Globally, 1B children under the age of 18 live in poverty. 14.7M American children live in poverty. Poverty leads to higher absenteeism and school dropouts.
Globally, 1B children under the age of 18 live in poverty. 14.7M American children live in poverty. Poverty leads to higher absenteeism and school dropouts.
http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2015/12/07/456208805/how-a-schools-attendance-number-hides-big-problems
This article discusses chronic absenteeism, and how attendance statistics at schools don’t tell the entire story about attendance. Most schools just track the number of students absent on a given day, and their overall data doesn’t factor in whether the absent students have made a pattern of being absent. This is just one of the way impoverished and homeless students fall through the cracks in current American public educational system. It is important to identify students early when a pattern of absenteeism begins to occur, so families can be connected to community resources.
One of the most eye-opening experiences I’ve ever had occurred my sophomore year in college when I participated in a poverty simulation that UNICEF hosted. The simulation replicated a month in the life of a family living in poverty, and participants role-played as families living in poverty to understand the full range of encounters, obstacles and challenges that these families undergo on a daily basis. The ultimate mission of each of these families is to provide food, shelter and other basic needs with a limited income. This was a great hands-on way to experience a tiny glimpse of what it may be like to live in poverty even in the United States. I think this would be a great experience for UK students also as it raises awareness through direct experience to help illuminate the often misunderstood aspects of living poverty. Just some thoughts about ways to increase awareness here at UK or elsewhere! I found the experience very intriguing and informative!
The poverty that goes unseen in this world is absoutely unbelievable. What a lot of people do not see nor do they understand, is that it happens right here in the United States. “For the first time in at least 50 years, a majority of U.S. public school students come from low-income families, according to a new analysis of 2013 federal data, a statistic that has profound implications for the nation. The Southern Education Foundation reports that 51 percent of students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade in the 2012-2013 school year were eligible for the federal program that provides free and reduced-price lunches. ” This data is astounding, are we doing enough here at home to provide our young children for their future? The foundation of our future starts with this children and the education they have. We are taking away so much from Educational budgets that the children here are suffering.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/majority-of-us-public-school-students-are-in-poverty/2015/01/15/df7171d0-9ce9-11e4-a7ee-526210d665b4_story.html
I think you make a great point that the foundation of our future is built upon today’s youth, and it is saddening to read that 51% of students qualify for free and reduced lunch, which is a proxy for poverty. Rather than thinking of this as an issue that youth in poverty need to deal with, we need to frame it as a societal problem. When we fully realize the fact that today’s youth are tomorrow’s leaders and that the majority of that youth is living in poverty, we as a society may be more compelled to take action to support these kids.
Education level is greatly affected by poverty in several ways. As the documentary “A Place at the Table” demonstrates, it is extremely difficult for kids to pay attention and learn when they are hungry. Also, having limited resources makes accessing preschool and higher education almost unattainable. Letting poverty keep our youth uneducated is setting our society up for regress.
The author of the article listed below argues that, “an educated population is an essential prerequisite for national prosperity.” He also discusses that it is irrelevant to argue about who should pay for education because education isn’t just good for the person getting educated, it is good for everyone. Children living in poverty face more obstacles than the average student when trying to get a good education. I assert that it would be beneficial for all of society if we were to put more money towards helping youth in poverty, and education is just one means of doing that. More college scholarships, more comprehensive school food programs, more expansive free Head Start, etc. would aid the education of youth in poverty, but like it was argued in the article, this education would also benefit our nation’s population as a whole. It is time for people to realize that kids in poverty are our future, and helping them get a good education is just one small thing we can do that will benefit all of us as well.
https://verdict.justia.com/2012/03/29/an-educated-population-is-essential-to-a-nations-prosperity-yet-some-politicians-are-demonizing-our-educational-system-for-political-advantage
This is the link to the article I mentioned above.
Kirsten Scheil- EDC 550
https://www.upworthy.com/theres-a-hidden-but-easy-to-guess-reason-why-many-white-folks-are-born-wealthier-than-black-folks?c=hpstream
This article highlights the movement to understand and support the efforts to make things equal for all individuals in the United States, including income equality. This article discusses the fact that a majority of people’s wealth comes from previous generations. In the past, many African-American individuals weren’t granted the same access to earn decent livings, which they could later pass down to their families. Thus, the professor suggests that this may account for the disparities in wealth between White and Black families. Other issues are mentioned in the video/text.
