Latest Coverage

"Philipp and fellow Grinnell College students Noah Most and Kathy Andersen instead spent the previous 59 minutes passionately talking about how they help local folks who are broke and have nowhere to turn."

"For a recent study on houses, kindergartners met residents from a homeless shelter, performed a play at LOVE Park about being homeless, and then raised $4,000 from the crowd for the shelter. The school consistently meets state academic benchmarks. "

"Enacted in 2002, No Child Left Behind promised to raise student achievement, particularly in reading and math. If schools fail to make gains, students from low-income families qualify for free tutoring. Companies apply with the state to become providers; families pick an approved tutor; and the school system pays with federal Title I funds earmarked for educating children from low-income families."

"So why are black and Latino students suspended more often than white students? The report, which analyzed U.S. Department of Education data, drew no conclusions. But Losen said he does not believe poverty is the reason. He said other studies have shown that the gap between the suspension rates of whites and minorities can be found at schools in communities of every income level."

"Many other low-income older and disabled people looking for affordable housing aren't so lucky. Pat Winston, executive director of the Paw Paw Housing Commission, said there isn't enough subsidized housing available to meet the needs of an aging population."

"The nationwide recession dramatically increased the percentage of metro-east students whose families live at or below the poverty level. Of 45 school districts in St. Clair, Madison, Clinton and Monroe counties, only six of them had more than half their student population rank below the poverty level a decade ago. "

"Anastasia Ibrahim, 15, was one of nearly 100 volunteers honored recently by Family Service Association of Redlands. In February 2011, Anastasia, a student at Redlands High School, founded a tutoring program at Family Service for homeless and low- income children."

"Almost 100,000 elderly and disabled New York City residents receive home care through Medicaid, but only a very small number receive care at the level Serrano does. Those ranks have declined by 25 percent in the last two years, from about 1,300 people to 1,000. City officials say the drop is due not to budgetary pressures but to state and federal orders to more stringently evaluate all cases."

"Yet a new report shows that funding across the country by states has declined over the past two years to the tune of about $90 million even though enrollment has increased. What's more, a number of states don't even fund early pre-K programs."

"The state Department of Education put New Jersey's most troubled schools on notice Wednesday, ordering administrators and educators to cooperate with state intervention and improve student performance or face serious consequences."

"The Wake County school system's new student assignment plan is built around the word 'choice,' but letting families pick their schools means the system must also adjust for lopsided outcomes. Popular schools now have triple-digit waiting lists, while others are begging for more applicants, and some face a sharp rise in low income students."

"'Children of poverty do not have a choice of where they go to school. They are zoned for those schools.' Critics, including Henry Mabry, executive secretary of the Alabama Education Association, said charter schools would divert funding from already poorly funded districts.