I think that Malcolm Gladwell's "Marita's bargain" has a very political message. He provides strong, scientific evidence of a successful schooling system that is completely different from the rest America has, which gets kids from the poorest neighborhood in New York City to college and out of poverty. And the KIPP system does so not by giving the children laptops or whatever, but more time in school. He goes against an expanded opinion in America, that school is failing kids because of resources reasons. And yes, schooling system could use more budget, always, but school is not failing kids, lon summer vacations are.