Five miles away, a world apart: one city, two schools, and the story of educational opportunity in modern America

James Ryan traces the fortunes of two schools in Richmond, Virginia--one suburban, relatively affluent, and mostly white, and the other urban, relatively poor, and mostly black.

Drawing on compelling interviews with students, teachers, and principals, including one who has been a principal at both schools, Ryan explains how certain policies--school finance, school choice, and standardized testing--not only fail to bridge the performance gap between students at urban and suburban schools but actually perpetuate segregation across the country.