Latest Coverage
Find the latest stories, research, and insights on policies, programs, and ideas shaping the national conversation on poverty and economic mobility.
Subscribe to our newsletter for daily insights
Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity leads research and consulting initiatives that identify and address barriers to economic well-being.
Type
State
Issue
The Boston Globe, December 23, 2011: Educating the poor comes at a price for Pine Manor; Newton college looks to retool its finances
"Those women do not go to Pine Manor anymore. Fifteen years ago, as enrollment at many women's schools dwindled, the college assumed a new identity to attract students: It focused almost all its recruiting on low-income women who showed perseverance, if not perfect grades."
The Washington Post, December 22, 2011: Puzzles help boost students' vocabulary
"'If you walk through the community and ask kids who their favorite basketball player is, they'll say 'LeBron James,'' he said. 'And so many students can identify with him because of his childhood experiences, growing up in poverty.'"
Battle Creek Enquirer, December 22, 2011: Help for homeless students
"Things could have been different for Charles Shelton's daughter. The 26-year-old Battle Creek man said he recently went through a divorce that turned nasty. He said he faced legal problems and went to jail, putting him out of a job and out of his home. He ended up at the Haven of Rest Ministries homeless shelter downtown."
Knoxville News-Sentinel, December 22, 2011: (Editorial) Haslam smart to study school vouchers more
"Voucher programs provide money for low-income students to leave failing public schools and enroll in private schools. The voucher program proposed last session would have pegged the value of the vouchers at half the per-pupil expenditure for the county."
Argus Leader, December 22, 2011: Grants boost S.D. job-training, policy efforts
"Two South Dakota organizations will receive funding from a Minnesota-based foundation for job training, public policy education and promotion of asset-building among low-income families."
Detroit Free Press, December 22, 2011: (Op-Ed) Students without homes, a state without a heart
"In the last four years, Michigan's brutal economy, the shredding of the state's safety net and the national foreclosure crisis have more than tripled the number of homeless students, as reported this week in a four-part Free Press series, 'Michigan's Homeless Students.'"
Asbury Park Press, December 21, 2011: Lakewood HS, with failing graduation rate, tries to improve student performance
"Some officials question the validity of the graduation rate, though few people dispute the school district is wrestling with some serious issues. Problems plaguing Lakewood's schools were highlighted in a needs assessment study completed by state education officials in 2008."
Detroit Free Press, December 21, 2011: With children in limbo, feds may strip Head Start funds from city
"Thousands of Detroit children from low-income families stuck on waiting lists to get into the Head Start early learning program because of poor management by the city may get new opportunities."
The Courier-Journal, December 21, 2011: Crosby Middle School students are driven to help homeless kids
"Crosby Middle School eighth-grader Breya Jones said she was pretty sure she understood what homeless people looked like, and until a couple of weeks ago, that image didn't look anything like her. She had no idea that at least 28 of her schoolmates are considered to be homeless by the district."
The Courier-Journal, December 21, 2011: Crosby Middle School students are driven to help homeless kids
"Crosby Middle School eighth-grader Breya Jones said she was pretty sure she understood what homeless people looked like, and until a couple of weeks ago, that image didn't look anything like her. She had no idea that at least 28 of her schoolmates are considered to be homeless by the district."
Charlotte Observer, December 20, 2011: Charters' spending varies
"Thomasboro, in west Charlotte, gets extra federal and local aid because most students come from low-income homes. Ballantyne, in the county's southern tip, is more than twice the size, with a low poverty level."
Palladium-Item, December 20, 2011: Seniors' holidays brightened by food donations
"Senior citizens in Preble County, Ohio, and in five Indiana counties received holiday gifts of food and other items through the Preble County Council on Aging and the Richmond-based Area 9 In-Home and Community Services Agency."
