---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Education is supposed to be our great…"
description: "\"Education is supposed to be our great equalizer, but when only half of low-income students are enrolling in college and only three tenths are graduatin..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c64/chris-meledandri-20429_children_education-is-supposed-to-be-our-great-eq_3074527.jpg"
---

#  Education is supposed to be our great equalizer, but when…

![“Education is supposed to be our great equalizer, but when only half of low-income students are enrolling in college and only three tenths are graduating, you have to figure some of our children are getting a greater equalizer than others.” quote by Chris Meledandri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c64/chris-meledandri-20429_children_education-is-supposed-to-be-our-great-eq_3074527.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c64/chris-meledandri-20429_children_education-is-supposed-to-be-our-great-eq_3074527.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c64/chris-meledandri-20429_children_education-is-supposed-to-be-our-great-eq_3074527.jpg)

> “Education is supposed to be our great equalizer, but when only half of low-income students are enrolling in college and only three tenths are graduating, you have to figure some of our children are getting a greater equalizer than others.”

[Chris Meledandri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-meledandri/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Education promises equality, yet enrollment and graduation gaps show it benefits some more than others.

**In simple terms:** Education isn’t equally effective for all low‑income students.

Key Takeaway

Address systemic barriers to college access.

Themes

education inequality policy access outcomes

Mood

concerned hopeful

Type

analytical advocacy

When to use this quote

- school counseling
- community outreach
- financial aid reform
- mentorship programs

Key Concepts

social mobility structural disparity resource allocation

Questions to Reflect On

- What systemic changes could close the enrollment gap?
- How can we support students beyond financial aid?

A Different Perspective

Even with reforms, cultural and familial expectations may still limit participation.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Education Supposed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education-supposed-1188040/) [Equalizer Half](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equalizer-half-5216634/) [Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great/) [Greater Equalizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greater-equalizer-5216636/) [Income Students](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/income-students-2237944/) [Only](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/only/) [Others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/others/) [Tenths Graduating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tenths-graduating-5216635/)

## Related quotes

> [Pell grants are critical tools for lower- and middle-income students to access higher education, and by expanding access to year-round courses, we can help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elise-stefanik/pell-grants-are-critical-tools-for-lower-and-middle-income-students/)

[Elise Stefanik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elise-stefanik/)

> [“A New Majority Low Income Students Now a Majority In the Nation’s Public Schools January, 2015 Click”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-marselle/a-new-majority-low-income-students-now-a-majority-in-the-nation-s/)

[Terry Marselle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-marselle/)

> [Pell Grants are, and have been, critically important tools in making higher education a possibility for lower- and middle-income students.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-dodd/pell-grants-are-and-have-been-critically-important-tools-in-making/)

[Christopher Dodd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-dodd/)

> [Education is not supposed to be about being controlled by someone in power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/education-is-not-supposed-to-be-about-being-controlled-by-someone-in/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Education is the system that’s supposed to develop our natural abilities and enable us to make our way in the world. Instead, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-robinson/education-is-the-system-that-s-supposed-to-develop-our-natural/)

[Kenneth Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-robinson/)

> [How is education supposed to make me feel smarter? Besides, every time I learn something new, it pushes some old stuff out of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/how-is-education-supposed-to-make-me-feel-smarter-besides-every-time/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Education is something that is supposed to happen as you go through life with your children. This is the Deuteronomy 6 model. It's an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-botkin/education-is-something-that-is-supposed-to-happen-as-you-go-through/)

[Victoria Botkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-botkin/)

> [“Education's supposed to be more than learning--leastways that's how we were taught. It's supposed to help build your character and help teach you how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/education-s-supposed-to-be-more-than-learning-leastways-that-s-how-we/)

[Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/)

> [“And I submit that this is what the real, no-shit value of your liberal arts education is supposed to be about: How to keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/and-i-submit-that-this-is-what-the-real-no-shit-value-of-your-liberal/)

[David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/)

> [“Entirely in accordance with what education is supposed to be. Education is the sum of what students teach each other in between lectures and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/entirely-in-accordance-with-what-education-is-supposed-to-be/)

[Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/)

> [This is what the real, no bullshit value of your liberal arts education is supposed to be about: how to keep from going through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster/this-is-what-the-real-no-bullshit-value-of-your-liberal-arts/)

[David Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster/)

> [“Education is supposed to help the child and parents: it mustn’t end up being a kind of holding cell. For this reason, our education…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naoki-higashida/education-is-supposed-to-help-the-child-and-parents-it-mustn-t-end-up/)

[Naoki Higashida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naoki-higashida/)

> [“But isn’t that what education is supposed to be about? To make people think?” “What kind of thinking is it when you deny something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-amernic/but-isn-t-that-what-education-is-supposed-to-be-about-to-make-people/)

[Jerry Amernic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-amernic/)

> [My parents always told us, you know, you have to get your education. You're not supposed to become a statistic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/venus-williams/my-parents-always-told-us-you-know-you-have-to-get-your-education-you/)

[Venus Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/venus-williams/)

> [Higher education is supposed to be a valuable investment in your future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-cardona/higher-education-is-supposed-to-be-a-valuable-investment-in-your/)

[Miguel Cardona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-cardona/)

## More by Chris Meledandri

> [Absolutely, you rise and fall based on your creative team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-meledandri/absolutely-you-rise-and-fall-based-on-your-creative-team/)

