Tomorrow we'll be taking a close look at poverty figures released this week by the Census Bureau, which show that nearly one in six Americans are living in poverty. We'll examine the poverty crisis through the lens of education by talking about the teachers' strike in Chicago. We'll also discuss representations of poverty in our culture and in our politics, and we'll highlight a stunning new report which shows that poverty has been essentially ignored by the media covering presidential campaign.
Sam Seder, host of The Majority Report, will be filling in for Chris Hayes. Joining Sam at 8am ET on MSNBC are:
Tanya Wells, (@vidawells) who, along with her husband, lost her job in 2008 and has gone back to school to try to get back on her feet. Tanya's family now survives in large part with the help of student loans, Medicaid, and food stamps.
Steven Gates, program director, Youth Advocacy Programs-Illinois and resident of the Roseland area of Chicago.
Melissa Boteach, director of the "Half in Ten" campaign at the Center for American Progress, a campaign to cut poverty by half in 10 years.
John Reel, assistant to the director at Senior Service America, Inc.
Gary Younge, (@garyyounge) Guardian columnist & feature writer, columnist for The Nation, Chicago resident and parent who has been covering the Chicago teachers strike for the Guardian.
Matt Farmer, (@mifarmer) Chicago lawyer and parent, member of his local school council at Philip Rogers Elementary School, contributor to the Huffington Post.
Stephen Pimpare, (@stephenpimpare) associate professor at Columbia University School of Social Work, author of "A People's History of Poverty in America."
Elise DeBroad, teacher at International Community High School in Bronx, NY.
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This is all about the money.
These unions throw the kids under the bus and want more money.
This is all about the money...money that is siphoned off the public sector and moved to private corporations and entities. This is about a multi-million dollar contract that Pearson relentlessly lobbied for to be the sponsor of the ridiculous standardized testing policies that have no merit in scientific research at all. This is about public tax money that is being moved from the public schools and placed in the charter and private schools that are attended by upper middle class students. This is about politicians and the rich having a choice to send their kids to schools with art and music programs as well as equipped libraries, while public school attendees go without. If it weren't for unions, the middle class would never have existed. So, if you're a member of the middle class, thank a union member...they are teachers, police officers, fire-fighters, auto-industry workers, and the like. Before you bash the unions, please do a little American history research and find out what it was like before they existed...if the rich and politically powerful get their way, we may be going back.
4Teaching Can you prove on the post that public tax money is being deployed into the private schools. I mean rock solid proof? Not a sarcastic question.
4Teaching is exactly right about the statement that if it were not for unions in America, the middle class would never have existed. I say that from having a doctorate in law and legal history. Go back and study it if you doubt it. If you think that things are different now, maybe you are right. But now that unions are being busted, the middle class is also seeing their wages and benefits disappear. Think about it.
GreenRaccoon - I have a Masters Degree in Economics, My question is simple. 4Teacher said, Public Funds were transferred to Private Schools, Charter Schools. Where is the proof?
392 here's proof- and these represent what we know about:
@392Hemi, look into the use of public funds for vouchers to private, religious schools in Louisiana that teach things like humans and dinosaurs being on earth at the same time, or the fact that Charter schools getting public funds are privately managed, some on a for profit basis. Why should a public education district pay for not only it's own "CEO" but the salaries of the ones managing the charter networks as well? If a "CEO" can't manage the entire school district then fire and replace them.
Following Diane Ravitch may help people understand the current problems with funding for schools. She worked on NCLB legislation during the Bush administration, and has since realized it was a big mistake based on the data collected.
Michelle Rhee, the controversial figure who was once the chancellor of Washington, D.C. public schools, has publicly stated that she would allow public vouchers to be used for private instruction.
But...she probably cheated...
Charter schools may be privately owned as in the case of the Ross School:
We need to improve our schools...just not this way.
Sorry, I had a number of links in the comment for your viewing, but they didn't appear. I will give you the titles and you can search them.
1. Diane Ravitch: DianeRavitch.net
Why I changed my mind about school reform (Wall Street Journal, Diane Ravitch, March 9, 2010)
2. Charters "privately" owned: The continuing education of Miss Ross (NY Magazine, March 25, 2007)
3. Michelle A. Rhee NY Times - Times Topic Updated Dec 7, 2010
4. "Cheating?" Michelle Rhee: Eager for a Spotlight, but not if it is on a testing scandal
5. Public Funding for Private schools - How can I ask parents to accept less than I'd want for my kids? Michelle Rhee Huffington Post 5/10/2011
@392hemi - you asked a really good question that is hard to answer because of the lack of transparency by the Mayors office. They don't like us to know just what public facilities have been turned over to their hedge-fund/wall street friends for use in for-profit charters. Here is a link that starts describing the problem. You can see immediately that their is significant obfuscation. When people are proud of what they have done, they generally cover it up and hide it. I hope this helps.
@4teaching - didn't see your 2nd try at answering 392hemi. FYI, I think this trackback comment systems requires that you edit and insert links a second time and save it again. I don't know why but it usually works.
please have randy wray on your show to explain how the macroeconomy really works, once people understand this it will change the entire debate. the federal government is not a household or a bussiness.
I am distracted by the guest host and his "uhs". Chris's delivery is crisp and concise...A standard of the show. This gentleman seems in over his head.
I think if you listened to Sam on his internet show -majority.fm, you would grow to like his "uhs" - he has great guests on and he is one of the most informed media people out there. He is very smart and funny.
you might also give a listen to Ring of Fire with Sam, Mike Papantonio and Bobby Kennedy Jr.
Concerning the teacher hiring issue, that principals want the leeway to "choose the best teachers" is a smoke screen. They really want to be able to get rid of higher salary mid-career teachers and hire inexpensive new teachers. The proof is that there is a high level of turnover during the first few years for new teachers due to the tenure decision. It is common knowledge that this churning is much higher in charter schools, where teachers salaries and benefits are much lower than exists in public schools. If the Chicago Board of Education plans to shut down (from what I hear) 150 to 160 schools next year, they do not want to rehire experienced teachers, because they are to costly and (another smokescreen) are not "moldable."
Chicago Teacher
Can you blame the Chicago School Board. When you say Experience Teachers, that's pretty broad statement. Being self employed, making many appearances for DECA, speaking with Public School Instructors, while in private conversation many really doesn't have a clue of the economic conditions that surround them. These are instructures with 10 year plus, EXPERIENCE. This vital for their survival in the Private Sector. I support annual evaluation of each instructor, with pay based on performance.
Shallow tax funding due to the economic conditions in the City of Chicago, from one of the NATIONS highest tax base. The UNIONS have absolutely choked the crap out of the Chicago public school budget. Now we complain NO LIBRARY'S. If the money not there, then you parents and instructors get off your butts and quit crying and do FUNDRAISERS. Raise the money yourself. Show your children what it takes being in business for yourself. You can build the best Library in Chicago in each school depending your efforts. You'll be proud of your accomplishments, and your children will be proud of you, live by example.
Principals want the leeway to keep their jobs. If the standard is how well they do with their budget, then less experienced (cheaper) teachers will be preferred. If the standard is how well they do with their students then more experienced teachers will be preferred. The goal should be to encourage a balance so children get educated, but this is very rarely the case. I am no educator to tell anybody where that balance lies but it is somewhere above the pure bottom line.
I think that it is one thing to sit on the panel in the studio coming from those wonderful environments is one thing. Until the people on the panel go to those neighborhoods in Chicago an see first hand what those kids have to experience on a day to day basis while trying to get an education including visiting some of their homes they should remain silent on the solutions, because they have no idea what they are talking about. They are speaking in theory and from polls and news stories and reports. Those kids are experiencing real life.
So are you willing to come out of the studio and visit the homes of the children on the Southside of Chicago. Are you willing to spend a week in their classroom? Try that out and then come give us a report and make comments
John, I completely agree with you. I come from a state that has very little poverty, but have visited the South Side of Chicago and seen first hand the devastation of growing up in that type of environment. I have to add, that although I have been a big supporter of President Obama, I wouldn't even support Rahm Emanuel for dog catcher.
I agree 100% with Mary's comment. The "uhs" are so distracting that I cannot watch anymore and will go to another station. I have been watching UP with Chris since the show began and I am disappointed in the choice of this guest host. Both Ed Shultz and Rachel Maddow have guest hosts that are equal to the task of filling in. Unfortunatley, this is not the case here since this person is not up to the task.
I don't think this is an easy task, and I think we should give him a chance -- it takes a little bit of experience to be at ease and overall, he did a good job.
So you are evaluating style over substance? That explains a lot of what has gone wrong with our country
There needs to be a balance. If you review Project Follow-Through, the most expensive educational study to examine poverty and instruction, you find some curricula do make a difference, however it is much more than just the one piece. when we follow the research-based, effective teaching literature without results it is often because of poverty or lack of early stimulation.
