1) The systemic discrimination you speak of appears to be related to race, yet one might argue that the systemic discrimination in subsidized housing is related more to class/SES (i.e., neoliberalism – the “movement” to privatize goods), or at the very least, both. If you’re interested, read my review of the book “The New Political Economy of Urban Education,” on 1/3/2013, which talks about the drive to displace poor (and yes, minority) people: http://theeducatedsociety.com/book-review-the-new-political-economy-of-urban-education/

2) For the same reason, I’m not sure that the “Moynihan-esque” comment is applicable to the Hart & Risley study. His inflammatory commentary were in regards to a “deficit” in the black family. H&R’s study, on the other hand, was about privileged and underprivileged families, which is based on class/SES. If H&S’s study is considered “Moynihan-esque,” then every advocacy group, study, or policy aimed at improving the disadvantaged (including Unicef, welfare policies, NCLB, etc.) would be “Moynihan-esque.” Moynihan’s perspective was parochial, more than anything.

Second, I struggle with the results of Hart & Risley – specifically the Moynihan-esque interpretations of them. I hope we agree Moynihan made an effort to overlook the systematic discrimination that led the mix of ethnic whites to suburbs and Blacks to subsidized housing complexes (Race: The Power of an Illusion is the best video summary of it).

I think this has left many African Americans with experience that education does not get them what it gets others. The data in the 2011 Georgetown study shows that this may be accurate: Amara Philip (from GU’s website): “minorities would have to earn a master’s degree to earn as much as White non-Hispanic with a bachelor’s degree.” And I think about Nathan McCall, in his autobiography Makes Me Wanna Holler talking about how the curriculum doesn’t relate to him. I do think that was getting better, but the testing and teach to the standards/standardized curriculum may have moved that backwards.

I think the behaviors you mention are right on. I think the causes are clearly more complex, and the history of discrimination and unequal treatment of different minorities needs to be before a simple “poverty” or “culture” variable.

Head Start was one of the best things the US did for children. But I’ve always felt that it started the push for earlier and earlier private school experiences, as people with money felt that if classes were good for poor kids, they’d be even better for their own children, which in the long run, made it harder to level the playing field.