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  • Essay / I Don't See Race: Why We Can't Ignore Equity in Effective Government

    The same government services are very different for communities facing poverty, low density, population loss and colorblind policies. In 1963, more than 250,000 students boycotted Chicago public schools to protest racial segregation. Specifically, they called for the resignation of Superintendent Benjamin Willis for discriminatory practices. In overcrowded and segregated black schools, the superintendent called for building trailers, or “Willis Wagons,” on school grounds instead of allowing black students to enroll in white schools. The protests were unsuccessful and segregation was maintained. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay This was part of Mayor Richard J. Daley's de facto segregation policies that made segregation normal in Chicago. This arrangement has remained largely unchanged to this day. It's more than a historical anecdote. White racial advantage in politics and resource distribution is the foundation of our urban history. From explicit racial segregation in schools, to FHA lending practices and redlining, racially inequitable public policies have shaped our region's urban landscape. While legal discrimination has largely been eliminated, the historical effects of racism and current inequitable investments and enforcement perpetuate disparities in education, housing, employment, income, wealth, and more. ., as described in the cost of MPC segregation. Not only are we paying the costs of segregation, but we are also missing the opportunity for stronger growth that would result from more equitable outcomes. Several policies invest in growth and reduce racial inequities in outcomes. A frequently cited example is early childhood education. As the White House noted in 2014, this advantage increases cognitive and achievement scores by 0.35 standard deviations on average, nearly half the difference between blacks and whites in the achievement gap in kindergarten. Expanding access to early childhood education would go a long way toward narrowing the achievement gap. Closing the education achievement gap would have a profound impact on reducing government costs and increasing economic productivity. This includes employment, income, reproduction, health, likelihood of receiving public assistance, and political participation. However, systemic inequalities persist. In the Chicago area, there is a history of structural funding disparities that impact the education system as a whole. In 2017, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) provided operating expenditures per pupil (OEPP) which demonstrated the wide disparity across the state. For elementary schools, Roundout SD 72 in Lake County spent 34,306.51 per student compared to Cherry SD 92 in Bureau County. , which spent 2,790.05 per student. For secondary school districts, Niles Twp HSD 219 in Cook County spent $30,257.37 per student, compared to $9,475.55 per student for Vienna HSD 133 in Johnson County. There is a lack of equity between urban, suburban and rural communities where some students get what they need while others are left behind. Faced with these inequities, the Illinois Legislature passed SB1 which seeks to address some of the inequities in the state's funding formula in August 2017. It uses what is.