View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What year did Kozol begin teaching in Boston?

2. How many teachers did Kozol's students in the urban Boston school have before he was assigned to teach their class?

3. What court decision found that segregated institutions for black people could exist as long as they were equal to those open to white people?

4. Which two poets did Kozol expose the children in the urban district to?

5. What Supreme Court decision found that segregated education was unconstitutional because it was "inherently unequal"?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why, in most cities, do the influential people that Kozol meets show little inclination to address the segregation in the pubic school system?

2. How does Coral Hawkins stand out from most of the teachers Kozol meets at Mary McLeod Bethune School?

3. Why does the author think that many wealthy people think it is okay if poor children receive fewer advantages?

4. Compare Baldwin's experience teaching in the urban school district in Boston and the suburban school district west of Boston.

5. Why does Kozol say he wrote the book Savage Inequalities?

6. Compare the two court decisions, Brown v. Board of Education and Plessy v. Ferguson.

7. What financial cuts are proposed for the schools in East St. Louis? Why do cuts have to be made to the schools in East St. Louis? Who is responsible for making the cuts?

8. Compare Coral Hawkins to the gospel teacher at Mary McLeod Bethune School.

9. What problem exists at Lathrop Elementary School, and what is the source of this problem?

10. What type of health issues exist in East St. Louis? Why do these illnesses exist?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the chapter entitled, The Savage Inequalities of Public Education in New York, Kozol travels to two schools that have issues with space. What limitations does the issue of space put on the teachers, students, and administrators? What future issues could arise because of the limited space at the schools? Please use specific examples from the book.

Essay Topic 2

Chapter 6 is entitled, The Dream Deferred, Again, in San Antonio. What dream was Kozol referring to and how was it deferred again? Who or what caused the dream to be deferred? Is there any way to save the dream from being deferred? If not, how could the dream be revitalized after being deferred? Please use specific examples from the book.

Essay Topic 3

Jonathan Kozol says that he wrote Savage Inequalities so that the voices of the children that attend public schools in America could be heard. In your opinion, what audience did Kozol want to read this book? Who was his target audience? Did he write his book for teachers, administrators, state leaders, government officials, etc? Why do you think he wrote the book for the audience that you have identified? Please use specific examples from the book.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,196 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample