Five Miles Away, A World Apart, James E. Ryan
Five Miles Away, A World Apart, James E. Ryan
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Five Miles Away, A World Apart
One City, Two Schools, and the Story of Educational Opportunity in Modern America

Author: James E. Ryan

Narrator: Adam Lofbomm

Unabridged: 13 hr 45 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 07/02/2019

Categories: Nonfiction, Education


Synopsis

How is it that, half a century after Brown v. Board of Education, educational opportunities remain so unequal for black and white students, not to mention poor and wealthy ones?

In his important new book, Five Miles Away, A World Apart, James E. Ryan answers this question by tracing the fortunes of two schools in Richmond, Virginia—one in the city and the other in the suburbs. Ryan shows how court rulings in the 1970s, limiting the scope of desegregation, laid the groundwork for the sharp disparities between urban and suburban public schools that persist to this day. The Supreme Court, in accord with the wishes of the Nixon administration, allowed the suburbs to lock nonresidents out of their school systems. City schools, whose student bodies were becoming increasingly poor and black, simply received more funding, a measure that has proven largely ineffective, while the independence (and superiority) of suburban schools remained sacrosanct. Weaving together court opinions, social science research, and compelling interviews with students, teachers, and principals, Ryan explains why all the major education reforms since the 1970s have failed to bridge the gap between urban and suburban schools and have unintentionally entrenched segregation by race and class.


About James E. Ryan

James E. Ryan is William L. Matheson & Robert M. Morgenthau Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Virginia School of Law. He is a former clerk to Chief Justice William Rehnquist.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Ansley on February 21, 2023

I read this book for class, and boy was it DENSE. It was cool to get to explore and discuss schools that I am directly familiar with; and further analyze the various issues impacting public schools nationwide. Ryan articulated so many different issues surrounding school finance litigation as well as......more

Goodreads review by Ryan on January 16, 2021

I generally liked this book. Other reviewers have done a nice job highlighting the best parts of Ryan’s book. I think he generally comes to solid conclusions on everything from school finance litigation to monolithic standardized testing regimes. I agree with his thesis (addressing inequities in edu......more

Goodreads review by Connor on November 30, 2020

Honestly, if you want to be inspired by the power of the courts to make a change in the country this would be the book to read.......more

Goodreads review by Red on March 04, 2021

This thing is DENSE. I did not get through it. I'm sure it's very informative but good lord have mercy this book could tranquilize an elephant......more

Goodreads review by Ellie on December 02, 2020

read for Edu Policy Class...helpful, interesting, and told in an informed/detailed narrative......more