"A child's learning is the function more of the characteristics of his classmates than those of the teacher." James Coleman, 1972

Saturday, August 20, 2005

Poverty: The 600-lb. Gorilla in the Classroom

"We need to worry whether the more important keys to school reform are up the block, in the shadows, where the light is not as bright. If we do choose to peer into the dark we might see what the recently deceased sociologist Elizabeth Cohen saw quite clearly: That poverty constitutes the unexamined 600 pound gorilla that most affects American education today (cited in Biddle, p. 3, 2001). I think we need to face that gorilla."

David C. Berliner, Our Impoverished View of Educational Reform.

Posted by Judy Rabin.

1 comment:

  1. Anonymous4:27 PM

    My problem is with the word "occasionally" because it is not enough to break the cycle of poverty and truly offer children the opportunities they deserve. I agree that we need to face the issue of poverty in the classroom and address it. Every child deserves to learn.

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