Paupers and Princes: Economic Inequality at Public Schools

With concerns over the state of our educational system today, it seems there is yet another worry to add to the list: the safety of drinking water in schools. Recent reports of unsafe tap water in school districts across the country are alarming parents and school officials alike. Safeguarding our children's health now involves tuning into the potential dangers lurking in school plumbing systems.

AP Investigation

Late last year, the Associated Press released the findings of an investigation they launched over the safety of school drinking water from coast to coast. This investigation found that contaminants have appeared in drinking water at schools in all 50 states, according to a report on CBS News.

Unfortunately, the problem of safe drinking water has not been properly monitored by the government. This has allowed many school districts to run contaminated water through their systems for years completely unchecked. The responsibility for ensuring safe water is spread thin among a variety of local, state and federal agencies, limiting accountability and consistent standards.

"It's an outrage," Virginia Tech engineer Marc Edwards told CBS. "If a landlord doesn't tell a tenant about lead paint in an apartment, he can go to jail. But we have no system to make people follow the rules to keep school children safe?"

The AP study found the majority of problems were present at schools with wells, which is about 8-11% of the schools across the country. Data from the Environmental Protection Agency also showed

Public school curriculum is becoming a national hot topic of debate. From ethnic studies in Arizona to American history in Texas, major changes are being made to public school curricula.

The State Board of Education in Texas recently approved a new social studies curriculum that will be introduced during the next school year. Educators will spend the year getting trained on how to teach the new curriculum, which will be used in classrooms beginning with the 2011-2012 school year. The discussion over the seemingly religion-based revisions began in January and has been the source of intense international attention and comment, according to an update on the Texas Education Agency website.

What the Curriculum Includes

The revised curriculum, dubbed the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, will paint American history in a rather different light, with a definitive Christian, conservative slant. While the New York Times cited more than 100 amendments that have been passed on the curriculum since discussions began in January, the Washington Post and the Texas Education Agency list some of the major themes of the curriculum, which will include:

• Comparing the inaugural addresses of Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis
• Examining why the Founding Fathers protected religious freedom and relating their intentions to the phrase "separation of church and state."
• Downplaying Thomas Jefferson's role in the creation of our country (Jefferson was just one of the founding fathers who was not a professing Christian)
• Giving more attention to President Reagan and his

Adopt-a-school programs are cropping up nationwide as many communities tune into the benefits the programs offer students and community members. According to the American Chemical Society, which operates such a program, “Adopt-a-school fosters a better sense of understanding of the community's school system, strengthens and improves school programs and curricula, and creates a sense of personal involvement and interaction between organizations and schools.”

The benefits of adopting a school extend to all parties. The organization that adopts the school receives positive public relations through its involvement with such an integral part of the community. The school benefits from the involvement, as students are enriched through programs that expand their knowledge base. The school’s staff and faculty are supported in their efforts.

Indeed, the program can be a win-win for everyone if it is implemented well. Consider these four examples of positive adopt-a-school programs and the stellar results they have reaped for both the schools and the community at large.

Fort Hood

According to a report in the Killeen Daily Herald, this military base received national recognition in 2008 for its effective adopt-a-school program, winning the National Civic Star Award. Fort Hood partners with neighborhood schools in eight different Texas school districts every year, involving more than 5,000 soldiers and 2,500 teachers in the program. Soldiers go into the schools, read with the kids, and act as mentors. When the soldiers are deployed, many keep in touch with the children while they are away from home.

In addition

It may seem that your child has barely graduated from cut and paste projects in school before reading and math facts take center stage in their education. Suddenly, you find yourself opening books every night, listening to your child sound out words, and helping them understand the stories they are studying. Does your effort really matter in the overall academic success of your child?

It turns out that the time you spend reading with your kids might have a much greater impact on their life success than you realize. According to a new report published by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, "Early Warning! Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters," your child's reading proficiency by third grade has a direct correlation to his success in high school and beyond. The study found a link between those students reading below the proficient range in third grade and the likelihood they would graduate from high school.

This webinar discusses the critical importance of developing students into proficient readers during the early years of childhood education.

Low Income = Low Proficiency

One of the most startling aspects of the study is the low proficiency rates among low-income students. Many of the children who are not able to read well by third grade end up dropping out of high school, thus directly impacting their ability to raise themselves above the poverty