Episode 166: The Convenient Conventional Wisdom of "Education as Great Equalizer" Appeals

<div class="DraftEditor-paragraphElement" data-block="true" data-editor="a8ucv" data-offset-key="lbvj-0-0"> <div class= "public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="lbvj-0-0"><span data-offset-key= "lbvj-0-0">"Education... is a great equalizer of conditions of men—the balance wheel of the social machinery," stated school reformer Horace Mann in 1848. "Math is the great equalizer," preached Jaime Escalante, Edward James Olmos’ character, in the 1988 film</span> <span data-offset-key="lbvj-0-1">Stand and Deliver</span><span data-offset-key="lbvj-0-2">. "The best anti-poverty program around is a world-class education," announced Barack Obama during his 2010 State of the Union address.</span></div> <div class= "public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="lbvj-0-0"> </div> </div> <div class="DraftEditor-paragraphElement" data-block="true" data-editor="a8ucv" data-offset-key="gkuu-0-0"> <div class= "public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="gkuu-0-0"><span data-offset-key="gkuu-0-0">This message is everywhere, pervading political speeches, Oscar-bait films, think-tank papers, and everything in between. The key to economic upward mobility—we’re endlessly told, is education—a societal building block that is, or at least should be, accessible to every child, no matter their race, gender, or income level. It's a seductive, seemingly unassailable conceit, suggesting that we live in a meritocracy where second chances and generational wealth-building are possible, even probable, with a few simple tools.</span></div> <div class= "public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="gkuu-0-0"> </div> </div> <div class="DraftEditor-paragraphElement" data-block="true" data-editor="a8ucv" data-offset-key="f2c3b-0-0"> <div class= "public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="f2c3b-0-0"><span data-offset-key="f2c3b-0-0">But is there any truth to this idea? There’s a growing