Reading Order
Savage Inequalities Reading Order
Jonathan Kozol's Savage Inequalities: Children in America's Schools (1991) is a landmark work of educational journalism documenting the extreme disparities between rich and poor school districts across America — visiting schools in East St. Louis, Chicago, New York, Camden, and San Antonio and showing what the children in each city actually have access to in their public schools.
Where to start
Savage Inequalities
Complete Savage Inequalities Book List
- 1Buy
Savage Inequalities
Jonathan Kozol·1991·The foundational book. Start here. - 2Buy
Amazing Grace
Jonathan Kozol·1995·Follow-up focusing on the South Bronx neighborhood of Mott Haven — the poorest congressional district in the United States at the time — and the children and adults who live and go to school there. - 3Buy
Death at an Early Age
Jonathan Kozol·1967·Kozol's debut — a memoir of his first year teaching in a Boston public school — that won the National Book Award and established his career as America's foremost chronicler of educational inequality.
Savage Inequalities — Frequently Asked Questions
What is the central argument of Savage Inequalities?
Kozol argues that the American system of funding public schools primarily through local property taxes produces extreme and morally unjustifiable inequalities between rich and poor school districts: the children in wealthy suburbs attend schools with competitive amenities, while the children in poor urban and rural districts attend schools without adequate heat, toilets, textbooks, or teachers. He argues that this inequality is the predictable outcome of deliberate policy choices, not an inevitable fact of life, and that it constitutes a form of educational apartheid.
How has school funding inequality changed since Savage Inequalities?
The disparities Kozol documented in 1991 have not been eliminated, though some states have implemented funding reforms following state court decisions finding their school finance systems unconstitutional. The federal No Child Left Behind Act (2001) and Every Student Succeeds Act (2015) attempted to address achievement gaps but did not fundamentally change the property-tax funding structure. Kozol continued to document the persistence of these inequalities in The Shame of the Nation (2005) and Fire in the Ashes (2012).
Monthly Newsletter
Never miss a big release
Get the most anticipated upcoming books delivered to your inbox once a month — no spam, no filler.
Monthly only. Unsubscribe anytime.
Book links are Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, BookReleaseRadar earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.