Kate, What a great quote! I agree too that money can't fix everything. I often fuss and complain about not getting enough money in my own classroom, however, when I take a good look at what my money is spent on when I do get it, I am amazed. It seems that most of what I purchase for the classroom is just "extras". I was fortunate enough to get alot of what I needed when my school opened 5 years ago.
We can make do with most of the basics that we are given. Especially when getting a first-hand look at the schools mentioned in Kozol's book. Don't get me wrong, money helps alot! However, I feel that having a teacher who is willing to give it her all, having parents who are willing to support the education of thier child, and having a school system that will provide opportunities for the students and parents to interact together in the education process is the biggest key factors in a child's education.
In addition, I feel that parent involvement is the biggest factor that affects a child's education. It all has to start at home. A parent must instill in their child the importance of an education and the importance of getting involved before a child sees his/her education as being important. If we can't get the parents involved, we can pretty much forget about the student. In my classroom, I try to let the students "show off" or "put on display" their works as much as possible. We have plays, tea's, Student-Led conferences, parent nights, and Thanksgiving feasts. I teach first grade and I know it is easier to do these cutesie little things when they are younger but I do know that parents want to see their child doing their best and performing what they are learning. These times are always good to talk to some of the parents that would not normally respond to parent-teacher conferences. Most parents cannot come to everything that occurs at school but I try to give lots of opportunities for them to get involved and make their child special. Just some ideas. Sorry it's so long!