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"Author of the 2009 book, `The Flat World and Education,' Darling-Hammond says neither poverty, nor the diverse nature of the American population are excuses not to educate everyone. Several countries were behind the United States decades ago in education and now have passed us."

"'We united around the idea that even though we're at this great, private institution ... the community around us was afflicted with endemic poverty,' said Ted Gonder, one of the founders. 'No one was tackling the root of the issue, which we believed was financial illiteracy.'"

"As a senior citizen resident of Green Brook with an extremely low income, I am concerned about the impact of our current economy on a potential increase in my property tax. The Courier News ran a series of articles on excess (and wasteful) spending by our municipalities."

"Under the proposal, teachers would be evaluated and financially rewarded under a system where at least 50 percent of the evaluation would be based on student testing. Teachers could also earn bonus pay for teaching in high-poverty schools or teaching high-need classes..."

"George Dinkel, director of Center of Hope, which had done about 500 returns for low-income taxpayers by midweek, said, 'We have people coming into our office who can't get the state forms. They can't afford to go to H&R Block and pay $100, $300. It's really a burden for some people.'"

"The $15.5 million project was developed by Southport Financial Services with help from the Florida Housing Finance Corp., the agency that administers the low-income housing tax credit program. The agency encourages affordable multifamily housing by offering federal tax credits..."

"Garfield offered the worst possible conditions for learning: 85 percent of the students were low income, most of the parents were grade-school dropouts, faculty morale was bad, expectations were low."

"It wasn't an ordinary store. The clothes were free -- and for Miami's homeless. The students are part of Humility Now, a new organization dedicated to helping the homeless."

"The award is presented to urban school districts with strong academic records that show marked gains in student performance and a reduction in the achievement gap among low income and minority children."

"Among its students may be many who do not speak or read English, who live in poverty, who miss school frequently because they must baby-sit while their parents look for work, or who have disabilities that interfere with their learning."

"The foundation identifies eligible school systems based on size, low-income enrollment, minority enrollment and urban environment. Systems are not allowed to apply for the award."

"The Obama administration says the new law pumps more than $40 billion into this program, which provides need-based grants to low-income undergraduates and to certain post-baccalaureate students."