Many educational scholars and practitioners, including me, have written extensively about teaching students from underserved populations.  The focus of this work has included students living in poverty, from diverse cultural and racial experiences, and who are English learners. These are made more relevant by an ever-increasing population of students and families living in poverty, the significant rate of school absenteeism among our nation’s poor, and an increase in racial, ethnic, and linguistic diversity among the nation’s populace. 

Continue reading UNDERSTANDING THE OPPORTUNITY GAP AS AN ACADEMIC LANGUAGE GAP at Debbie Zacarian EdD, and Associates, LLC.

A half a century ago, President Lyndon Johnson declared a War on Poverty and launched several initiatives intended to battle the ravages of a chronic and persistent problem. Among these was the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). It required that any institution receiving federal funding could not deny anyone access to any program or activity based on race, color, or national origin (Hanna, 2005). There were many educational initiatives that occurred during this time period.

Continue reading THE WAR ON POVERTY: FIFTY YEARS AND COUNTING at Debbie Zacarian EdD, and Associates, LLC.