O'Keeffe

We will discuss causes and possible solutions for disturbing inequality trends right in our own backyard. US Census data show child poverty rates in Schenectady have soared since 2000. Schenectady now has the 13th highest child poverty rate in the nation, with over half the city's children living in households below the poverty line. School officials report that up to 90 percent of Schenectady students currently qualify for free or reduced lunch, yet state aid for the district has been cut by a larger percentage than in many wealthier districts. Two years ago, the Schenectady School Superintendent filed a landmark lawsuit against New York State asserting discrimination in state education funding; the US Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights is currently investigating their complaint.

A hundred years ago, Schenectady School Board President Charles Steinmetz successfully advocated for transformative change in the Schenectady schools, which served a largely poor and immigrant population at that time. What has happened since then? How did we get where we are today? Is another such transformation possible a century later? We will examine the data and discuss efforts to address economic and educational inequality in Schenectady, highlighting potential opportunities for Union students to observe, research, and make a difference locally. The methodology of MIT's Poverty Action Laboratory provides a possible model for analysis of constructive solutions.