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"Under this policy,' Cantor said, the more students a school attracts, the more money that school, its administrators and teachers receive. Low-income students are weighted heavier in the funding formula as are children with disabilities, and those learning English as a second language. So, there's incentive for schools to seek the more vulnerable population, and reasons for schools to differentiate themselves and excel.'"

"There seems to be no end to the number of wacky school reform ideas. Now a Tennessee state senator wants to cut welfare payments to families whose kids get really bad report cards and test scores."

"The past few decades have seen increasing income polarization, with the top 1 percent reaping the vast majority of societal gains, the middle class shrinking, and those at the bottom losing ground. As a result, concentrated poverty is more potent and relevant an issue than ever. Add to that the fact that 2012 marked the 25th anniversary of William Julius Wilson's groundbreaking book, "The Truly Disadvantaged," and we have every reason to reexamine the life realities, impacts, and policy implications of segregation and entrenched, concentrated U.S. poverty."

"The Cheney results show the potential of a high-quality preschool education for low-income students, if it were available. Long-range studies in Chicago and Minnesota have already shown the value, revealing that students with preschool experience are more apt to attend college, make a decent living and stay out of jails and prisons. The estimated return on investment for taxpayers in educating rather than incarcerating is anywhere from $3 to $9 for every dollar spent."

"Deputy Superintendent George Kosmac suggested several changes for the board to consider -- including shifting some students to get a better mix of low-income children in the five schools, as measured by the percentage qualifying for federally subsidized meals."

"State education officials say the number of homeless students continues to rise.More than 27,000 students were reported as homeless in the 2011-12 school year. That number is up about 5 percent from 2010-11 and up nearly 47 percent from the beginning of the recession."

"Read to Succeed Buffalo will receive $495,000 to support its early childhood literacy programs from the John R. Oishei Foundation. The foundation announced the three-year commitment today, aimed at boosting early learning opportunities to help decrease poverty and help individuals become self-sufficient."

"A successful, prosperous future for Lexington is a goal we all share. We will not succeed, however, if fully one quarter of our children are growing up in poverty and lack the economic and social opportunities they need to succeed. Our schools and the early childhood community are making great strides to ensure preschool-age children have a good foundation. But we have done little as a community to ensure pre-teens and teens from households with low-incomes are on a track for success."

"Nearly half of Ohio's 1.8 million elementary and secondary students could qualify in the coming years for tax-funded tuition to private schools under Gov. John Kasich's plan to expand the state's voucher program, which would change the face of education in the Buckeye State."

"Museums including Children's regularly shave costs to ease the burden on cash-strapped families. But when officials started digging, they discovered that the old set of discounts did little to attract the people they were intended to benefit. The state is now watching the Children's Museum experiment and hoping other museums and cultural institutions will follow suit.The Children's Museum quietly began offering the savings in August and is now launching a campaign to get word out. The museum bought ads on buses serving low-income areas of the city, and officials have been handing out fliers at local centers, churches, and community meetings."

"Nearly 10,000 low-income youths ages 16 to 24 are neither working nor in school. Raise D.C. wants to see that number shrink to 7,000 by next year. And only 42 percent of youths ages 20 to 24 are employed full-time. Raise D.C. wants to raise that to two-thirds of that population by 2017."

"That poverty exists and is growing is indicated by increasing numbers of students receiving free and discounted meals in Idaho schools. Yet, compared with other countries, American students are far better off. The problem is that young people might equate poverty with lacking a better house or some material possession their classmates have. I contend that poverty is not the lack of material things but the lack of dreams. When young people have a dream to pursue, lack of material resources becomes secondary."