Child poverty (and poverty in general) is a HUGE problem that is often overlooked. To be honest, until recently, I had no idea how big of a problem it was myself. I told my cooperating teacher at Lafayette High School that I was planning on looking into the subject and she was thrilled, telling me that there were a lot of students in the area who face the issue. She also briefly explained how this problem impacts their performance in school. How can someone be expected to power through the day with no energy or food? A lack of energy and brainpower is shown through lack of effort –resulting in decreased scores/grades.
She told me a story of a boy who, even though he was suspended, came to school everyday for the free breakfast. Some kids have NO other source of food.
Because I was in the dark about this issue, I expect many of my peers are too. I found an article that lists some facts about child poverty and the effect it has on school performance.
https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-education-and-poverty-america
Wow! This article was very interesting and full of information. I can’t believe all these facts about the relationship of poverty and education in America. As a future educator, I feel that this information is good to know. This will help me relate to lower income students that I may have. I also was shocked when the article said in one low-income school there was only one book for every 300 children to share. I remember in high school complaining about having to share a book with one other person so I couldn’t imagine sharing with 299 more. After reading this I decided that I am going to read more information about DoSomething.org and possibly sign up for a campaign.
Here is an interesting article on poverty and breaking the cycle of multigenerational poverty through education. If money is invested in poverty now, it will end up saving money for the government in many ways. Students that get their high school diploma are better equipped for finding a job and bettering their lives. When they have a means to get off of the street and find work, they are less likely to end up in prison. Prisons are also government funded, but require much more money to run than it would cost to aid the homeless now. Children cannot help the circumstances that they are born in and they need as much support as e have to offer because every child deserves a quality public education no matter what their circumstances are.
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765613268/Fighting-poverty-with-education-hope-for-breaking-the-cycle-of-multi-generational-poverty.html?pg=all
Receiving an education is not the single answer to prevent multigenerational poverty in America. If research suggest children from poverty families attend school less, and are more than likely to drop out of school compared to other children, it is plausible to believe this specific group of children will not receive a high school diploma. Research suggest that high school graduates between ages 25-32 made $8300 more in 1984 than high school graduates in 2011. So, this causes me to believe children born in to poverty and reasons suggesting are not the only and are true causes of poverty in America.
Professionals do not consider the psychological aspect of children who mimic their environment. People in close environment serve as the mirror that reflects images of themselves. If children constantly view and observe undesirable images, they will proceed to believe and trust that image of poverty is acceptable. Educate parents and care givers on how to achieve substantial education, housing, and the necessary skills to achieve higher income, breaking the cycle of poverty.
We started out our EDC 550 class talking about poverty and children in the United States. One of the videos we watched was Bernie Sanders, on the House floor, trying to get legislation passed to help these kids. Now he has announced his candidacy for president. Although many recognize that Sanders is a very long shot, I think it would be interesting if he could push the base a bit to the Left to help people see some of these issues that often get left on the fringes of politics, like childhood hunger in America. Just wanted to share this post so we could all learn a bit more about him. Election season is coming soon, and the best thing we can do as citizens is be informed in our vote:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2015/04/29/399818581/5-things-you-should-know-about-bernie-sanders
Another great depiction of childhood poverty rates in America. More specifically, this article highlights various aspects of poverty affecting children in the state of Kentucky. Data and statistics offered in this article include topics such as: demographics of poor children, parental employment levels, parental education, parental marital status, children’s race/ethnicity, home ownership, and parental presence. Overall, this article offers a visual way to look at the childhood poverty rates present in the state of Kentucky. It offers data and statistics from a wide variety of poverty aspects, which also allows the reader to see the devastating effects of poverty on children from a variety of perspectives.
http://www.nccp.org/profiles/KY_profile_7.html
Poverty is a devastating problem that can cause a number of issues for students in relation to their educational experiences and academic achievement. This article fleshes out a discussion on the effects of poverty on students in the United States. More specifically, this article provides demographic information related to education and poverty, implications of the issue, and a discussion on why eliminating poverty in US education is so crucial.
https://www.childfund.org/Poverty-and-Education-in-the-US/
This recent NPR article discusses a new book that deals with the American dream and indicates “that an “opportunity gap” has emerged here, making an upward climb much tougher in the 21st century, compared with the mid-20th century.”
We often talk about inequality and why it’s such an issue in our day and age, and I think this book goes far to show why it’s so troubling. Increasingly, the American dream is only available to those who have the right parents, those who are raised the right way, and those who have the right education.
“Putnam says a child born to married, college-educated parents has a very good chance of enjoying a comfortable life, rooted in formal education and personal connections; a child raised by a lightly educated single parent is starting the economic race wearing concrete shoes. The chances of catching up to the middle class are slim.”
How do we eliminate those concrete shoes from children growing up in poverty? How do we lessen the incredible statistics on childhood poverty in our nation? And, fifty years after it began, why has the War on Poverty failed our nation so miserably?
Forgot to add the link to the article:
http://www.npr.org/2015/03/10/391922654/the-numbers-add-up-to-this-less-and-less-opportunity-for-poor-kids
I think it’s incredible what Ms. Anderson did. In particular, I loved her statement, “Instead of kids having a running start, they are standing in the ditch, and you want them to do a high jump. They can do the high jump if you give them the right platform as a springboard.” I think it’s crucial to understand the effects of poverty and what that means in terms of lack of knowledge from the very beginning, but also recognize that a slow start is simply that. People from poverty can be just as brilliant as those from high SES if give the opportunity. I’ve actually done a bit of reflection on this myself and I’m realizing that as much as I understand that I lack in some components due to my upbringing, I am just as competent yet at every turn, I am reminded of my identities and have to continually explain “what diversity means to me” and “how I have contributed to diversity.” It’s like even when we don’t want to be defined solely by these identities, we are constantly reminded that that is who we are. I’m not sure how to combat it, but a springboard to leave those stereotypes behind is definitely necessary.
I really agree with Lan’s comment. Personally, I grew up in poverty and although it made some things harder for me, it did not cripple me completely. I think a lot of people want to blame their poor circumstances for the bad luck of their lives. I think people in poverty definitely need a “springboard” or a hand up, but they also have to have the drive and mentality that once they have that help, they will use it to succeed.
The story of Jennings Educational Training school was so uplifting and great to hear, especially because of the too-often negative stories we hear in regards to schools experiencing poverty. The challenge of running a suburban district with the chronic problems of an urban system usually leads educators and administrators to turn in the other direction. However, in this article, Tiffany Anderson comments that those challenges were the very reasons that increased her excitement about working with the Jennings school. Anderson describes the purpose of her looking into helping the Jennings school by commenting that she is simply trying to help restore hope in a community that has lost theirs. Anderson sheds a positive light on the issue of poverty in schools, as she shuts down the often-held assumption that students of poverty cannot achieve academically. As such, she set out to explain how high expectations and the right support system could indeed allow students in high-poverty districts to not only succeed, but to thrive. Finally, in shedding a positive light on the poverty situation, Anderson encourages educators, administrators, and community members to take a different perspective on poverty. Rather than viewing it as a hindrance to student learning, instead look at it through a lens of change – look at poverty as a means by which educators, administrators, and community members can challenge each other to assist students in overcoming the educational barriers poverty might bring, and to provide those poverty-stricken students with the utmost academic experience, an experience which not only challenges them to do better, but one that also allows them to succeed. It is at this time, when educators, administrators, and community members accept the challenge, that all students will be given the educational opportunities and opportunities for success rightly owed to them.
There are urban schools that overcome the effects of poverty and disadvantages to give students a great environment and outstanding learning experiences. Here is the url to one such story. http://leaders.edweek.org/profile/tiffany-anderson-community-schools-jennings-missouri/?cmp=ENL-EU-NEWS1
Childhood poverty in the United States is among the worst in the developed world. Nearly one third of children in America live in households with an income below 60% of the national median income. This article goes on to discuss how the United States ranks in relation to childhood poverty in comparison to other countries. It also provides two graphic representations of childhood poverty – one comparing the numbers across the country, the other comparing the poverty rates by state.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/10/29/child-poverty-in-the-u-s-is-among-the-worst-in-the-developed-world/
Bernie Sanders spoke on this in his address to President Obama requiring that an effort be made to reduce childhood poverty in the next five years. He also spoke on the economic burden of our rising inmate population that could be reduced by a mandatory pre-school program in the US. With the information that he has, he should begin a program in which inmates are able to work and produce goods for sale that are used to fund the program that will keep children in pre-school at an affordable cost and build toward a future with less incarceration. The cycle of inmates paying to prevent future inmates sounds like a cycle producing good.