Better public schools require a stronger safety net. School segregation by class is the norm in the United States

Many American kids are getting a fine education these days, but plenty more are stuck with lousy schools. This disparity shouldn’t come as a shock, because that’s the way our society is designed.Given that nearly half of public-school funding is derived from local property tax revenue, rich kids attend good schools while poor kids get stuck with struggling schools. Middle-class children often go to mediocre schools, but since the middle class is now shrinking so speedily, their schools are headed down a slippery slope.