Education and poverty

What the politicians refuse to understand.
From the Children's Defense fund.

EDUCATION: THE PATH OUT OF POVERTY
An essential tool for child advocates for more than two decades, the
annual "The State of America’s Children," from the Children’s Defense Fund takes a close look at 37 million people living in America who are poor (including 13 million children) and the growing numbers of families struggling to survive. The 2005 edition Includes most recent (September 2005) U.S. poverty data throughout; personal stories and photographs;
in-depth analyses of the current status of family income, child health,
child care and early childhood development, education, child welfare, and youth development; and personal and policy success stories and
recommendations for just treatment for children and poor families. Chapter
Four, which can be downloaded for free, is full of analysis of pressing
education issues (including NCLB, school funding, high-stakes testing and zero tolerance policies) and powerful (and jaw-dropping) statistics.
http://www.childrensdefense.org/publications/greenbook/