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"Some 80 percent of the city's schools didn't meet federal testing targets this year, leaving Mayor Richard Daley's successor with a massive organization still plagued by academic failure as well as budget woes, high poverty and debilitating social conditions..."

"It took away jobs and depleted the savings accounts, stock portfolios and home equity many middle-class families assumed would pay for college. As a result, Emory is spending nearly twice as much as planned to make college affordable for low- and middle-income families."

"The foundation's idea was to finance small schools that, in partnership with local colleges, would provide an early introduction to the concept and rigor of higher education to up to 400 low-income high school students, 100 per grade."

"During the first days Landis Brewer spent homeless, he maintained a facade of suburban comfort at South County High School, where the all-district running back with the easy smile was the image of teenage aplomb."

"Half of teacher evaluations would be based on three years of student data -- such as scores on the FCATs, the new end-of-course exams... The system would look at student growth rather than raw scores, and would account for factors including poverty and student mobility."

"And the workforce part of the equation is enormous. The nonelderly 'transit dependent' are workers, people who often have low-wage jobs but need reliable public transportation."

"The foundation's idea was to finance small schools that, in partnership with local colleges, would provide an early introduction to the concept and rigor of higher education to up to 400 low-income high school students, 100 per grade."

"Julie's story wasn't the kind most traditional high school newspapers would run. But it was an important story for her to write. For her, it was validation that her life, with all its difficulties, mattered. A"

John Bridgeland discusses new report on ending the high school dropout epidemic

"Far too many of our children, especially those growing up in low-income communities, are not receiving the world-class education they deserve and that we can provide."

"'After one year, something broke(through) in my heart and I speak English so well,' she said. The program began four years ago for low-income women with children 4 to 8 years old whose first language is not English"

"The highest rates of obesity occur among populations with the highest rates of poverty and the least education, more so among women. And people aren't crazy to note that families deemed 'food insecure,'... are sometimes led by overweight adults"