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A big factor for both poverty and generational poverty has to do with support networks. Most people fall on hard times at some point: loss of a job, death of family member, sudden financial burden (totaled car, house fire, etc), but for those without a support network to lean on things go from bad to worse and it can be nearly impossible to get out of the situation. When looking at my own privilege, I have so many supports: both my parents are retired and can help with childcare last minute, I have insurance, I have friends and family who I could stay with in hard times,  I have had family loan me money to make a down payment, or cosign student loans, etc.  When looking at poverty from a compassionate schools lens, it is conversations around support networks,  lack thereof, and how the school can serve as one form of support, networking, and building bridges.

In my role as a literacy specialist, I see the effects of poverty on literacy quite often. Students in poverty often enter school already behind in language and literacy development, they have less access to resources over the summer and can fall further behind, also absenteeism plays a major role. In my position, these are all things I need to keep in mind in my effort to disrupt the negative effects of poverty.
(Molly G)

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The statistics provided in this reading were shocking to me-

42.5 million people lived in food-insecure households in 2015" (pg 37).  "

1.3 million students where homeless....(pg 38)

etc

The enormity of the poverty issue and the trauma that ensues requires that we use every method at our disposal to support students. The students of today are different from previous generations and we need to create a more personalized learning experience to meet students where they are and move them forward.

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The biggest ah-ha moment that I had while reading through the article was the important role that education plays. The quote on page 45 "quality of education that individuals are afforded and the level of education they attain are arguably more tightly linked to their life outcomes more than ever before." To me, this really comes down to providing students with engaging, high quality, researched based tier one instruction. Through PL we should be engaging more learners than ever before and allowing for students to have ownership. We are teaching the traits and tools of learners instead of memorizing facts. In turn, this should provide all of our students with an opportunity for learning. (A. Killeen)

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And we need to plan instruction in order to provide common experiences in school for students to draw upon.  This is also very important for ELLs.  It seems like everyone should have seen a baking soda-vinegar volcano but to give all students the ability to participate in the discussion of chemical reactions should everyone see this quick demo again?  Does everyone really know what a wave is?  Should we just make a wave in a container so ELLs can also learn the language being used?  Common experiences are important if you want all students in your class you be able to participate in discussions.
(Cindy C)

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I think that this article nicely addresses things (misconceptions) that you frequently hear about poverty. I think there are a lot of people that don't realize that they hold these preconceived notions about children and families living in poverty. I had no idea about how the poverty threshold was determined (1963! REALLY!). I think the information about the wealth gap was also very powerful to think about. The perspectives are things that sounded very familiar as thinking that I have heard from colleagues and society. I have also heard it from some students even. How are we educating our students about poverty? I checked out the playspent.org site that was noted in the article and that was an excellent learning tool that I could be used with staff.  I think if we are going to think about more personalization we need to think about personalizing the opportunities for whole families not just our students.  Can we provide after school care with homework help and snacks for families so that they don't need to leave work early to pick up their kids from school or send their kids home alone?  What other opportunities can we provide that will support families and therefore our students?
(Cindy C)

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I really liked the Explanations for Poverty section. We probably alI know people that put the blame on families or share the belief that poverty becomes a culture. By creating compassionate schools, we can help people understand that oppression is a large influence on poverty and poverty influences students’ learning. I’m not sure that people always keep in mind the connection between what happens at home and what happens at school. Or maybe they understand the connection, but don’t know what to do about it. Talking about the subject more deeply in the context of compassionate schools could be very beneficial. (Amy M.)    

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I really liked the Explanations for Poverty section. We probably alI know people that put the blame on families or share the belief that poverty becomes a culture. By creating compassionate schools, we can help people understand that oppression is a large influence on poverty and poverty influences students’ learning. I’m not sure that people always keep in mind the connection between what happens at home and what happens at school. Or maybe they understand the connection, but don’t know what to do about it. Talking about the subject more deeply in the context of compassionate schools could be very beneficial. (Amy M.)    

