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"The use of such psychotropic medications, covered by Medicaid, to improve impulse control, listening, and study habits has yielded some positive results. Another generation of poor children who attend inadequate schools should not have to leave school with little prospect for prosperity, just because they live in a society that doesn't fully recognize the value of investing in their futures. Still, the less-than-discriminate use of psychotropic drugs for children carries troubling physical and psychological risks, including addiction, higher blood pressure, stunted growth, and, rarely, psychotic episodes."

"Parents' lack of education often translates into poverty for their children and increases the likelihood that their children will struggle in school, research shows."

"Three Monterey County public schools have joined an elite group of achievers after reaching a level of academic performance once viewed as out of reach for schools with high poverty rates, education officials said Thursday."

"Only schools that receive federal funding for low-income students, about 349 in Orange County, are subject to sanctions for not making adequate yearly progress. Locally, 261 schools face sanctions for missing testing goals, up from 178 last year. Sanctions include required tutoring, allowing parents to transfer students to better-performing schools, a change of principals and state takeover, depending on how many years a school misses targets."

"At Anthony Elementary, almost all of the 420 students come from low-income families. Almost all entered the K-6 school speaking Spanish as their first language. And apparently someone forgot to tell them, their parents and their teachers at the schoolhouse door that poverty and having English as your second language are insurmountable roadblocks to learning absent huge new injections of taxpayer cash - which carry no guarantee of positive results."

"Metropolitan Community College has received a $2.5 million grant to allow more low-income students to enter the school's nursing program."

"As the number of students from low-income families has increased in area schools, teachers frequently reach into their own pockets to buy school supplies, food and even clothes for kids that come to school empty handed. Experts say local teachers spend an average of $700 to $1,000 a year to buy items for students and their classrooms."

"Almost everywhere, minority and low-income students lag on test scores and graduation rates, and the challenges tend to be even bigger at schools where most students are disadvantaged. CMS has tried everything from offering bonuses to recruit top teachers to closing low-performing urban middle schools and creating K-8 schools, the same structure as Sugar Creek."

"More than 80 percent of the Atlas students are from impoverished families, said Julian Flores, managing director. The goal is to close the achievement gap between low income and minority students and their more affluent peers in other schools."

"The cost of buying a computer to keep up with new software and demands for Internet speed and memory requires an affluent income in a recession economy. Since 2008, a flood of data has shown the growing number of schoolchildren who live in poverty. A substantial number do not have enough to eat. It should be evident to school administrators who work outside of the rich suburbs that large numbers of households lack computers and Internet connections."

"For 54 years, Meals on Wheels has provided lunches to seniors in need. And, during these challenging economic times, the needs have grown. All of the routes are full with large waiting lists for seniors who need meals,' said Sharon Fitzgerald, program manager."

"Mitt Romney wants to save Social Security and Medicare partly by cutting benefits for higher- income recipients. President Obama also sees wealthy Americans as part of the solution but suggests instead raising their premiums or payroll taxes. The fact that both presidential candidates back some form of so-called means testing' suggests that millions of future seniors will probably end up paying more, or getting fewer benefits no matter who wins the White House."