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"'They didn't have the money, didn't have the 40 cents for a reduced (price) meal.' He shakes his head. 'I missed it. I missed the hunger issue.'"

"Urban school districts such as Lawrence, Lynn, and Lowell have upwards of 70 percent of students receiving free or reduced-cost lunch, even in good economic times. But middle-class school districts, which traditionally have not had high demand, have also seen a steady increase in the number of low-income students eligible for free or reduced lunch, the statistics show."

"Elvira Rios Leyva had a soft spot for homeless people. 'Not only was she loving, but she was very giving,' said Fort Worth police officer Julie Cox, Leyva's granddaughter. 'She didn't have money, but she would give the shirt off her back, or she would open the doors of her house to the homeless so they could have a place to sleep.'"

"About one-fourth of Conard's students come from low- income homes and qualify for free or reduced- cost lunches, contrary to the perception that West Hartford is an overwhelmingly wealthy community."

"'I think the determination of the community not to have any more high-poverty schools has been made clear and the issue that we were engaged in civil disobedience about has been resolved,' he said. 'When you engage in civil disobedience, you are saying, 'I believe in this so deeply and it is so important for me to say so, for my conscience and my community, that I am willing to pay whatever price is required.'"

"Fewer than 20 percent of low-income and black CMS eighth-graders were rated proficient in either subject, falling far below white and middle-class counterparts. For instance, 16 percent of African-American eighth-graders in CMS scored as proficient in math, compared with 66 percent of white classmates. "

"'Recognizing a number of factors, including growing poverty in our community, the fact that we were able to hold the ground from our 2009 scores, that we remain a national leader in the student achievement, I was fairly gratified,' Miami-Dade Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said."

"The mayor never cites any research to support his claims about what's a good deal for students. Nor does he explain a sensible way to determine the bottom half of teachers the ones who would be sent packing."

"Well, the folks at General Growth Management have made sure those needy children at New Sullivan will each receive a Christmas gift, thanks to the company's participation in the Chicago Sun-Times' annual 'Season of Sharing' program."

"Universities want to climb the US News & World Report ladder. And the surest way to do that -- expensive though it may be -- is to attract more and better applicants and reject all but the most qualified. Investing in a pipeline that also serves your competitors seems counterproductive. So why should a university care about this project? Three reasons are worth considering: money, mission and morals."

""I think there's a lack of housing for low- to moderate-income seniors," said Ray Smith, specialty group director for Wood Partners, the national company that developed the apartments. 'Because of all the incentive programs, we've been able to provide housing at a very low cost to the residents.'"

"For seven years, the Merced Adult School students have been preparing lunches for people at Merced County's homeless shelter at 15th and D streets. Up to 75 meals are provided about once every eight weeks."