Erika M. Kitzmiller’s "The Roots of Educational Inequality" provides a compelling and meticulously researched exploration into the long-standing issue of educational disparity in the United States, as illustrated through the history of Germantown High School in Philadelphia. From its grand opening in 1914 to its closure in 2013, Germantown High's evolution mirrors the broader trajectory of American public education, reflecting shifts in political, economic, and social landscapes.

The book’s narrative begins in the early 20th century when Germantown High was heralded as one of the nation's finest. At that time, it was a beacon of educational excellence in a prosperous suburban neighborhood. However, by 2013, the school faced closure due to persistently low academic achievement. Kitzmiller's longitudinal study reveals that this decline was not an isolated incident but part of a systemic issue embedded in the fabric of urban education.

Kitzmiller's research is notable for its depth and breadth, combining archival research with spatial analysis to challenge the narrative that American high schools have universally deteriorated over time. Instead, she argues that the roots of educational inequality were established early on. Her analysis shows that urban schools like Germantown High were chronically underfunded from the start, relying on private philanthropy rather than sustained public support. As the years passed and economic conditions changed, charitable donations waned, exacerbating the disparities.

The book is both illuminating and sobering, providing a nuanced understanding of how educational inequities have been perpetuated by inadequate funding and systemic neglect. The narrative is enriched by personal stories of students and staff, which vividly illustrate the human impact of these broader trends. For those looking to gain a deeper insight into the systemic issues that shape our educational institutions and how they have evolved over time, this is a great resource.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

A great insight into how lack of funding and misguided political/social efforts led to the demise of one school in Philadelphia and how this can be used to view the US educational system as a whole. It exposed how the government actually fails to fulfill its promises when it comes to urban school districts as they have evolved over the decades, with huge income-class and racial disparities. Kitzmiller did a lot of important research that she translated well and this was a relatively easy book to read, albeit the subject matter being tough.

A really interesting account about how constant underfunding of public education combined with racial fears to create segregated and exceedingly unequal schools. The basic spoiler is that white schools had a larger parent and alumni base to rely on for charitable donations, making the underfunding of these schools seem a non-issue. When the schools began to become more integrated, racial fears led to some of those families abandoning the schools and certainly a good deal of racism in the schools themselves, but the Great Depression and World War II really ate into charitable donations to schools. Without the donations, these formerly excellent schools fell into disrepair, so those who could abandoned them for highly selective schools, private schools, or for suburban schools with a higher tax base. This left them to be underfunded and largely poor and segregated once again. This led to the push to have school choice and the proliferation of for-profit charter schools that impoverish schools further, most without producing better results for students.

Serving as a backdrop to this general story is the story of Germantown High School. The book deftly weaves the history of this one specific school into the overarching story, telling individual stories of students and staff in an effective manner. It's a good deep dive into this time period of public school education history.

After taking over three pages of notes as I read this remarkably thorough and resonating journey through the life of Germantown High School in Philadelphia, I spent time just thinking over some of the many irrefutable points this book makes. It is not easy to read from a human standpoint---several times I had to reread a passage because the theories and "reforms" seemed so counterproductive to learning; for example, the allocation of inadequate funds, charter schools and the emphasis on testing along with the ever-present cruel reality of race as a determining factor in a student's ultimate success. The central take-away of this work is that Philadelphia was never prepared to completely finance this high school from its inception in the early 1900s. The 120-year fight to keep the school relevant and thriving ended with its closing just a few years ago.

This saga of the decline of an American high school could have taken place in any number of cities across the United States, but Philadelphia is a meaningful choice as the home of Benjamin Franklin (a great believe in education) and the Liberty Bell. Philadelphia also stands out as one of the poorest urban school districts in the United States.

Following the reading of this book, I studied a map of Philadelphia to visualize what was happening to education in this city. I also followed up my reading with a e-mail to author Erika Kitzmiller thanking her for giving me new insights on how complex are the issues of education in the United States.

This book was rather hard to get through. I found the subject interesting and important as public education is still vastly unequal and separated by gender, race, and class. However, the book was rather stale with all the quantitative information. I found the qualitative aspect really enjoyable to read. Actually hearing the stories of students in Philadelphia from decades ago until now was the part of the book worth reading.

A great look at Germantown High School- the beginning and how it got here. Philadelphia is not known for currently having good schools. It’s interesting to see the roots of how we got where we are. It’s good to know there are people trying to change the issues and be what the students need.

Educational inequality is not new nor is it extinct in public education. Kitzmiller’s historical view of Germantown High School in Philadelphia, PA was an eye-opener. Inequalities were present from almost the beginning and plagued this educational institution to its closing days. Racial and economic inequality play a key role in the educational system for these Philadelphia residents. Of particular interest was the differing accounts of the students’ experiences. There were such varying accounts of events for students attending during the same timeframe. The experiences for minority students were quite different from the experiences of white students. While there were many student accounts in the book, there were not many accounts from faculty members. I wonder if the educators from Germantown were even aware of how their practices impacted students.

This book should be essential reading for all educational administrators in the K-12 system. As we grapple with educational inequalities in the US, there are lessons to be learned from this book.

I had originally requested this book under a different pretense, but I'm thrilled that I kept reading even when it did not match my initial conception of what this book might be. As somebody in a 'third world country' I feel that educational inequality is as common as day and night and so to see it playing out in a case of one particular School as selected by the author provides for an interesting read. History teaches us important lessons in this book and it is my hope that many other such topnotch scholars like the author of this book will undertake such microcosmic studies and present an in depth picture. The public school system needs overhaul, yes it absolutely does. A weak public education system is sure shot way to corrosion of society, some affects of which, we are already seeing.

This is a strong recommend for anyone looking to understand the importance and manner of conducting such a study, apart from the all important topic that it deals with.