I went to a poor school. 42 kids to some classes, not enough desks, couldn't bring the literally falling-apart history books home because we only had one classroom set of really old ones. Did full IB and went to Caltech and then got a PhD, myself. Another friend/classmate is an astrophysics prof now, and another runs social interventions to prevent gang violence for the city, and another is a DJ at our local music station, another's a veterinarian, people went to Princeton MIT Cornell and fine community colleges, blah blah blah. The people I just listed are men & women, black white Asian, from immigrant and non-immigrant parents.

There were definitely racial and socioeconomic biases baked into my high school, but despite being poor we have produced a great community and great people. High quality education can be provided even to poor kids, and it makes a difference. Public schools can make a difference.

Teaching yourself English from YouTube works for some, but it's not the norm. Education matters.