Research Shows A Powerful Relationship Between Income An Education But We Are Told That Income Does Not Matter

This article describes the growing education gap between the affluent and the poor. The academic performance gap between the affluent and the poor is up 40% since the 1960's. The college completion gap between the affluent and the poor is also up by 50%. These studies on the education gap come during a time of growing concern about the increase in income inequality during this period. The reporter then turns to a conservative economist from the University of Chicago, and to Charles Murray who is employed by the conservative American Enterprise Institute for their advise on how to solve the problem. They tell us that income inequality is not the problem. It would be a mistake to have another war on poverty. We have a culture gap and not an income inequality problem. Income inequality is the symptom of the culture gap. This leaves us with the problem of how to reduce the culture gap if it really is the problem.

One problem with the conservative perspective is that the education gap between the affluent and the poor fell dramatically during the post war period simultaneous with the reduction in income inequality during that period. It would appear that growing prosperity within the middle class had a lot to do with improving educational outcomes for those less well off. Its quite possible that the education gap is a function of the growth in income inequality. Housing patterns in the US have become increasingly segregated by income, and the growth in income inequality has increased the number of low income communities. Schooling in the US depends upon the local community for funding. Segregation by income also reduces cultural interactions between the poor and the affluent that has the potential to encourage academic interests among the poor. The only explanation made for the growth in the cultural gap between the affluent and the poor was a weak attempt by Murray to blame it on government policies in the 1960's that discouraged marriage. His view of whatever cultural gap has occurred is related to a decline in family values that was induced by government policy. That explanation will play well within the Tea Party but it falls far short of an explanation for the education gap.

I find it hard to imagine why the NYT which reported the growing gap in education in relation to income could only find two conservative commentators to respond the questions raised by the research. They are more concerned with denying the role of income as a source cultural or education problems. Government is the cause of all of our problems.