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"Fresno Unified leaders Thursday afternoon urged state lawmakers to consider poverty and extreme weather conditions when granting $2.5 billion in Proposition 39 funds to improve energy efficiency in schools."

"I think it is time we stop the line in education and create an environment that provides all kids with a foundation for success. The gaps in both opportunity to learn and achievement between middle-class white students and students of color or poverty have existed in this state far too long."

"On Tuesday the Senate voted down a bill sponsored by Sen. Aaron Osmond, R-South Jordan, that sought to give parents of a defined group of at-risk children the opportunity to enroll them in a state-funded preschool program."

"It's tempting to conclude that the advantages of wealth and income have simply intensified, so the odds are increasingly stacked against poorer students. No doubt that's true to some extent, but Bailey and Dynarski show that most of the change has been driven by trends among female students. The gap between rich and poor in both college entry and college completion widened by almost twice as much for women as it did for men."

"By setting a portion of the tax credit scholarship funding aside for students from low-income families, our Legislature has set a strong precedent. For the first time, those Alabama parents that once felt helpless have now been empowered with the freedom of choice."

"To begin putting more students in classrooms, Governor Deval Patrick has proposed boosting spending on early childhood education next year by about $130 million. Those dollars would be used to increase the pool of money low-income families can access to help pay for day care."

"There's a surplus of funds for the kindergarten program, and administrators want more low-income students to reap the benefits of an all-day kindergarten, which led to the proposed reduction in fees for only those students."

Meche Sansores, Women�s Action to Gain Economic Security

"Mathematica Policy Research has released its five-year investigation of 43 KIPP schools - the largest study ever of a charter school network. The $4 million study, funded by the Atlantic Philanthropies, concludes: The average impact of KIPP on student achievement is positive, statistically significant, and educationally substantial.'"

"The district must do more to provide hands-on attention, he says, than simply handing out a phone number for HomeFront or other agencies and making a quick referral. Mercer County has a strong network of services and help for the homeless. But without access to a computer or a social worker or an empathetic ear, some families may not know where to turn in the blur of events leading to loss of their home."

"It has been a long journey for Mary Rose Estates, which initially wanted to open in Willoughby but had to find another location after the city vetoed the plans. The 40-unit building is intended for seniors and is subsidized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development."

"KIPP's positive outcomes are the result not of its unique learning approach but rather, so the familiar critique goes, of its ability to attract the best students with highly motivated parents. Now comes rigorous research that should put an end to those suspicions and hopefully prompt discussion of what other schools might take away from KIPP's experience in working with low-income students."