Home. Robert Reich just had a column on it. The achievement gap is about 100 points between upper income and lower income homes. The race gap has been closing since the 70s and is about 25 points. But money? That's just getting worse.

Anonymous wrote:
Home.

The stresses associated with poverty affect the child's development in significant ways (physical, emotional, social, and cognitive). This happens before the child is born. It's obvious when you look at the rates of premature babies and infant mortality rates for children born to poor mothers. It's just the beginning of the "achievement gap".

If those are our choices, I'll pick "home," but I see a tendency to turn kids' problems into things that arise solely because the parents aren't doing things right.

You can't take kids whose physical, social, and emotional needs aren't being met and expect schools to make everything right. And meeting those needs often takes more than just the parents' hard work and good intentions.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:...or it starts after the first few weeks of kindergarten?

http://www.theonion.com/article/5-year-old-underfunded-kindergarten-enjoying-last--51230

THIS IS AN ARTICLE FROM THE ONION.

(I like The Onion, although often the headline is the best part.)

...and your point is? Don't we want our news packaged as entertainment, and entertainment packaged as news?

Anonymous wrote:The Onion is Satire, btw.

...and a lot better than Fox News!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:...or it starts after the first few weeks of kindergarten?

http://www.theonion.com/article/5-year-old-underfunded-kindergarten-enjoying-last--51230

You get your info from The Onion?

Hey! They say it as it is!

It starts at home and continues at home. Best K teacher in the world cannot make up for four years of neglect. Best third grade teacher cannot make kids come to school and do their homework or read if the kids don't have parents who encourage and support it.

Sure, there are kids who are exceptions, but they are rare.

The Onion is Satire, btw.

Anonymous wrote:...or it starts after the first few weeks of kindergarten?

http://www.theonion.com/article/5-year-old-underfunded-kindergarten-enjoying-last--51230

THIS IS AN ARTICLE FROM THE ONION.

(I like The Onion, although often the headline is the best part.)

...or it starts after the first few weeks of kindergarten?

That's when it starts being measured. It is happening way before that.

Home

Home.

The stresses associated with poverty affect the child's development in significant ways (physical, emotional, social, and cognitive). This happens before the child is born. It's obvious when you look at the rates of premature babies and infant mortality rates for children born to poor mothers. It's just the beginning of the "achievement gap".

Anonymous wrote:...or it starts after the first few weeks of kindergarten?

http://www.theonion.com/article/5-year-old-underfunded-kindergarten-enjoying-last--51230

You get your info from The Onion?

Home. Kids who are not talked to and not read to are way behind before kindergarten. Kids who are hungry and don't have a safe quiet place to sleep let alone do homework can't concentrate in school.

Not around here. Poorer schools get 3 times the funding.

...or it starts after the first few weeks of kindergarten?

http://www.theonion.com/article/5-year-old-underfunded-kindergarten-enjoying-last--51230