I know that government doesn't have the all solutions that real solutions do not come from the top down. Instead, the ways to end poverty come from all of us. We are part of the solution. -- Governor Kathleen Blanco
Think about it: Every educated person is not rich, but almost every education person has a job and a way out of poverty. So education is a fundamental solution to poverty. -- Governor Kathleen Blanco
Whether our task is fighting poverty, stemming the spread of disease or saving innocent lives from mass murder, we have seen that we cannot succeed without the leadership of the strong and the engagement of all. -- Kofi Annan

How can teachers help?

The majority of poor and minority students do not have a familiarity with formal language. It is not spoken at home. Formal language is important for several reasons. Test are written in formal register such as the SAT and the ACT. Interviews are done in formal register. A hidden rule of the middle class is to be able to use formal register. Formal register is not only the words that are spoken but also the tone and sound of what is spoken. Story and sentence structure are important. If there is no beginning, middle, and end there is confusion.

Some things teachers can do to help:

• Have students write in casual register and translate to formal register
• Have students as part of their discipline requirements write how they feel in formal register
• Tell a story both ways in the classroom, discuss differences with students
• Use stories in science, math, social studies to make connections and develop concepts
• Directly teach formal register and explain how it will affect their lives, test taking, higher education, landing a good job

http://www.helium.com/items/1400223-poverty-education
this is a little bit about poverty and how it effects school systems.

Education is rumored to be the great equalizer where people from any social class are given the opportunity to excel and rise in fortune. However, some would argue that those who do live in poverty lack the resources and support at home to take full advantage of their education without assistance

Some researchers and theorists believe teachers can analyze the behavioral patterns of the poor to learn how to address their educational needs. Contrarily, others would claim that children of poverty are capable of performing at high levels, and believe making assumptions about a whole group is simply stereotyping which causes teachers to lower expectations and, in turn, actually lower student achievement.

Both arguments seem to have the same goal in mind: helping students of poverty learn to their full potential; however, their approaches are quite different. One approach involves the teacher focusing on the behavioral patterns of the poor as a foundation in which to help them, while the other approach places an emphasis on the strengths of students and maintaining high expectations. By examining the effects of poverty on learning and both approaches, perhaps teachers can take positive insights from both perspectives and develop teaching strategies that work in their classrooms.

The Effects of Poverty on Achievement.

The increasing focus on test scores and accountability movement may be holding teachers to unrealistic standards. Despite how politicians and elected school officials demand that no student gets left behind, and poverty is no excuse for poor achievement, Gerald Bracey (1997), a research psychologist claims that "children in poverty do not achieve well in school" (p.163). Bracey goes on to cite a study in 1993 involving students that attended high poverty schools and low-poverty schools. It seems that students who made A's in low poverty schools scored in the 36th percentile in reading and 35th in math, while their more affluent peers scored 81st in reading and 87th in math. Similarly, Richard Rothstein (2008) claims "If you send two groups of students to equally high-quality schools, the group with greater socioecomic disadvantage will necessarily have lower average achievement than the more fortunate group" (p.8). Jonathan Kozol (2005) also repeatedly refers to the achievement gap that exists.

Jenna D

To be able to successfully teach students that come from poverty you must first understand poverty.

“People in poverty face challenges virtually unknown to those in middle class or wealth. Challenges from both obvious and hidden sources, The reality of being poor brings out a survival mentality, and turns attention away from opportunities taken for granted by everyone else.” Ruby K. Payne, Ph.D.