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Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity leads research and consulting initiatives that identify and address barriers to economic well-being.
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The New York Times, May 25, 2011: Top Colleges, Largely For the Elite
"Incredibly, only 44 percent of low-income high school seniors with high standardized test scores enroll in a four-year college, according to a Century Foundation report -- compared with about 50 percent of high-income seniors who have average test scores."
The New York Times, May 25, 2011: (Editorial) Protecting High-Risk Students in New Jersey
"The New Jersey Supreme Court stood up for the state's children and strongly rebuked Gov. Chris Christie when it ruled on Tuesday that his draconian school budget cuts violated the State Constitution by depriving impoverished children of an effective education."
Los Angeles Times, May 25, 2011: (Op-Ed) In education, free means free
"Student fees deny opportunities to low-income students and put them at an academic disadvantage. Nearly 30 years ago, the California Supreme Court reached exactly that conclusion."
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, May 25, 2011: At Arlington's Webb Elementary, money for college
"Rotary Club leaders point to her story as an example of how the Webb program works. The club... started the scholarships in the mid-1990s to help break the cycle of poverty at the north Arlington school, where 94 percent of students are considered economically disadvantaged."
Jersey Journal, May 25, 2011: Jersey City schools chief hopes to spare some teachers who got pink slips now that Gov. Christie is ordered to send more money to poorest districts
"'I have no problem with the Abbott districts receiving the money. I'm very happy for them,' he said. '(But) poverty is not within the borders of the community . . . A poor student in a non-Abbott (district) will not receive any money. That's totally unfair.'"
The New York Times, May 25, 2011: New Jersey Is Ordered to Increase Aid to Poor, Urban Schools by $500 Million
"The New Jersey Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that a major piece of Gov. Chris Christie's cost-cutting was unconstitutional and ordered lawmakers to raise spending for poor, urban schools by $500 million next year, despite a state budget shortfall estimated at $10 billion."
The Washington Post, May 24, 2011: Child-welfare advocate helped launch Head Start preschools
"Mrs. Knox was also concerned with the welfare of society's most marginalized people, especially children growing up in poverty and those with mental illness. "
Home News Tribune, May 24, 2011: NJ school aid ruling from state Supreme Court due
"Observers believe the court could limit its order to the 31 low-income school districts that have been provided massive amounts of state aid for years under previous decisions."
The Ithaca Journal, May 24, 2011: Tompkins school districts push free lunches for needy students
"Officials say it's due not only to parents failing to fill out forms, but poverty stigmas that continue to exist, especially in high school and middle school, even as schools now use electronic accounts that mask students who receive assistance."
The Associated Press, May 24, 2011: NJ Supreme Court orders state to give schools more
"The $500 million would fully fund the state's formula for distributing money to schools only for the 31 low-income districts known as the 'Abbotts,' referring to the long-running school funding lawsuit Abbott v. Burke."
Education Week, May 23, 2011: (Blog) Closing the Poverty Gap: The Way Forward for Education Reform
"We readily recognize the consistent, ironclad law of association between poverty and educational achievement and attainment. However, we persist in school reform strategies that, despite success at the margins, regularly fail to address the factors associated with poverty that, on average, tend to impede student learning."
The Pueblo Chieftain, May 22, 2011: Center commits to summer kids' nutrition
"'We've been hearing a lot about the need to assist low-income children with food during the summer and we've decided to see what we could do to help them,' said Marcie Reynolds, director of Cooperative Care Center."
