A white child born in Westport has excellent odds of getting a good education. More than 81 percent of Westport's white fourth graders had reached the state's goal in reading on the Connecticut Mastery Test in 2004, a solid showing that was actually down from the last few years.

The prospects for a black child born in Bridgeport, just a few miles up Interstate 95, aren't nearly so good. Less than 20 percent of black fourth graders in the city met the state's goals last year.

The numbers are impossible to ignore, particularly for parents of children enrolled in public schools in Bridgeport and other cities. Some people are worried the state hasn't been paying attention.