Response to Gaston Alonso's review ofComplex Justice: The Case ofMissouri v. Jenkins

Extract

I would like to thank Gaston Alonso for his kind review and his perceptive criticisms. We share many concerns about the state of urban education. Our differences center largely on what to do in response to the systemic failure of many urban school systems. Even here, though, I suspect that our differences are not as substantial as they first appear. While Alonso and his coauthors call for an infusion of resources into urban schools, I remain skeptical both that underfunding really is the source of their problems and that more money would be used effectively absent more fundamental reforms. But when an urban school district truly lacks sufficient resources to provide a safe and humane learning environment, then certainly more funding is called for. I would prefer that such funding be contingent on implementing additional reforms that ensure that the resources make their way to students, rather than being diverted or absorbed along the way.