Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/48466
reform its system for fund- ing public schools." TIME TO TACKLE POVERTY Today's "no excuses" phi- losophy from politicians and wealthy financiers ignores the impact of poverty on edu- cation and implies schools alone are responsible for raising student achievement. Those who espouse this ide- ology — including billion- aires Bill Gates and Eli Broad — expect nothing of society and everything of schools, which is neither fair nor realistic, says Rothstein. "Nobody should be forced to choose between advocating for better schools and speaking out for greater social and economic equality," he says. "Both are Poverty and how it affects students and their families is an issue we can no longer afford to ignore. Dean Vogel essential. Each depends on the other." The issue of poverty in relation to student achieve- ment was discussed in the past, says Ravitch, but ended when corporate leaders espoused the phi- losophy that schools should be run like a business. "The present climate of school 'reform' narrative is led by millionaires and billionaires who believe that schools can eliminate poverty by privatizing management, giving more tests, merit pay, closing schools, and other carrots and sticks," says Ravitch. "The free market works for them, so they want to bring the free market to education. They don't seem to realize that the free market has many losers — like the millions now in pov- GIVING DISADVANTAGED KIDS AN 'EVEN START' By age 3, children in more affluent families will have heard 30 million more words on average than children in low-income families. Music and story time are more than just fun activities for the youngsters attending the Even Start Preschool in La Puente. They are also learning English, the ABCs, numbers, and social skills like sharing and sitting quietly in "circle time." The preschool, run by the district's Family Resource Center, enrolls low-income students, ages 2-5, whose parents mostly work low-pay- ing jobs in food service or construction. The goal is to help children become kindergarten- ready. It's a challenge, because Even Start stu- dents speak little English, have few books at home, and in some cases have parents who did not go beyond elementary school. "We focus on literacy, letter sound knowl- edge, improving oral language and Eng- lish," says preschool teacher Andrea Garcia, a member of the Association of Rowland Edu- cators (ARE). "We also do math and science and lots of reading. In the room next door, their parents are learning English, parenting skills, and how they can help their children be successful in school. By the time they get to kindergarten, these students will hopefully be ahead of the game." 20 California Educator / November 2011 However, due to budget cuts and dwindling grant money, there is a strong possibility that the preschool program may close next year. Garcia worries that if the program shuts down, youngsters in the community will begin kindergarten lagging behind their more afflu- ent peers. Studies show that the educational support children receive during their first five years influences the degree to which they are pre- pared for kindergarten and a lifetime of learn- ing. That is especially true for the 694,000 youngsters age 5 and younger who live in poverty. By age 3, children in more affluent families will have heard 30 million more words on average than children in low-income fami- lies. The difference is likely to contribute to future school readiness, notes a report from www.childrennow.org. "Eighty five percent of children's core brain structure is developed by age 4, pro- viding the foundation for their future health, academic success and social and emotional well-being," notes the report. "Yet less than 4 percent of public investments in education and development are targeted at children in this age group." According to the report, children in low- income families typically enter kindergarten 12 to 14 months behind the national average in pre-reading and language skills, and kin- dergartners who enter school lagging behind are likely to remain so as they move through school. Early gaps in school readiness evident in kindergarten are mirrored in third-grade standardized test scores. Despite the importance of preschool as a way of leveling the playing field, California has severely cut educational programs for low-income youngsters below age 5, accord- ing to a recent report from the California Bud- get Project. "California has repeatedly cut child care and development programs in recent years," states the report. "A CBP analysis of state data shows that the cumulative impact of these reductions amounts to more than $1.6 billion between 2009-10 and 2011-12." According to the report, lawmakers have reduced funding for preschool and most child care programs by 15 percent since 2009-10, erty — and they don't want to talk about growing income inequality. They prefer to steer the national conversation to teacher evaluation and charter schools. One does not hear them complain about massive budget cuts to education or its negative consequences for children in poverty and our education system. The very things that these children need most are now out of reach, and the corporate reformers are silent about that." CTA has launched a tax fairness cam- paign and endorsed the "Occupy Wall Street" movement to address inequities, such as the fact that 1 percent of Americans hold a third of the nation's wealth, and corporate income grew over 400 percent