I am glad that people are talking about education and I understand that the economic level of a schooldistrict neighborhood matters, however, I am appalled that someone would say that tests scores are only a reflection of a student's economic status because I am a single mother who receives no child support and has to rely on food stamps and student financial aid and my family for money, although I am trying to improve my situation. In spite of all of this, my daughter is a straight 'A' student and has been for a many years in a row.
Yes, we feel the terrible sting of not having money and we have to attend school at a high school that has been rated very poorly in our state but with encouragement from home and at least some effort low income students can be successful also - I was alittle insulted when I heard someone say that student's test scores are simply a reflection of a person's economic standing because I see how hard my daughter works every day on her school work and how well she does and I know that she does not have too much in her favor economically.
I agree that poverty does matter and I am interested in helping schools improve but my daughter is proof (as are many other hard working low income students) that hard work makes many of these students successful
These student's test scores are not just a reflection of their economic status - it is also a reflection of the student's hard work or lack of
Students test scores are directly effected by their environmental conditions- ALL research shows this as a fact. You cannot decouple context from test performance. Cognitive development begins before and immediately after birth meaning that when the brain is developing neuron connections, deprivation and emotional trauma inhibit growth.
joan g-504629, What you say is true, but not true of ALL people living in poverty. Many do well as CarrieAnna describes so correctly. What she points out is that not all people without money or means succumb to the worst effects of poverty, but what CarrieAnna also must know from being there is that far too many do, and that is a problem we must address so that people like CarrieAnna are not held back by the effects of poverty that are afflicting those around her. CarrieAnna, I await your thoughts on this.
Congratulations to your daughter and you -- however, you have to admit that you and your daughter are the exception rather than the rule for people living in abject poverty. Just because your daughter is doing well doesn't mean that you should basically put down others who are suffering. The systemtic and systematic issue of poverty in this country is real and intentional and a lack of funding and support for education in the poorest communities of this country only continues the cycle of poverty. Regarding testing -- it is in large part a money-making proposition for private firms -- not a way to improve teaching or education -- it if were, then we would already have seen significant improvement. I am completely against charter schools and privitzation of our public school system because it is the last true bastion of democracy. We are now seeing further efforts to destroy democracy with voter suppression. How are poor children supposed to get to charter schools? How are poor children supposed to participate in after-school or extra-curricular activities when they would have no access to transportation? How does shipping kids out of their neighborhoods help to build up their neighborhoods and create a sense of community? They don't -- they only creat additional wealth for a few and result in an even wider gap between the haves and have nots!
I am a forty year veteran of public school teaching. I am retired but I sub still. I am so saddened that things we struck for in the late sixties and seventies are STILL issues now. No wait, it is even worse. We fought against "separate but equal" because we ALL know, it was really separate and UNequal.
The myth and meme that poverty has nothing to do with good teaching/learning is BS. it is a way for the privatize everything community who see dollar signs on the foreheads of children to profit with their scheme of "we can fix it by getting rid of those greedy teachers".
FACT: There is no ONE way to teach ALL children. Teaching is more of an art than a science and the best teachers intuitively take children from where they are and move forward. GOOD teachers know children grow physically, emotionally and intellectually at different rates. This is true of children in the same family, siblings sharing the same DNA. The privatizers are snake oil salesmen selling a product that does not exist. Taking away the arts (music, fine art) and PE from poor children is just WRONG. It's immoral. We know from research, the arts increase the ability to learn. KILL AND DRILL destroys the desire to learn. STUDENTS matter. TEACHERS matter. LIBRARIES matter. NUTRITION and SAFETY matter. But for the right wing, as well as for the Rahm Emanuels of the world, the Arne Duncans of the world, PROFIT matters. My biggest disappointment with Obama was his appointments of Rahm and Arne. I will still vote for Obama because the other choice will wipe out education. However, I will fight politically for public education. I 100% support Chicago Teachers and I hope their courage is the turning point for all teachers to fight back against the privatization movement. Our children, especially poor children, are depending on us.
BOTTOM LINE. Testing children on skills is a stupid way to judge either what they learned or how their teacher taught. Once in a low performing
Great post Jjc -- keep fighting the good fight for children!
Sam Seder is not Chris Hayes. He uses "um" way too much. He really needs work at his delivery.
Sam Seder is not Chris Hayes. His use of 'uh, um' is making it hard to watch, and I see that others feel the same. He needs real work on his delivery...he may look a bit like Chris, but he's not.
