Can College Level the Playing Field: Higher Education in an Unequal Society

(Hardback)

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Why higher education is not a silver bullet for eradicating economic inequality and social injustice

We often think that a college degree will open doors to opportunity regardless of ones background or upbringing. In this eye-opening book, two of todays leading economists argue that higher education alone cannot overcome the lasting effects of inequality that continue to plague us, and offer sensible solutions for building a more just and equitable society.

Sandy Baum and Michael McPherson document the starkly different educational and social environments in which children of different races and economic backgrounds grow up, and explain why social equity requires sustained efforts to provide the broadest possible access to high-quality early childhood and K12 education. They dismiss panaceas like eliminating college tuition and replacing the classroom experience with online education, revealing why they fail to provide better education for those who need it most, and discuss how wages in our dysfunctional labor market are sharply skewed toward the highly educated. Baum and McPherson argue that greater investment in the postsecondary institutions that educate most low-income and marginalized students will have a bigger impact than just getting more students from these backgrounds into the most prestigious colleges and universities.

While the need for reform extends far beyond our colleges and universities, there is much that both academic and government leaders can do to mitigate the worst consequences of Americas deeply seated inequalities. This book shows how we can address the root causes of social injustice and level the playing field for students and families before, during, and after college.

Reviews

"Can College Level the Playing Field is a clear and focused analysis of the role of higher education in contributing to inequality in the United States and what can be done about it. . . . A redemptive argument for a just and fair system of higher education."---Christopher Martin, Theory and Research in Education

Author Bio

Sandy Baum is a nonresident senior fellow at the Center on Education Data and Policy at the Urban Institute and professor emerita of economics at Skidmore College. Her books include Student Debt. Michael McPherson is president emeritus of the Spencer Foundation and Macalester College. His books include Lesson Plan (Princeton). Twitter @ctrloption