Children's Potential - T. Duggins

Well all children are the same, all children you see.
Wmong them's an important equality.
With a broad sense of wonder, and uncertainty, 
About their potential roles, in society.
But in poor neighborhoods businesses, often utilities, 
Like automation, energy, or other factories, see?
That destroy air and land, and make it poisonous to breathe, 
Ones that more affluent folk, would never have where they live.
All children depend on adults for education, but our schools are no different than presegregation. 
No ones assigned to schools, but compelled to go by law, 
Economically forcing kids into horrible schools.
Public schools depend on a local property tax, 
For their initial funds and local industry tax.
So a town with a deeper tax base can afford to pay more 
With larger businesses home-owners, and facilities, sure.
So north lawndale has one bank, 99 bars and liquor stores, 1 market, 48 lotteries, and murders galore.
For new businesses and jobs to come to an underdeveloped community, 
Well they get tax breaks for years; no they don't pay it's free.
'Tax increment financing's' what this is called.
Land is developed for business, funds are conveniently stalled.
And the increase is frozen off for 23 years
For schools, at the level, when the tif came here.
So the schools have no air, and sometimes no heat.
18,000 kids with no teachers and sometimes no seats.
With rain coming in and literally falling apart
With no books how could they learn anything else to start?
And ya have to have subs, when the teachers won't stay,
Cuz the schools can't afford to them any good pay.
With sometimes uneducated or indifferent subs, 
With classes so large the kids just can't keep up.
A lot of kids run wild cuz their situation at home,
Is indifferent or busy parents who are there on their own.
Some go to jobs, or addiction while other siblings mistreat them, 
Overpopulated schools, so many kids in the class there to teach them.
And the middle class all vote, they vote consistantly
Against the redistribution of their tax funding. 
They say, "why should we help them it's our kids' money?"
What more could you need for them that these kids don't need?
Like field trips to the museums or the symphony?
The suburb of neighborville has a flight simulator, see?
When kids learn that 'lovely things, no, they just aren't for me,'
They settle for shoes and stereos and cheap commodity.
And often can't afford it which causes anxiety,
So to go out and take it is the only way they see,
And they learn to stroke, and con and connive,
All they really learn is how to meagerly survive.
The middle class don't see it as racist but a class system, see.
But blacks and latinos are disproportionately
Represented in poor schools and communities,
And the drug trade and learning disabilities, see.
So the only funds left to rely on is federally.
But the initial funds go to all schools equally.
But equal funding when giving equivocally,
For all unequal needs is not equality.
So they offer higher funding on the old act.
The higher marks on the test the more money received.
Government requires the test but provides no resource,
With teachers dropping everything else to teach this, of course.
So there's less other lessons, and learning, you see.
Just rote memorization which is no fun for me.
The teachers can't take it and they give up in time,
Cuz they're teaching these kids that are two grade levels behind.
And when you show up to class then and you have no seat,
Why would you want to be there when you have no heat?
And they have no money and no books to teach 'em,
So they flunk the act and no money does reach them.
In the suburbs you have more stable life, and schools.
And most children they'll grow up to learn social rules
With more help and resource, scoring better frequently,
They score higher and get the funding on the old act.
State legislators provide allocations to schools,
To districts where their political allies are tooled.
Those who make allocations continually make their decisions,
That penalize the poorest districts that are into division.
So they've seen it's a wreck, and they've given their solution:
Government funded magnate schools, but that's no revolution,
For they select their own teachers and their own children,
And it puts the old schools right back there where they've been.
They select the highest scoring, their students, and leave
The less motivated in their wake and debris.
So the lowest scoring children still overcrowd these old places
And they have even less of a chance of act funded graces.
So they're not going to college, and there's no real jobs.
Well they won't sit on the porch like a bunch of lazy slobs.
In the neighborhood they figure "fuck it" even if they don't make it,
Some figure "screw it, i'll go get a gun and i'll take it."
So the nation's hardly indivisible where education's concerned.
And "if i'm seperate then i'm lower" is what these kids learn.
Leaving often hellish homes into hellish neighborhoods
And the schools that are falling apart, is no good.
Just like most neighborhoods in any country,
They're mostly filled with people who are hardworking.
Or would be hardworking if their town had jobs,
Who struggle to survive and stay up on top.
Blacks now own less capitol, and sit on less boards,
Then they did exactly fify years now before.
With their children in playgrounds kicking needles and bottles,
With cars flying past at all times at full throttle.
So you don't want to help you think it's them that has failed?
Well your taxes will go to them when they end up in jail.
And if the neighborhood's too dangerous for recess that day,
Then why the hell would anyone there want to stay?
Well in chicago just last year 400 schools,
Were labeled wrongly as failing to measure act rules.
And our tradition dictates that when you're overpopulated,
Why would the dominant want to give a chance to anyone else in this nation?
Well all children are the same, all children you see.
All among them's an important equality.
With a broad sense of wonder, and uncertainty,
About their potential roles in society.