Fixing America, Part II

Now for part two on our list of problems to be fixed in America: inequality. I'm a believer in equality of opportunity, not overall equality. Everyone should get similar chances in life. The outcome, then, is up to each individual. I would consider inequalities that then form to be "fair."

That said, we are far from this in the US. We like to believe that anyone can do anything (and there's certainly truth to that), and complete equality of opportunity is not possible, nor is it really desirable. Nonetheless, some find it much harder to reach their potential than others. Being born in a wealthy family and going to a good school increase your chances of success dramatically.

This is why education reform is so important. Education is strongly correlated with income. The current system is unfair, for obvious reasons, but it's also economically inefficient: talent is wasted. Kids with potential who live in bad neighborhoods are much less likely to reach that potential. More charter schools and federal funding for poor schools are needed, as well as more teacher and school accountability. Some of this is happening, but teachers' unions are standing in the way of more sweeping reforms. This is shameful.