I just read your Independent interview with school board candidate Brian Campbell . I think it's a mistake to say, "Race is not the issue." While race is a fallacy physically, it is the insidious manner by which the U.S. has framed/boxed people into castes — denying some the full freedom to develop, individuate, and pursue success based on skin color.
It is insidious because we have concretized the idea that skin color runs deeper than skin and have created a society where some of us have to be conscious of our skin color while others do not. When looking upon oneself means acknowledging one's self, one's skin color, and how that skin color is seen with contempt, to say that "race' has no effect on learning is assuming you have the wisdom from an experience you have not had, if you are white. You do not have all the answers, especially when it comes to this issue.
Economic disparity is a huge factor in educational success, but it is also a consequence of systemic racism. Until we create an economy that works for everyone, education and learning will continue to go to those with resources, including the intangible ones Campbell does not mention in interview: a sense of belonging and acceptance. These do not magically appear when you own a cell phone.