demographics. 

The United States continues to have a school funding system heavily based in local property values, a system that is inherently discriminatory. The rich get more, the poor get less, and if government grants provide some redress under this system, their effect is spotty and unpredictable. Forget national curricula and national tests. We need fair school funding.

Many U.S. neighborhoods are effectively segregated, with school populations over 90% African-American, Hispanic or white. What happens as a result? If a segregated neighborhood is wealthy, the schools benefit. Unfortunately, the opposite is also true. Disadvantaged kids who need more help to catch up academically to luckier peers end up with fewer resources, no more time, and less help instead.