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"As is the case nationally, there's a gap in Cobb between how students of different races and economic classes perform on standardized tests. Black students trail other racial groups on the SAT and their scores have declined since 2006 while the scores of white students have increased. "

"In this latest attempt to inject themselves into what should be a doctor-patient decision, some lawmakers tried to prevent low-income women from obtaining abortions when the fetuses had serious abnormalities."

"The public must have confidence in the school grading system, which is evolving away from reliance on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. Lee Charter Academy was one of the district's showpieces for achievement with low-income minority students."

"She has come to adopt the party-line view of the most change-averse elements of the teachers' unions: There is no education crisis. Poverty is the real issue, not bad schools. We don't need fundamental reform; we mainly need to give teachers more money and job security."

"Several low-income schools that through the years have struggled for good grades and then improved fell once more. Carver Middle and Catalina, Richmond Heights, Washington Shores, Wheatley and Ridgewood Park elementary schools all got D's this year."

"In May, the state ordered the Don Bosco school to repay federal Title 1 funds spent in 2009 and 2010 in a way not allowed under its application. Title 1 covers extra services for students from low-income families."

"Charter schools are public schools that operate independently from local school committees. The Lynn academy is part of a nationwide network of 99 KIPP charter schools that share core principles and methods, including providing their mostly low-income students with a longer school day."

"Billions of federal stimulus dollars that boosted Medicaid programs for the past two years will run out Friday, while at the same time California is trying to get approval for a series of cuts to the health program for the poor."

"Also troubling is the widening of the gap in performance in most subjects between black students and white students and those from low-income and wealthier families. Hispanic students, however, saw their achievement gap narrow across the board."

"The agreement also restores millions of dollars in library funding. It prevents the closure of city pools. And it guarantees that thousands of low-income children will be able to remain in government-subsidized child care."

"Student leaders at the University of Massachusetts' Amherst campus say changes in the students' health insurance plan will unfairly hit hardest on women, low-income students, and those with mental illnesses."

"'Teachers have to be parents, priests, lawyers, clothes washers, babysitters and a bunch of other things' if they work with low-income children,' said Nathan Saunders... ''Impact takes none of those roles into account, so it can penalize you just for teaching in a high-needs school.'"