Haves and Have Nots Seminar - Moody Middle School

In this article from the Wall Street Journal they talk about the rising income inequality in the United States. The OECD economists found that rising income inequality along with falling educational gathering among young people weakens an economy's long term growth potential.

"WASHINGTON - President Obama will propose a 10-year budget Monday that stabilizes the federal deficit but does not seek balance, instead focusing on policies to address income inequality as he adds nearly $6 trillion to the debt. The budget - $4 trillion in fiscal 2016 - would hit corporations that park profits overseas, raise taxes on the richest of the rich, and increase the incomes of the middle class through new spending and tax credits. Obama will challenge the Republican Congress to answer his emphasis on wage stagnation, according to congressional aides briefed on the details. The central question that Obama's budget will pose to Congress is this: Should Washington worry about what may be the defining economic issue of the era - the rising gap between the rich and everyone else - or should policy makers primarily seek to address a mountain of debt that the White House hopes to control but only marginally reduce as a share of the economy? The proposed budget includes an ambitious $478 billion public works program for highway, bridge, and transit upgrades, which would be partly paid for with a one-time tax on overseas corporate profits." This article explains the way President Obama plans to close the income gap, and how he plans to do it. In short, Obama plans to raise taxes on the rich, and increase incomes for the middle class, making the income gap decrease. Hopefully, doing this will result in a lesser income gap between the rich and the poor, and make the democracy run more smoothly.

This article is discussing the effects of income inequality on American population. Income inequality is the economical gap between the wealthy and everyone else. Also, this article is discussing a controversial topic as follows: should the government focus on income inequality or national debt? 

This website is a good reference if you are looking for some backup info of what were the duties of the Roman citizens, from the slaves and the poor, to the very wealthy. 

"The advantages that money can buy on tests and college applications have become so great that they threaten to undermine the American ideal of education as the great leveler that enables anyone who works hard to succeed, regardless of income level, the report said. In a knowledge-based economy that increasingly rewards education and skill, the report added, these growing educational disparities could further widen the income gap between rich and poor." High income families are spending more money than even on their children's education, therefore furthering the gap between rich and poor students. These families now spend as much as $9,000 annually on private tutoring, SAT prep courses, computers, and other activities, compared with about $1,300 for low-income families.

""We haven't seen rising incomes over decades.… The rich have gotten richer, income inequality has gotten worse and there are more people in poverty than ever before under this president."" This man talks about how income inequality is there, and there is almost no on left there concerned about it. Good article to get your research started

"" Romney told conservatives at a Republican National Committee meeting two weeks ago. "We haven't seen rising incomes over decades.… The rich have gotten richer, income inequality has gotten worse and there are more people in poverty than ever before under this president." This whole income inequality thing is becoming much more important to the republicans. Mitt Romney, former candidate for the presidency, told others that the income inequality is becoming greater than ever, and it has continuously grown like that. But, people claim it will become better if someone like Romney, who cares about the issue, will run.

"It's a tragedy, a human tragedy, that the middle class in this country by and large doesn't believe that the future will be better than the past," Romney told conservatives at a Republican National Committee meeting two weeks ago. The article describes the support to limit income inequality, even in both political parties. It talks about Romney and how income inequality has become a priority of his to limit.

"Decades ago, college-graduate parents and high-school-graduate parents invested similarly in their children. Recently, more affluent parents have invested much more in their children's futures while less affluent parents have not." This article is about how important a college diploma is for a stable future. High-school-graduate parents are less likely to invest in their children's future, setting their family up for trouble down the road.

"While most studies look at inequality of outcomes among adults and help us understand how America is coming apart, Putnam's group looked at inequality of opportunities among children. They help us understand what the country will look like in the decades ahead. The quick answer? More divided than ever." This article explains how children from unequal income families have different chances in later life success. Also about an attention gap with college-educated and working-class parents and their children.

"While most studies look at inequality of outcomes among adults and help us understand how America is coming apart, Putnam's group looked at inequality of opportunities among children. They help us understand what the country will look like in the decades ahead. The quick answer? More divided than ever."

"WASHINGTON - With the American job market surging to life, President Obama plans to use his State of the Union address on Tuesday night to effectively declare victory over the economic hard times that dominated his first six years in office and advocate using the nation's healthier finances to tackle long-deferred issues like education and income inequality."

"Education ought to be the civil right of the 21st century," he added, "and you have the power to make it happen." House Speaker Boehner talks about the right to education and education equality. He talks about the right to school choice, which is a current issue facing education.

" In the 1960s, the typical corporate chieftain in the U.S. earned 20 times as much as the average employee. Today, depending on whose estimate you choose, he makes anywhere from 272 to 354 times as much. According to the AFL-CIO, the average CEO takes home more than $12 million, while the average worker makes about $34,000." Americans don't know how severe income inequality really is. The pay gap between a CEO and low-skilled worker was much greater than respondents would have expected, proving that the pay gap is in fact too large.

"We have moved from a society in the 1950s and 1960s, in which race was more consequential than family income, to one today in which family income appears more determinative of educational success than race," said Sean F. Reardon, a Stanford University sociologist. Professor Reardon is the author of a study that found that the gap in standardized test scores between affluent and low-income students had grown by about 40 percent since the 1960s, and is now double the testing gap between blacks and whites." This article talks about how over the years the gap between education of the lower and upper class has just been getting wider. The difference in these two social standings has a big impact from grade school all the way until college, and the kids with a lower income have substantially less opportunities then they should.

"Education was historically considered a great equalizer in American society, capable of lifting less advantaged children and improving their chances for success as adults. But a body of recently published scholarship suggests that the achievement gap between rich and poor children is widening, a development that threatens to dilute education's leveling effects." In this article, it explains the difference in equal opportunities between low income and high income families because of education. From statistics mentioned in this article, it is mentioned that a major reason for this is because parents from higher income families spend much more money and time into their children. Also, many low income families have trouble financially with helping their kids finish college.

"under President Obama, the rich have gotten richer, income inequality has gotten worse and there are more people in poverty than ever before," This articles talks about the Republicans' view on income inequality. It shares the opinions of different figures and their propositions for what should come next. The "American Dream" also comes in question and views on this situation are shared.

"Americans are about $3,000 a year worse off than they were when he came to office" This article is about the changing politics of both parties on income inequality. It is stopped being a political problem and it has become a American problem

"If we spend a small portion of what society has given us on poor families, we can see happiness all around. The wealthy class should think of the have-nots, so that everybody can eat like us and sleep in peace," he stated. This article talks about the idea of giving back to the community. It ask that people give back to their community but not requiring that they do so.

"Poverty is rapidly increasing in eastern Chesterfield as wealth is rising in western Chesterfield. The socioeconomic divide is growing, and our county's policies are contributing to this divide." This article demonstrates that income inequality isn't just based on a person's economic troubles, but on other factors such as the failed or corrupt policies that cause more harm than good. The article also takes care to elaborate how income inequality directly impacts crime, illness, and the lives of children.

"A child in poverty is more likely to live in poverty as an adult and to have children born into poverty. It is a statistic working against every child in poverty, but we can change it and make our entire community a better place." This article talks about the odds against children in poverty receiving a successful education. It urges the community to work together to help fill in the learning gaps for all children, enabling them to defeat the statistics working against every student in poverty.

The author of this article is a mother of a Chesterfield county student, who feels concerned about their county's oblivious lack of recognition towards the large number of families living in poverty. She states the risks children face when growing up poor and deprived, and how the county's efforts towards helping these students are somewhat missing. Each child deserves an equal opportunity in education, which has been varied between eastern and western Chesterfield county schools.

This article discusses the controversial and risky decision Obama has made in order to smoothen income equality throughout the United States. This new budget proposes an increased income in favor of the middle class by other means such as spending and tax credits. This new plan is being debated by dozens of government workers and many others on whether Obama's large addition to the nation debt was necessary in securing our country's citizens.

This shows the education gap between developing and developed countries is closing rapidly. 

This explains how the Gender disparity in the Middle East is reducing

This article explains how "gifted" students or students who live near fluent areas have better opportunities. For instance Deep Run's A.P. exam showed 1 in every 1.6 students passed there Exam while as Highland Spring's A. P. exam showed 1 in every 45.3 students passed there exams. Overall kids living in the west end are probably going to do better than kids living in the east end.

"Local public high school students saved more than $9 million in college tuition last year by passing Advanced Placement exams before graduating, but the results were heavily influenced by students in a regional school for the academically gifted and in five largely affluent suburban schools. In the city of Richmond, students at three of the eight high schools didn't record a single passing score, and students in the city as a whole earned only about $150,000 worth of tuition, based on the cost of a three-credit class at Virginia Commonwealth University. Across the city and in the counties of Chesterfield, Hanover and Henrico, students at schools in older areas and with predominantly minority enrollments took fewer AP classes and performed at lower levels on the exams." This article talked about how students living in older areas received minority enrollments and also performed low on the tests. This proves that there is opportunity gap because of the old area influencing the students (Reid).

""We need our kids to not just take these classes, but to pass the exams. It proves again the importance of making sure we have effective teachers in every classroom."" This article shows the different disparities in test scores in Henrico County and the things the county did to try to help the range of test scores.

""The children at the top are those most advantaged by their parents' wealth, having begun their academic development at very early ages. They board an elevator that speeds them to academic success" Carter says." In this article it shows how upper class people have an advantage in the long run. It says how maybe the opportunity gap could close eventually.

""The children at the top are those most advantaged by their parents' wealth, having begun their academic development at very early ages. They board an elevator that speeds them to academic success" Carter says." In this article it shows how upper class people have an advantage in the long run. It says how maybe the opportunity gap could close eventually.

"Students from lower-income households may not have the financial resources that give students from higher-income households an advantage when it comes to performing well in school, scoring high on standardized tests, and aspiring to and succeeding in college. Poor nutrition, health problems resulting from a lack of healthcare, or an inability to pay for preschool education, tutoring, test-preparation services, and/or college tuition (in addition to a fear of taking on student-loan debt) may all contribute to lower educational achievement and attainment." This article gives examples of how people from lower-income households have a lower chance of getting a better education. Students from lower-income households might not have financial resources to give students their education like college tuition. This article is helpful, because it gives specific examples and explains the opportunity gap. This article can be useful because it gives specific examples and can give a clear understanding.

This article refers to educations and the opportunity gap by talking about it as well as the causes/effects. It displays many factors that can give rise to opportunity gaps. Through this identification of the problem, it leads into ways of solving this huge problem by eliminating the causes.

"Closely related to achievement gap and learning gap, the term opportunity gap refers to the ways in which race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, English proficiency, community wealth, familial situations, or other factors contribute to or perpetuate lower educational aspirations, achievement, and attainment for certain groups of students." This article explains how the opportunity gap affects people in different social classes. It talks about how some of the people with lower incomes have less of an opportunity to go to college and further their education's.