Dr. Richwine Follows the Education Money

The affable Jason Richwine (pictured), who has a doctorate in public policy from Harvard, has a knack for demolishing prevailing shibboleths with meticulous quantitative analyses. His latest study, published by the Heritage Foundation, is titled "The Myth of Racial Disparities in Public School Funding."

Here's his conclusion: "Although it is often blamed for the racial achievement gap, unequal school funding is largely a myth. Per-pupil spending in the U.S. is broadly similar across racial and ethnic groups. If any one group enjoys an advantage in funding, it is black students, especially in the Northeastern states. Group differences in school achievement cannot be the result of an unequal commitment of resources to minority students, and simple increases in public school funding are not likely to close the gaps."

The entire report is here.