This paper looks critically at the historical, political, and economic context of differentiated schooling. The argument is made that this context explains the failure to address inequality in the current agenda for educational reform. The present inattention reflects the politics of economic scarcity and social conservatism, but, more importantly, it reflects persistent and deeply rooted assumptions about human abilities and the role of schools in providing equal opportunity. Neither the mood of generosity toward poor and minority children in the 1960s nor the current stinginess has altered the enduring differentiated structure of school.
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