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Find the latest stories, research, and insights on policies, programs, and ideas shaping the national conversation on poverty and economic mobility.
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Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity leads research and consulting initiatives that identify and address barriers to economic well-being.
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The Associated Press, April 26, 2011: Walker to speak at national school choice event
"Walker is proposing expanding the voucher program that currently is only available to low-income students in Milwaukee. He wants to expand the program to all of Milwaukee County and phase out the low-income qualifying ceiling."
The Columbus Dispatch, April 26, 2011: (Editorial) The right tools; Hiring and firing power crucial for new manager at South High School
"Tenth-grade passing rates for the graduation test happen to be the basis for calculating a school's 'performance index,' and so were enough to earn South a B... As the experience of most high-poverty urban schools shows, changing those numbers is difficult."
The Lexington Herald Leader, April 25, 2011: New teachers coming to E.Ky. to help close achievement gap
"Five years ago, in pursuit of my passion to end educational inequity between kids in poverty and their higher-income peers, I left my home state of Kentucky. After turning my tassel in Rupp Arena, I headed from Lexington to Louisiana to join Teach For America"
The New York Times, April 25, 2011: (Op-Ed) Great teachers are not nearly enough
"Saquan lands at MS 223 because his family has been placed in a nearby homeless shelter. (His mother fled Brooklyn out of fear that another son was in danger of being killed.) At first, he is so disruptive that a teacher, Emily Dodd, thinks he might have a mental disability."
The Lexington Herald Leader, April 25, 2011: Schools give harsh, unequal punishment
"Some in the educational establishment want to excuse the numbers, blaming poverty as a reason. But if poverty were the leading determinant..., then the Appalachian regions with the highest concentrations of child poverty should have the highest rates. That's not the case. "
The Columbus Dispatch, April 25, 2011: Students walk in shoes of the poor
"But those experiences didn't prepare the Capital University freshman for the challenges the poor face. During the past several months, Crandall learned what it is like to be homeless, penniless and so hungry that she dreamed about stealing food."
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, April 24, 2011: Head Start leaders told to expect cuts Budget woes to take toll, lawmaker says (Subscription Required)
"He told them to brace for potential cuts to programs largely paid for with federal dollars such as Head Start, which prepares low-income children for school through education, health, nutrition and family support services."
Austin American-Statesman, April 24, 2011: Round Rock schools top list
"Few urban schools topped the list, according to study results to be released Monday . Indeed, Austin's Lanier, Travis and Reagan high schools - where 79 to 88 percent of students are from low-income families - ranked among the lowest, the results show."
The Courier-Journal, April 24, 2011: Solutions to high-poverty schools may lie outside the classroom
"That's why several urban districts have turned their focus to finding their students social support -such as counseling, nutrition and after-school care -to help turn around their failing high-poverty schools."
The New York Times, April 24, 2011: Charter School Space: Free of Rent, Maybe, but Not of Hurdles
"he was approved and made plans to open an elementary school in Queens to be called Growing Up Green Charter. The first step was finding a suitable location in a public school building, which charters can use rent-free."
The New York Times, April 24, 2011: (Op-Ed) Poor Jane's Almanac
"But the story of Jane Mecom is a reminder that, especially for women, escaping poverty has always depended on the opportunity for an education and the ability to control the size of their families. The latest budget reduces financing for Planned Parenthood, for public education..."
The Leaf-Chronicle, April 24, 2011: Education reform begins with economic reform
"Most of the policy changes in the recent past have zeroed in on 'at-risk' students, those whose families earn below the federal poverty guidelines and qualify for free or reduced lunch... An astounding one in five children in the United States lives in poverty."
