Group items tagged

"To graduate, they will have to pass the test that is given to immigrants who want to become United States citizens, a multiple-choice exam that includes such questions as "What do we call the first 10 amendments to the Constitution?" and "What did Susan B. Anthony do?"" Type summary here.

"The share of schoolkids who qualify for free or reduced lunches crossed the 50% threshold in 2013, according to a recent Southern Education Foundation report. That compares to fewer than 32% back in 1989." Type 2-4 sentence summary of the article and how it was useful. Talk about how it could be useful for others.

"As of August past the disability award (not including Medicare) was about $1,111 per month. So the incentive to do some menial dead end job loses appeal when the new job might or might not have health benefits…….certainly not as grand as Medicare." Type a 2-4 sentence summary of the article and how it is useful. This can be short & sweet.

"The findings suggest that even when blacks and Hispanics do better on the job front, they confront persistent racial divisions and disadvantages. That pours some cold water on hopes that suburbia-where public services are often better-is helping minorities get a leg up." In America, there are many racial barriers that can keep blacks and Hispanics from "getting a leg up. Studies have shown that even if these races will excel at their jobs, the walls and obstacles could still suppress any hopes of success in life. This is why income equality is such a significant problem in the United States (Shah).

Studies have shown that more special-needs students tended to drop out of public schools than charter schools. Many studies were conducted with different test groups of students.

A photographer talked to a 13-year old boy who said his role model was his principle. The principle had inspired so many of her students by telling them they mattered and no school was out of reach. The photographer started a fund for the school which has raised over $1 million.

Colleges are accepting more students with the ability to pay than those who are more likely to require financial aid. Only 46 colleges accept students solely based upon qualifications.

"Data shows that 27 percent of low-income third-grade students and 41 percent of those students in eighth grade are not reading on grade level. Only 7 percent of higher-income students in the third grade and 15 percent of those students in eighth grade are reading below grade level." This was helpful because it talks about how the opportunity gap affects people. It helps you to understand what it is, and its effect not just on people, but how it makes certain races look.

This article addresses the issue of income.  It has statistics and discussion of the statistics.

"Across the country, people and places are being transformed by choice or circumstance. We're telling some of their stories this month in a series called Starting Over. In this latest installment, we go to Seattle, where the average unemployment rate for people under the age of 25 is more than twice the national average. Carolyn Adolph of KUOW reports on a young woman who changed her life by bridging the opportunity gap - that space between wanting a better life and actually getting it." This is an interview conducted to address the opportunity gap of America. It offers insight from someone who was able to overcome the gap.

"Before the school board and district can truly address the student achievement gap issues, they must be completely and painfully honest with themselves and others" This article, even though it was from 2 years ago, brings up a very good point. A big reason for achievement gaps is racism. It also says that the achievement gap in Henrico is caused by the incompetent school board and that they should change.

"Women have yet to close the wage gap, even when they have similar jobs to their male counterparts. That's especially true on Wall Street. Last year, women who graduated from business school and took jobs in financial services earned an average of $21,872 less than male MBAs, according to data collected by Bloomberg Business. Drilling down into the numbers shows part of that discrepancy is explained by differences in the type of finance companies that hired women, but a gap persisted even when women worked in similar sub-sectors of finance as men. " This article discusses the wage gap between the sexes. It explains how men who work on wall street get paid over $11,000 more than the women who work on wall street and do the exact same jobs. People have been trying to close this gap for years, yet it still stands.

"The report says that the learning levels of children in the province are very poor." This article conveys the fact that "have-nots" people commonly have a lower level of education through statistics. The percentages shown in the article exposes the truth about separation between social classes, and how it is evident in the learning environment.

This article talks about how it is harder to move socially in the US than in most of Europe. Also, it shows the Horatio Alger myth, which states the ideal aspects of the American Dream without stating the truth. Although Obama and the government believe in this lie, stating that someone born into poverty has equal chances as anyone else. The writer disagrees with this stating that she is bound by poverty and is a slaves for life, without equal opportunities as some other students

"After decades of widening inequality, Virginia's richest households have dramatically bigger incomes than its poorest households." This article gives statistics of the income of Virginia's richest and poorest households. It supports the idea that income inequality has been growing in VA since the '70's.

"We see a narrowing of the current income gap as beneficial to the economy. In addition to strengthening the quality of economic expansions, bringing levels of income inequality under control would improve U.S. economic resilience in the face of potential risks to growth. From a consumer perspective, benefits would extend across income levels, boosting purchasing power among those in the middle and lower levels of the pay scale--while the richest Americans would enjoy increased spending power in a sustained economic expansion. Policymakers should take care, however, to avoid policies and practices that are either too heavy handed or foster an unchecked widening of the wealth gap. Extreme approaches on either side would stunt GDP growth and lead to shorter, more fragile expansionary periods." This article explains why income inequality in contributing to a lower economy, and why it is leading to harm of economic growthin the U.S.

"We need her in Long Beach, where the school district is determined to institutionalize income inequality by making most school activities accessible to wealthier kids only. When you implement a system in which those who pay the most get the most, then those who can't feel left out and are not as likely to succeed." This article explains how the school system where they live makes it impossible for kids from lesser income families to participate in school wide events. Which makes it harder for kids to succeed in school.

"Mr. Stanton created a fund-raising campaign for Mott Hall Bridges on a crowdfunding site, Indiegogo Life, with the aim of raising $100,000. Within days, it had raised enough to pay for 10 years of trips to Harvard, and the money was still pouring in." This article explains a positive contribution to the haves and have nots of education and income. It explains how less fortunate school with low income family's that filter into this school did a fundraiser that generated so much money for future graduates.