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"Educated poor kids are in the exact opposite position. Many attend second- or third-rate (and possibly for-profit) colleges that churn out less-than-useful degrees. And instead of a floor propping them up, their families and friends can act like an anchor pulling them down. A classic example: a college-educated woman who goes home and marries a boyfriend who never made it past high school and has trouble holding down a job. America's lack of class mobility is still largely a problem of education. As of now, low-income kids have low high-school graduation rates, rarely go to college, and tend not to finish when they do, all of which keeps them out of the middle class."

"Our country apparently doesn't want low-income Americans to have free access to birth control, either by compelling all insurance plans to offer it or by adequately funding public reproductive health programs. In many schools -- predominantly located in low-income, high-teen-pregnancy areas -- we don't even teach kids how contraception works. We also don't want them to have easy access to abortions when they inevitably get pregnant because they're not using birth control, with states such as Texas and Mississippi trying to shutter their few remaining abortion clinics."

"In San Francisco's public schools, the homeless student population nearly tripled during the past 10 years: 844 in the 2004-05 school year compared to last school year's 2,352, according to data from the San Francisco Unified School District. For the past five school years, more than 2,000 students were registered as homeless, including this year's count of 2,094."

"A report released last week by the Public Policy Institute of California, a nonpartisan think tank, found that grants and scholarships have failed to keep up with rising costs of higher education. The total cost of attending college increased as prices for books, fees, room, board and other living expenses rose. The study found that aid to students has not kept pace with these additional costs and that more low-income students may be unable to cover the price of higher education."

"For seven years, the Long Beach Community Action Partnership has provided opportunities for low-income youths to receive training in fields such as digital photography and music production. Through the partnership's Leadership Academy & Mentoring Program (LAMP), middle and high school students study subjects in highly specialized fields in courses taught by industry professionals. Each semester, up to 50 students are accepted into the after-school program, and many of them have gone on to enter careers in arts and entertainment, according to Darick Simpson, the partnership's executive director."

"Adults 17 and older receive literacy support and financial education through Santa Maria Community Services� Evening GED Program, which won a $10,000 grant from The Donald C. and Laura M. Harrison Family Foundation. Through Santa Maria�s Workforce Development initiative, the Evening GED Program offers General Education Development preparation classes four evenings a week throughout the year at no charge to anyone in need. [��_] ���By combining literacy education and financial and employment services in this GED program, we can help move families out of poverty,� says H.A. Musser, Santa Maria President and CEO. ���With this program and the supporting grant, we�re helping our clients meet the ultimate empowering goal of self-sufficiency, helping people to help themselves and help their families. We are very grateful for the support of the Harrison Family Foundation for our programs.�"

"A new list of rankings published by CollegeNet, a higher-education technology company, and Payscale lists the top schools for lower-income students. The 'social mobility index' created by CollegeNet and Payscale highlights schools that do the best job of helping disadvantaged students graduate with the ability to start a career free of crushing levels of debt. Five criteria determine the SMI rankings: tuition, percentage of the student body from low-income households, graduation rate, salaries of grads once they start working, and the size of each school's endowment. Take a look at the top 10."

"The Cristo Rey Columbus High School is part of the now 28-school network founded in Chicago by Jesuit priest John P. Foley in 1995. The schools are strategically located in cities large enough to have a needy urban population, a supportive local Catholic diocese, and cooperative, deep-pocketed businesses. Columbus, which is an energetic, creative, and generous city, fit the bill perfectly. The mission of the schools, as James Ragland described it, is to break the cycle of poverty through education."

"The Illinois State Board of Education released statistics showing that more than half of public school students in the state are considered low-income, and for the first time, less than half of public school students are white. The agency said Wednesday that the state's white public school student population has dropped to 49.9 percent, while its Hispanic population has grown to 24.6 percent. It also said 51.5 percent of all Illinois public school students are considered low-income."

"What if when we talked to high school and college students, especially those from low-income families, instead of, 'What's your major?' or 'What are you going to do for a career' or 'What's your GPA?' We asked, 'What are your hopes and dreams for your life?' I think everyone could benefit from being asked and then answering this question, but I think it's most vital for students who are striving to achieve the American Dream through education, especially higher education."

"About 650 schools throughout the state are opting into a program to provide free breakfast and lunch for all students. It is part of a new program called Community Eligibility Provision, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The idea is to allow schools with high percentages of low-income children to offer free meals for all, instead of collecting individual applications for free and reduced price meals."

"While the current U.S. economy continues to improve, there is one area that is still feeling the squeeze from the recession years: K-12 public school spending. Recently, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities found that 34 states are contributing less funding on a per student basis than they did prior to the recession years. Since states are responsible for 44 percent of total education funding in the U.S., these dismal numbers mean a continued crack down on school budgets despite an improving economy. In extreme cases, like in Philadelphia and Chicago, individual districts have had to tap into other money and reserves to cover the basics of public education in their areas."