[Chris Meledandri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-meledandri/)

> [This phenomenon with Betty White is so wonderfully amazing. In a world where ageism runs rampant, out of left field, all of a sudden,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-meledandri/this-phenomenon-with-betty-white-is-so-wonderfully-amazing-in-a-world/)

[Chris Meledandri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-meledandri/)

> [I have been very fortunate since 'Ice Age' to make movies that somehow charm audiences. I think that the key to it for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-meledandri/i-have-been-very-fortunate-since-ice-age-to-make-movies-that-somehow/)

[Chris Meledandri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-meledandri/)

> [Embrace risk. The driving force behind our economic model at Illumination Mac Guff is designed to preserve the opportunity to take risk. Subvert the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-meledandri/embrace-risk-the-driving-force-behind-our-economic-model-at/)

[Chris Meledandri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-meledandri/)

> [If you are not breaking rules and you are not taking risks, you are not going to end up with movies where there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-meledandri/if-you-are-not-breaking-rules-and-you-are-not-taking-risks-you-are/)

[Chris Meledandri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-meledandri/)

> [Ted Geisel was trying to make a statement about awareness and personal responsibility. He was very clear about that. But the ideas and themes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-meledandri/ted-geisel-was-trying-to-make-a-statement-about-awareness-and/)

[Chris Meledandri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-meledandri/)

> [My faith in my filmmaking changed on the heels of 'Titan.' It allowed me to pursue things that I previously would have questioned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-meledandri/my-faith-in-my-filmmaking-changed-on-the-heels-of-titan-it-allowed-me/)

[Chris Meledandri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-meledandri/)

> [I was pulled out of school for every moratorium day and every rally for a left-wing candidate... from Ed Koch in his heyday to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-meledandri/i-was-pulled-out-of-school-for-every-moratorium-day-and-every-rally/)

[Chris Meledandri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-meledandri/)

> [You have to love Dr. Seuss to take on the responsibility of conveying his work in animation or any medium.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-meledandri/you-have-to-love-dr-seuss-to-take-on-the-responsibility-of-conveying/)

[Chris Meledandri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-meledandri/)

> [Owning pets is as close to a universal phenomenon as, I think, anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-meledandri/owning-pets-is-as-close-to-a-universal-phenomenon-as-i-think-anything/)

[Chris Meledandri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-meledandri/)

> [I have to understand how we are going to market the movie. We view marketing as an extension of content creation... Every time a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-meledandri/i-have-to-understand-how-we-are-going-to-market-the-movie-we-view/)

[Chris Meledandri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-meledandri/)

> [What I worry about the most is the competition for young eyeballs. We have so many other competing forms of media. I don't take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-meledandri/what-i-worry-about-the-most-is-the-competition-for-young-eyeballs-we/)

[Chris Meledandri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-meledandri/)

> [My early experiences in animation taught me that following someone else is not a great idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-meledandri/my-early-experiences-in-animation-taught-me-that-following-someone/)

[Chris Meledandri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-meledandri/)

> [We start with strong characters and build the movie from there. That not to say we don't struggle with story - that's the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-meledandri/we-start-with-strong-characters-and-build-the-movie-from-there-that/)

[Chris Meledandri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-meledandri/)

> [Children succeed when grown-ups care about them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-meledandri/children-succeed-when-grown-ups-care-about-them/)

[Chris Meledandri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-meledandri/)

[Explore all 31 Chris Meledandri quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-meledandri/)

## More Children quotes

> [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/)

[Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/)

> [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/)

[Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/)

> [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/)

[Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/)

> [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/)

[Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/)

> [It doesnt seem to me strange that children should like the macabre, the sensational, and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hecht/it-doesnt-seem-to-me-strange-that-children-should-like-the-macabre/)

[Anthony Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hecht/)

> [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/)

[Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/)

> [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/)

[Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/)

> [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/)

[Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/)

> [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/)

[Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/)

> [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/)

[Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/)

> [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/)

[Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/)

> [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/)

[Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/)

> [“Children's lives are always beginning and adults' lives are always ending. Or is it the opposite? Your childhood is always ending and your adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-espach/children-s-lives-are-always-beginning-and-adults-lives-are-always/)

[Alison Espach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-espach/)

> [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/)

[Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/)

[Browse all 62,396 Children quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Education is supposed to be our great equalizer, but when only half of low-income students are enrolling in college and only three tenths are graduating, you have to figure some of our children are getting a greater equalizer than others.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Chris Meledandri"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-meledandri/education-is-supposed-to-be-our-great-equalizer-but-when-only-half-of/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Children"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-meledandri/education-is-supposed-to-be-our-great-equalizer-but-when-only-half-of/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c64/chris-meledandri-20429_children_education-is-supposed-to-be-our-great-eq_3074527.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c64/chris-meledandri-20429_children_education-is-supposed-to-be-our-great-eq_3074527.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c64/chris-meledandri-20429_children_education-is-supposed-to-be-our-great-eq_3074527.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Education is supposed to be our great equalizer, but when only half of low-income students are enrolling in…” — Chris Meledandri",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Chris Meledandri",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-meledandri/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Education is supposed to be our...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-meledandri/education-is-supposed-to-be-our-great-equalizer-but-when-only-half-of/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-meledandri/education-is-supposed-to-be-our-great-equalizer-but-when-only-half-of/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
