Whose Problem is Poverty?

If two different socioeconomic groups of children go to the same school, the group with the greatest socioeconomic disadvantage will more than likely have lower achievements in school. Whose fault is it? Some would say that government is not or has not done its part in aiding those less fortunate. Others would say, "hard work pays off". It's unfortunate that children suffer as a result of someone not doing his or her part. They (the children) aren't asked to be born into such conditions.

Are school officials doing their share to make sure EVERY child is successful academically? Some say that low-income children often have no health insurance, and therefore no routine preventive medical and dental care is a factor for low performance in school. Their absences causes them not to successful as other groups of children.

NCLB and Urban Schools

Are children in Urban Schools being left behind? Year after year, the question remains the same. We may not find out if NCLB's affect on urban school are benefiting children until it's too late. The government has put in place many laws, mandates, and acts that are suppose to improve teaching and learning. However, standardized test scores suggests that much more improvement is needed, particularly in urban schools. Where do we go to from here? Should parents be included in these accountabilities place upon educators?