The Superintendent of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Peter Gorman addressed the Rotary Club in 2006 with a speech that addressed a plethora of issues. Gorman focused in particular on how schools and community organizations like the Rotary Club can work together to bring more ethics, fairness, and integrity into the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school system. Opening with the emphatic statement, "Dramatic reform is going to happen," Gorman grabbed the audience's attention by pointing out areas of major concern like failing test scores. However, Gorman also raised questions about the gap between rich and poor students that impacts not only test scores but also community integrity. For example, Gorman notes that by the time a student reaches high school, parental involvement in the child's education and in the school system in general wanes or stops completely. Gorman points out how detrimental a parental lack of interest might be in improving the quality of Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools.
             The primary ethical issues Gorman outlines in his speech center on improving equal access to the same educational resources. Bridging the gap between rich and poor is one of the nation's most challenging tasks, which becomes especially vivid in the arena of public schools. Gorman suggests that inequality at the school level underlies the broader problems with social justice in the United States. Wealthier students begin with advantages not available to their poorer peers, and the situation worsens as the child matures. By high school, students from affluent backgrounds stand poised for college. Subsequently, those students will have increased access to high-paying jobs and to positions of power. Poorer students may not possess the social, cultural, or financial capital to follow suit.
             While Gorman does not delve into the details of what he intends to do about the income disparity in his community, he does at least raise the topic to ...