(OOPS...hit wrong button...) finishing......
One example in a low performing school: Five of my 6th grade students came to me in the 1% ile in Math. By the testing time, they come up to the 18th, 19th and 20 percentiles. Those are enormous jumps. We (the students and I) were quite proud. But still those percentile scores were at the bottom. And because scores for a school or class are aggregate, those scores, despite showing great improvement, were negatives for a school where our "top" scores students had mostly left, enticed by the promises of charter, private school developers giving free scholarships and great promises. When our school was left with the children whose parents were gone, or sick, or troubled or in jail, our scores spiraled down. Yet the charter/private schools did no better overall but they continued to get the money from the state. Their profit came from hiring "young" teachers and teachers with no clout (that is, no union). Their turnover in teachers was about as high as their turnover in students but they had no accountability. But they did manage to make sure all special needs, learning problems, discipline problems sent back to public school.
It's a gimmick, this charter/private school movement.
Privatizing schools, prisons, and health care are all about one thing..PROFIT. What is it going to take to wake up the masses to how they are being duped.
GOOD teachers do not fear evaluation. We welcome it. But we know the fix is in and we all need to demand this nonsense of "test scores as evaluations" be stopped.
For Jjc, another example to ponder. A private school system in my region has multiple high schools in both urban and suburban locations. The schools have large areas that include urban and suburban, poorer and richer, communities. The parents from poorer communities had poorer public schools and were hard pressed to afford sending their children to these private schools but made the sacrifices neccessary to do so. This anecdote is not racial, by the way, only geographical. The parents from rich communities, having better public schools, had a better choice but sent their children to this system anyway, mainly for cultural reasons. These high schools thrived on the rich children more that the poorer ones so minor infractions (e. g., uniforms) were overlooked on the rich kids but enforced on the poor ones. Enough demerits and the kids are kicked out and returned to public schools. These schools collect 'disciplinary problems' (real or imagined) while the private high schools got rid of theirs.
When teachers have classes filled with students chosen to be students education works and teachers who do not belong teaching stand out like a neon sign. When students have more pressing issues in life than learning great teachers shine like the sun while the rest struggle to make it, hiding less qualified ones. The problem is solved with job first, of course, but that is WAY easier said than done.
Wow. What an important and great show. We need more of this information to get to the public. I am currently finishing my Masters in teaching and considering Detroit rather than the suburbs so I can speak up and help a false premise in teaching needs, evaluations and outcomes. Great show Sam!
The response by LBJ was the creation of Community Action agencies that allowed for self governance and programs that are designed at the local level to assist families be more self sufficient.
The funding is being cut for Head Start, Community Services Block Grants...where is the outrage.
I am giving the guest host a break. Remember how hyper Chris was when he filled in for Rachel? Well - he still is - but he got better!
I was talking with a teacher yesterday about the high-stakes testing.
The specific topic was - what standards are used to judge whether a student is ready for 8th grade algebra.
One is the result on the standardized test, but performance during the year (homework, exams) can also be used. others are passing a summer class or a separate exam.
it is recognized is that for some students the standardized - high-stakes - test is not the only way to evaluate student readiness. Some kids - for whatever reasons (ill, tired, freeze up) - just don't do well on that kind of test.
What is seems to boil down to is this: the high-stakes tests are used to evaluate the teachers - and the schools - but are not used to evaluate the students.
Think about that...........
Add to that the reality that the results of the test are critical to the teacher - but not to the student - or the parents. High-stakes means just for the teacher. So how hard will the parents work to get the student ready? How important is it that the student arrive at school for the test - on-time, rested and fed? How many blow off the test and just make pretty designs on the answer sheet?
Here is an analogy:
The city has a number of swim teams. Each coach is evaluated on how many swimmers qualify for the state championship.
The best teams have access to a pool everyday - all day. The parents are strict about getting the swimmers to all the practices and make sure that their kids eat right and get enough sleep.
Some teams don't have a pool nearby - have to arrange car-pools or something to get the kids there. The swimmers often miss practice and may not have good diets.
End of the year comes and it is time to evaluate the coaches.
What do you think the results will be? Are the coaches of the best teams really good coaches and the others just need to work harder?
I would add that we have know for decades that the SAT and ACT testing was definitely tilted to favor wealthy children who have more access and exposure to the world! Perhaps we should test our members of Congress before they can run for public office -- wonder how many of them would pass? So sad that we simply don't teach for the sake of education, knowledge, curiosity and invention.
