Public Education's Eight Ball: Student Poverty | National Opportunity to Learn Campaign | Education Reform for Equity and Opportunity

Public Education's Eight Ball: Student Poverty | National Opportunity to Learn Campaign | Education Reform for Equity and Opportunity:

Public Education's Eight Ball: Student Poverty

Posted on: Friday September 7th, 2012

Steve Strieker, Social Studies Teacher, Janesville School District

The following post was written by Steve Strieker, a veteran Social Studies teacher in Janesville, WI. This has been reposted, with Strieker's permission, from his blog "One Teacher's Perspective."

---------

As noted in an earlier blog, one of my summer reads was P.L. Thomas’ book, Ignoring Poverty in the U.S. It is one of the most important education books I have read. He has reframed my thinking.

Contrary to what too many scapegoaters claim, I've never believed public education to be the cause ofAmerica's socioeconomic ills. However, I had fallen into the trap of repeating the mantra that quality public education is the cure-all for the poor. Thomas’ research highlights what all of us should be repeating in our communities and schools over and over. This is now my Thomas-induced mantra: