Haves and Have Nots Seminar - Moody Middle School

In this article, it has many information on how the roman republic works, and just how they operate. This is only the overview of what one of the ways they tried to equal everything in Rome.

This article talks about the income gap between some of the lower income students and the children from higher income places. It goes with question #2 and also talks about some different states' efforts to fix the gap.

"America faces an opportunity gap. Those born in the bottom ranks have difficulty moving up. Although the United States has long thought of itself as a meritocracy, a place where anyone who gets an education and works hard can make it, the facts tell a somewhat different story."

It is more difficult for lower-income children to be successful because they are unlikely to get a high level education.  But those born into high income have a better chance of becoming middle class or higher because they are more likely to get a high level education or a degree.

Article talks about how Henrico is going to put more money into the education budget.

This article explains the reason for why richer districts are excelling in graduation rates rather than poorer districts. Plus, it explains that schools should focus their money on more important aspects so that the education quality can reach its full potential.  

"Overall, schools in poorer districts spent $8,733 per pupil less in 2012 than those from wealthier ones, an inequity that grew by nearly 9% from before Cuomo took office in 2011, according to the study by a coalition of education advocacy groups opposing many of the reforms pushed by Cuomo." The highlighted portion and the article itself describe the reasons in which the richer schools get a better education than the poorer schools. It shows it in statistics and shows the advantages and disadvantages of attending one of these schools. The students in the richer schools move on to be more successful in life and will not struggle later on. Further, another key point is that it is important that the schools know how to spend their money wisely for the education for students.

The idea of giving low-income students employment during the summer, when they aren't in school, so that they are making money but still getting an education is spreading through colleges.  This way low and middle income students are getting the education they need to be successful after college but are still making money so they won't end up in the lower class

This article talks about how education and the overall economic strength depend on each other.

"The SCF data show that the top 3 percent of the income distribution received roughly a third of all income in 2013, while the top 3 percent of the wealth distribution held 54 percent of all wealth. [32]  Similarly, the top 10 percent of the income distribution received a little less than half of all income, while the top 10 percent of the wealth distribution held three-quarters of all wealth." This describes the difference between wealth and income. The concentration inequality is shown in multiple diagrams. Wealth has a result of inheritance and savings, while income is what is currently earned. There is a great gap in the distribution of wealth and income.

"But the vast majority of cases are those with limited intellectual capacity - generally an IQ of about 75 or less - and limitations in handling basic life skills, such as counting money or taking public transportation. About 28 percent of working-age adults with intellectual disabilities have never held a job. Even those who do find jobs often end up working only part time and get lower pay than workers without disabilities, the study found." This article is about adults with intellectual disabilities in the work force. Many people with disabilities can't count money for themselves, or take public transportation. They can't look for jobs, and need people to help. Companies also have to be willing to hire these people.

"About 28 percent of working-age adults with intellectual disabilities have never held a job. Even those who do find jobs often end up working only part time and get lower pay than workers without disabilities, the study found. On the positive side, 62 percent of disabled people who work in a competitive setting have been there three years or more, showing they can work and stay with it." This article talks about how the disabled have a small chance at getting a job. The article states that 28% of disabled people never hold jobs because people don't give opportunities to people with disabilities.

"The Richmond and Hanover County school systems have sharply different racial demographics, and dropout percentages that differ as well in their reports to the Department of Education." This articles talks about the reasons how Henrico has different education from others and that results in more dropout rates.

"Affluent parents also invest more money in their children. Over the last 40 years upper-income parents have increased the amount they spend on their kids' enrichment activities, like tutoring and extra curriculars, by $5,300 a year. The financially stressed lower classes have only been able to increase their investment by $480, adjusted for inflation." This article talks about and describes what the opportunity gap is. Also it states that higher you are in your social class then better odds of finishing college. Also it talks about how upper men spend up to $5,300 on tutoring other things while lower class men can only afford $480 for the same things for their children.

"Americans, on average, are getting older, and old people are less healthy. Also, as more women have entered the labor force, the share of female workers with health problems has climbed closer to the male average." This article is about how it is easier to qualify for disability insurance. It talks about how Americans are not working and using disability claims when they can actually do some work.

"About 40 parents of Richmond Road School students staged an hour-long protest in front of the Grey Lynn school this morning. Angela Madden-Smith, whose three children went through the school's bilingual unit Te Whanau Whariki, said the unit was not being properly resourced and staff had been treated poorly. The primary school started Maori, Samoan and Cook Island Maori bilingual units in the 1970s and established a French unit in 1996. Madden-Smith, who had been involved with the school since 1999, said it had a "world-renowned" bilingual unit but recent principals had "no idea" about bilingual education."

"Concerns about income inequality lie at the heart of the proposal. As Mr. Piketty and his frequent collaborator Emmanuel Saez have shown, the increase in inequality in the United States is mostly attributable to gains by the top 1 percent, and, even more so, by the top 10 percent of the top 1 percent (those who earn more than $2 million a year)."

"other economists warn that a minimum wage hike to $10.10 - the level Obama and Congressional Democrats are calling for - would be bad for business. The CBO estimates that the $10.10 option would reduce total employment by 500,000 workers once fully implemented in the second half of 2016." This excerpt does a good job of highlighting just how debilitating income inequality can be. With an addition of as little as $3.00 to minimum wage payments, total employment would reduce by 500,000 workers. I agree with the article that income inequality is a major struggle faced in America. President Obama said, "[income inequality] jeopardized middle class America's basic bargain- that if you work hard you get ahead." This defines the effect income inequality has on America. The rich get richer and the poor fall deeper into poverty. For that reason and to answer the discussion question, if I were running for president I would make it clear that this income problem would be solved because it is "the root of all social evil." Similar to the Romans, income inequality is what prompts social division in America. This article directly relates my answer to the discussion question because it gives detailed analysis of the negative role income inequality plays on our lives today.

Money is now being called thew root of all evil. It is no lie that income inequality is a problem. It limits social mobility and threatens a lot of things that are important to Americans.

"For nearly 50 years, the federal government has tried - but largely failed - to find the right formula to close the achievement gap between the highest-performing students in America's public school classrooms and those who get left behind." This article from the Richmond Times Dispatch examines the educational gap that is becoming increasingly evident not just in America, but in Richmond. The source looks at how students of certain ethnic backgrounds are less likely to succeed in educational environments than others. It also discusses approaches that have been, will be, and are being taken to close this "gap," which includes new funding for education and assessments.

"For nearly 50 years, the federal government has tried - but largely failed - to find the right formula to close the achievement gap between the highest-performing students in America's public school classrooms and those who get left behind."

"For nearly 50 years, the federal government has tried - but largely failed - to find the right formula to close the achievement gap between the highest-performing students in America's public school classrooms and those who get left behind." This article from the Richmond Times Dispatch examines the educational gap that is becoming increasingly evident not just in America, but in Richmond. The source looks at how students of certain ethnic backgrounds are less likely to succeed in educational environments than others. It also discusses approaches that have been, will be, and are being taken to close this "gap," which includes new funding for education and assessments.

"The opportunity gap is the disparity in access to quality schools and the resources needed for all children to be academically successful. If every child is to have an opportunity for success, every student must have a true Opportunity to Learn." This article defines opportunity gap and the long-term consequences for individuals and the nation. It goes further to suggest methods of fixing the opportunity gap.

"Wealth inequality is also an artifact of income inequality; the two trends work together to magnify the former. As the bottom 90% struggle to make ends meet on stagnant incomes, they're unable to accumulate savings. "Today, the top 1% save about 35% of their income," the authors write, "while bottom 90% families save about zero."" This article can be summarized in saying that income inequality is a significant issue because it goes hand in hand with wealth inequality, which is a serious issue.

"Independent experts see substantial evidence that disability insurance increasingly serves as a safety net for people who cannot find jobs - people, that is, who might still have the ability to perform at least some kinds of work." Some families depend on their disability checks to survive. This means that not only do the vast majority of people in the disability program not return to work, but this also results in more stress on taxes so the government can provide these people that are in the disability program with their monthly checks.

This article analyzes alternate reasons to why there is a rise in disability - not just that people are pretending. However, the article states that the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco says that it is "easier to qualify, as claims increasingly are judges on subjective criteria."

"The difference also is important because the disability program is running out of money. The government projects that the disability fund will not be able to meet all claims in full by 2016. Those financial problems are relatively easy to fix if the growth of disability is being driven by demographics, because those trends are leveling off. But if the program is attracting a broader constituency, then demand for benefits could grow more rapidly, requiring larger changes."   I think that the lines between welfare and disability insurance are blurred. People that can't get jobs due to their medical problems, turn to disability programs so they can classify themselves as having so. Sometimes, this has to do with education and that it's hard to find jobs that aren't physical with lower education, and it's easier to qualify for disability insurance because there are no set qualifications. I think that people turn to it when they can't work their jobs they have anymore, can't qualify for other ones, and are in pain so they just classify themselves as disabled. 

"Coyner explained there is a huge gap in achievement between those who live in a higher income school and lower income neighborhoods. Reading and math SOL tests for students in disadvantaged areas have dropped dramatically over the last three school years. Those in most schools in Chesterfield have dropped as well. SOL testing of students during the 2013-14 school year indicated that the pass rate of non-disadvantaged students was 85 percent in reading and 83 percent in math, while students who came from disadvantaged homes had a pass rate of 58 percent in reading and 63 percent in math." This article outlines the achievement and educational gaps in Henrico, Chesterfield, and the City of Richmond. It displays the educational differences between privileged and non-privileged students.

"The greatest increase across the area in childhood poverty since 1990 is Henrico, a 70 percent increase, according to data collected by Moeser. His data concludes that Chesterfield is next with a 41 percent increase in poverty. Those living in poverty, in the suburbs, across the country, have grown more than in the cities. Poverty in the suburbs has grown to 56 percent in the suburbs versus 44 percent in the cities." This articles describes the poverty, opportunity, and achievement gaps between advanced and disadvantaged kids in Chesterfield and Henrico. Researchers found shocking results and are trying to make the gaps smaller in the two counties.

"Education and poverty are closely related according to speakers at Ms. Coyner's forum. "What I tried to do is bring the data back to what we all know as our neighborhood schools," Coyner said. Coyner tracked poverty in schools using the free and reduced lunch program with one caveat; She said that just because a student is eligible for free or reduced lunch, it doesn't mean they use it. Title 1 schools are another way to track poverty in schools. There are 16 elementary and 13 middle schools in the Title 1 program in Chesterfield." This article was helpful in analyzing the local education gap and what factors might play a role in it. What is mainly suggested here is that poverty is the main factor controlling the education gap. This also talks a little about income and poverty in Richmond.

"The troubles in this town of 2,700, where the closest Wal-Mart is about 20 miles away, illustrate pressures across Mississippi. Since 2008, legislators have ignored a state law and spent $1.5 billion less on education than what's required. The cuts are among the deepest in the nation." This article highlights the gap between the education being received in Mississippi and the education being received in the rest of the United States.  1.5 billion dollars where not spent on education, ignoring the states laws and creating an even larger gap in education