In yesterday's NYT, Bob Herbert piece explains that schools with "toxic concentrations of poverty" represent an intractable problem - at least if we commit to the "reform" of turning up the stress on teachers and principals. This reminds me of the story from last week's New Yorker in which writer Paul Tough describes how adversity in early life can disrupt the brain circuits that are needed for literacy. Young students who have been traumatized often find it harder to sit still
