Public Ed ping.
There was a really neat study done by Ruby Payne on Generational Poverty and how it relates to school. Google her name and read on what she has to say about it. Very interesting stuff.
Of course, our Founding Fathers had much less than these people do but yet I think they did rather well for themselves. My grandmother did not have indoor plumbing when my dad was born, but they did pretty well.
Big cities have schools with big city issues, and poverty is no different. But you are correct, they do hit on most of the issues that are plaguing the poor, but of course, none of them will actually do anything to help themselves.
Was it one of you that had some information on the huge voucher/charter school movement in Milwaukee?
The book by Ruby Payne was required reading for the teaching staff at our campus over summer vacation. It makes you think about where these kids are coming from.