Racial Restriction and Housing Discrimination in the Chicagoland Area

American educators are confronted with rising academic expectations but a persistent achievement gap between European Americans and racial/ethnic minorities, sometimes reflected in the divide between inner city and suburban schools. A key source of these gaps are the funding gaps between urban and suburban school districts that result from the U.S. unique tradition of funding schools from local tax revenue. Because wealthier communities generate higher property tax revenue, bestowing on their schools relatively larger operational budgets than less wealthy communities, an educational opportunity gap in American society remains, which has important economic, social, and cultural implications.

This project will offer critical pedagogic units for educators (currently under development) to introduce students to the link between government policies, housing discrimination, and the contemporary wealth inequities that lie at the root of academic achievement gaps in a racially and geographically segregated society.