BellaOnline Forums Education School Reform Low-Income Students and College

The latest government campaign to get more low-income children into college is just more empty talk. The educational gap between the children of the poor and children of the middle class opens at birth. Efforts that do not address preschool education and teaching methods K-3 are meaningless.

Low-Income Students and College

Maeve, thanks for writing this. As one of those children raised in poverty who had a mother that made sure that I had a language-rich environment, I was academically prepared for college. My test scores were good. I had absolutely no idea about how challenging it would be, and I dropped out. I finally finished at age 42 and went on to work with students who were having trouble in school. A college education can be attained, but some of us have to take different paths.

You are so right about starting the preparation with preschoolers. A kid who only has a can of corn to read at home has a difficult time becoming proficient in reading.

It is so true that we have to start young. It is our own next generation we are raising - it's important we have a community which is literate, educated, and able to understand issues. It hurts our own lives if we neglect large swaths of our population.