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The explanations of poverty (p.34-36) helped me reflect on my own beliefs about poverty.  It also helped me understand where others may be coming from.  I could identify people in my life who I perceive hold those different perspectives.  I think this section of the article may be a great learning tool for our Compassionate Schools group to help understanding and maybe challenge some beliefs about poverty.  “These aren’t the kids I was prepared to teach…”(p.44) the authors say is something they hear and I’ve heard also.  I think that at times educators point to poverty as the problem with some kids/families.  They may believe that is true, but when examined there are other children they may not even realize who are in poverty but aren’t viewed as troublesome.  Makes me wonder...what specifically are kids exhibiting that we aren’t prepared for or what beliefs do we hold as educators that might make us feel this way?  Fonda Lewis

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The explanations of poverty (p.34-36) helped me reflect on my own beliefs about poverty.  It also helped me understand where others may be coming from.  I could identify people in my life who I perceive hold those different perspectives.  I think this section of the article may be a great learning tool for our Compassionate Schools group to help understanding and maybe challenge some beliefs about poverty.  “These aren’t the kids I was prepared to teach…”(p.44) the authors say is something they hear and I’ve heard also.  I think that at times educators point to poverty as the problem with some kids/families.  They may believe that is true, but when examined there are other children they may not even realize who are in poverty but aren’t viewed as troublesome.  Makes me wonder...what specifically are kids exhibiting that we aren’t prepared for or what beliefs do we hold as educators that might make us feel this way?  Fonda Lewis

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Through the lens of personalized learning:We can provide students who live in poverty a more level playing field by offering personalized learning.  The reading asserts that the U.S. is failing when it comes to offering access to equal educational opportunities for all students.  Student-Centered Learning allows ALL students to explore their own interests. For those that don’t have equal access to resources at home, this provides a time and place for them to be exposed to experiences they may not otherwise have.  Furthermore, as educational leaders, we must nurture and foster the curiosity within these students and provide a place where they can discover and flourish. (Chris K)

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Through the lens of personalized learning:We can provide students who live in poverty a more level playing field by offering personalized learning.  The reading asserts that the U.S. is failing when it comes to offering access to equal educational opportunities for all students.  Student-Centered Learning allows ALL students to explore their own interests. For those that don’t have equal access to resources at home, this provides a time and place for them to be exposed to experiences they may not otherwise have.  Furthermore, as educational leaders, we must nurture and foster the curiosity within these students and provide a place where they can discover and flourish. (Chris K)

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I just had a conversation with a counselor about a homeless student I teach. The "Housing Instability" section really helped me understand the student's situation. For one, the student was very upset that she was labeled 'homeless' because she was living in a hotel. As the article suggests, it must be terrifying to wonder if your parents will be taken away from you if you admit you are 'legally considered' homeless. This student has shown wild mood swings and defiant behavior. Understanding her situation has made me less defensive at her outbursts and much more patient with her. I understand confidentiality is important, but I wish I had more information to help me understand why my students could be acting out.
(Julie L)

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The article highlighted the fact that high poverty schools experience a higher rate of chronic absenteeism, which then negatively impact their success in school. This is not needed information but a good reminder for the need for compassionate schools. We need to be aware of absenteeism issues and as much as possible and allowed communicate the causes to students, families, counselors and educators. Too often an attendance issue is not noticed until students are already far behind.
Social capital is also connected in the group norms that students of poverty often miss when they are isolated from other groups. If students are absent from class they often miss gaining this social capital of their peers.
Steph Krenz

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Great reflection, Tara!  How do you see this righton perspective through the lens of leadership and one of our focus topics (PL or Compassionate schools?  

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Great reflection, Tara!  How do you see this righton perspective through the lens of leadership and one of our focus topics (PL or Compassionate schools?  

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In the article it mentioned that students who live in poverty often do not come to school with the same kind of class-based capital as their more affluent peers. Therefore, with our compassionate school lens, we as educators need to make sure that knowledge is not rewarded at schools (travel, museums, theater). Example: Not ask... Find someone who has been to... What is everyone doing for spring break? etc. (Tara Hutchins)