Poverty and Education

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8895200797299787815.post-53215003014001489862007-09-05T16:14:00.001-05:002007-09-05T16:52:55.802-05:00Poverty and EducationI have read and listened to comments from people who seem to believe that poverty plays no role in a child's learning. That poor, middle class and rich kids all have the same opportunities etc. Is that what most people believe or just a few bloggers? I have to ask a few questions for those who actually do believe that poverty makes no difference. 1. Why does the Federal Government give Title I funds to schools with high poverty rates? 2. Why does NCLB look at the gap between economically disadvantaged and non-economically disadvantaged? 3. Why was SAGE created? 4. Why do schools with high poverty rates almost always have low test scores? 5. Why was Head Start created? 6. Why have a "War on Poverty" if poverty has NO effect on children? Why do people want to deny that poverty does affect children and their learning? I am not saying that every child in poverty will be affected the same way or that if you are poor you will not succeed. But to deny that teaching and learning is more difficult in high poverty schools just has no basis in reality. It was asked on OshKonversation, "Is it fair that only some of our children benefit from SAGE classes and not others; what happened to equitable?" The poster is confusing EQUAL with EQUITABLE.. SAGE is the very definition of equitable... equal means everyone gets the same thing, equitable means giving everyone an equal opportunity, which is what SAGE does. It just baffles me that some continue to argue that poverty has no effect... or like the speaker at the last board meeting... those whose children qualify for free or reduced lunch aren't poor --- they just need someone to show them how to spend their money more wisely. Yeah, you go on believing that the families who make $6 and hour don't have it any harder than those that make $20. I guess it makes one feel better to believe poverty really doesn't matter, because then we are not required to address a problem that doesn't exist.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8895200797299787815-5321500301400148986?l=oshkoshstudents.blogspot.com'/></div>Questioningnoreply@blogger.com7