First, someone needs to develop a 'test' by which all high school seniors can be fairly compared. It can't be biased in relation to gender, race or socio-economic status. Let's make sure that all high school students get 'equal' and 'fair' education. They all need to attend good schools that offer challenging classes and the opportunity to succeed in math and science at a high level.
How do we do that?
The education system is based on taxes collected from the RE, and the city/county/state has control over that, not the fed. The fed does not dictate the Mill rate for RE taxes. That mill rate will impact the amount they get for their budget. Additionally, places like Vegas with the highest foreclosure rate are greatly impacted...a foreclosed home doesn't pay RE taxes. On top of that everytime a foreclosed home goes on the block for sale, the price is slashed, appraisals go down, which means tax assessment go down for every neighbor. That equates to less money in the budget.
Like I said, how do we do nationally create an equal system regarding education? Do we tell the affluent county they must hand over money to the non-affluent county to create an equal system? Do we tell states that they all will spend X dollars per child in the educational system?
Next, let's look at a place like Fairfax County, VA. Their education budget is larger than the bottom 8 states in the nation. However, the way the SA system is created, those kids from the 8 states have a higher chance of getting in than the kid from Fairfax, based on MOC, not stats. Thus, diversity does exist already.
I have taught for 5 yrs in he educational system, and in very rural areas. Education is a socio-economic issue when we talk about opportunities for kids. It is hard for a kid who has parents working 2 jobs to keep a roof over their head to get ahead. Many of them are latch key kids starting at age 10, some as young as 7. Their folks are not home to check homework. Their folks can't afford to buy the newest, latest, greatest computer, let alone pay for the internet for these computers.
The schools by law will spend the same amount per child within their system. Yet, due to school districting, it appears that one school is more affluent than another. It actually is more affluent, because of the PTO/PTA, and things like box tops or grocery stores (those fobs we use for savings, also donate to the school you ask them to). Additionally, those schools actually have more parental involvement (volunteering) since the parents don't have to work 2 jobs to keep a roof over their head, they are at the schools. Kids tend to act up less with more adults floating around. Plus, teachers have more time to teach, since the parents can do the trivial things, i.e., run copies off, grade tests, cover lunch rooms and recess.
The true problem in our school system IMPO is based on socio-economical issues. The minute we start to address the impact of poverty, is the minute we can give every student a class A education. Unfortunately statistically race is impacted the most, but poverty does not discern what your race is. It touches every race. Maybe more so with minorities, yet skin color is not a determining factor...go to rural WV or NC and you will see that very quickly.