Excellent show. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Dickens would have a lot of material to write from today in America.
Can we talk about corporations buying off politicians so they have pushed the horrific reforms that serve to enrich the oligarchs and increase poverty? Outcome-Based Education has historically failed to educate children, but it certainly helps to privatize it so folks can trade the Wall Street stocks of private corporations that capitalize on education products and private managed charters.
And where is the student voice on this panel?
John Reel described my situation precisely. Having had a business and a career for 40 years, giving everything up to care for mother with dementia. Fighting for every benefit - sometimes being turned down. Dealing with inept or overworked bureaucrats... Every minute of every day requiring a combination of improvisation and routine. Unless you have been there, you have no idea. I think that is true with all poverty. All need. We need more compassionate, empathatic leadership. We have a great president. We need our leaders to be human. Stop treating those in need as blood sucking socialists. It's another form of rape as far as I'm concerned.
EVERY ONE is now blaming Obama for the lack of his ability to carry out his promises of WE CAN. HEY--AMERICA: YOU [WE] are the ones who elected all the tea partiers to Congress and stopped ALL PROGRESS on anything. Is he the problem? The tea Partiers? OR US? Think about it.
Cannot believe so far no mention of economic justice and the need for good paying jobs to support families. Why????? It leads back to greed. The cream just keeps rising to the top and when they lie, steal and cheat the masses to the point of disaster they hold their status and wealth while the poor become homeless and the middle become poor. Those living below Main St. are not even on the radar screen of either party. It's the third rail. Finally Social Worker representation on a panel; amazing.
Why no mention of Josh Barro??
Why no mention of Josh Barro??
With all due respect to the critics of the POTUS, do you think he could be re-elected and continue doing the work to address poverty if he made the issue front and center? Look how effective the "Welfare" ad has been for the Repubs. Many (I'd say probably most) people don't want to hear about poverty issues and associate them with "un-American values" and "socialism." We're lucky to have a leader who knows and understands the issues at a gut level and has our best interests at heart. America's attitudes may not be right, but they are what they are and (sorry to say) it's difficult to get elected on a Jesus platform -- despite our so-called Christian culture.
I would have more faith in Obama if I hadn't gone through Deval Patrick's rise to power and deception of his earlist and most ardent supporters in Massachusetts. I was in rooms with Deval when he was a no-name, trying to garner support for his bid for govenor. Where do you think the Obama campaign came up with its winning campaign strategy. Deval was a test case... I drank the kool-aid once, a second time with Obama, and will not a third time. The leaders in the Democratic party are just as out of touch with their base as the Republicans. I can respect members of the tea party for at least having the guts to recognize when the leaders of their party were no longer representing their values. When are we going to do the same.
I doubt that the unemployment rate is going to go down between now and election day--BECAUSE most small business owners [where the new jobs would come from] are willing to hold off on hiring and making more profits for another 2-3 months, JUST SO they can frustrate any efforts of the Obama administration.
GreenRaccoon --I'm self employed, I employ 16 wonderful individuals. The lowest seniority is 2 1/2 years. Feel free to ask me any question you like. I'll answer them as honestly as I can. I'm a Tea Bagger.
Where in this group tell the poor what they shoul d do, what they shoul have in thier homes , what they should wear , eat and how warm or cool thier homes should be.
I am so tired of hearin those wo make more in a day thanthose who they are tellig how they should live earn in a decade.
Not just on this show but across the spectrum.
Take this host and others into the rural midwest, South Chicago, Detroit any olmost anny small town in Il., Wi MIN, MI,
set your cameras and stage on main street and interview the poor and hungry there. Knock on thier doors and ask them if you can see thier pantries, thier so called big screen tv sitt next to couch picked up from some one elses garbage pile.
Lookk at a child going barefoot in the snow and a youngster walking down the street with a almost empty box of cereal picked out of a pile of garbege.
I am sick of cable news hosts across the board, as with thier guests.
When giving the hosts and guests names and credits also give thier net worth and last five years gross income, all of it.
Stop with this bull crap about what I did whin I was or what that pres did when I was there or my father did and said when.
You clowns are so fatr from the common man it makes you come off as a big joke.
Sitting there in your blue jeans, sneakers and no socks. telling some one who shops at Good Will or the city dump how they should dress.
Every time I pay my cable bill, go to a grocery store or by anything am paying your salery and I have no choice in what or who or what they get paid for calling me a drag on them.