Tom Bloch sees great benefits for education if we can correct income disparities through more equitable taxation.

Tom Bloch: I think we still have two systems of education in the United States, and I worry because we also have two societies in the United States. And I think you think about how we can create a more equal society, well, one school of thought is that you redistribute income, you change the tax laws so that low-income people would get more money back or higher-income people will be paying more tax, and that will even out this inequity that exist, and that may help, at least in the short term. But longer term, to really create a single society that’s fair to all people is through our education system.

That, in the long term, will do more to improve our nation than anything we can do. Now, short term, yes, we could re-distribute income through the tax system and other ways, but unless we improve our education system such that all children have an equal opportunity, in the long term we will not have that great society that we strive for.

Recorded on: October 13, 2008