When it comes to breaking out of the cycle of poverty, so many times it is suggested that education is the key. But teachers can only do so much. As one middle school teacher I had the privilege to meet today described it, they are just scratching at the surface.

A sixth-grade math teacher at one of the city’s struggling public schools, Steve talked about the challenges, and the rewards, of the two years he’s taught in St Louis. So many of his students are grade levels behind, are clueless when it comes to basic life skills, have behavioral problems or live in unstable homes.

That is not to say students aren’t learning. He told me that during the course of the year many students make great strides. Unfortunately, going from a third-grade to a fifth-grade math level still leaves them unprepared for entering the seventh grade. Teaching is a constant uphill battle.

“I never thought I’d have to physically restrain a student,” he said. Frequently he had to handcuff one student with behavioral problems until the student was able to calm down. On one occasion the student slammed a door, breaking the glass and accidentally cutting Steve’s arm–a scar from the incident is clearly visible on his forearm.

And it was heartbreaking to hear how unprepared many of his students are, not just in their formal eduction, but in regards to the basic knowledge children must learn as they grow into adults. Though his students are street smart, he’s had to sit down with more than a few students and explain the basics of hygiene; that they need to shower or wear deodorant; that other students are avoiding them because their body odor is offensive. Most are equally in the dark when it comes to their bodies and sex.

Teachers in Missouri are not allowed to discuss anything but abstinence with students when it comes to the topic of sex. But, when you know your students are sexually active, and that their older siblings are having babies, what is a teacher to do? In an ideal world, children would not be having sex or becoming parents. He and another teacher at the school found creative ways to get their students the information they needed.

Meeting Steve was both inspiring and depressing. I was impressed by his dedication, by his compassion, and his strength in teaching students whose needs are so great. Beyond just being a teacher, he was a role model, a parent figure, a friend. But, if teachers as dedicated as Steve are merely scratching at the surface, surely we need a better way. Students, teachers and schools are not failing. Instead, we are failing as a society, as a community, to provide our children with the tools they need to become independent adults.

– By Jennifer E. Cooper

Apparently South Carolina Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer’s recommendation not to feed strays extends beyond feral cats. At a recent town hall meeting in Greenville, Bauer, who is seeking the GOP nod to run for governor this fall, compared giving assistance to those living in poverty in his state to feeding stray cats. 

“My grandmother was not a highly educated woman but she told me as a small child to quit feeding stray animals. You know why? Because they breed. You’re facilitating the problem if you give an animal or a person ample food supply. They will reproduce, especially ones that don’t think too much further than that. And so what you’ve got to do is you’ve got to curtail that type of behavior. They don’t know any better.” – South Carolina Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer (R)

To make matters worse, according to an article in The Greenville Times, Bauer suggested that if those on assistance with children fail to attend PTA meetings they should lose government assistance. “You go to a school where there’s an active participation of parents, and guess what? They have the highest test scores. So what do you do? You say, ‘Look folks, if you receive goods or services from the government and you don’t attend a parent-teacher conference, bam, you lose your benefits.’”

Clearly Bauer has never had to juggle family responsibilities or figure out how to be involved in a child’s education while working more than one job just to stay financially solvent. And he is clearly out of touch with South Carolinians. More than half of students in South Carolina, 58 percent, participate in the free and reduced-price lunch program, 45.5 percent in Greenville County. Further, in 2008, 15.7 percent of the population of the state were classified as living in poverty.

Bauer just doesn’t get it. And let’s hope the voters of South Carolina show him that his ignorant and demeaning attitude towards their poverty has no place in the governor’s office.

– By Jennifer E. Cooper

Poverty and homelessness are large problems. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t small things everyone can do to make a difference. Here are a few suggestions:

• Donate food, toiletries, clothing, and household items to a local shelter, food pantry or organization that benefits those who are homeless or poor. And, beyond just donating your old, worn-out clothing, consider donating items that someone could wear to a job interview.
• Organize a food drive or walk to benefit organizations that support affordable housing or emergency shelters.
• Volunteer. Organizations from Habitat for Humanity to your local shelter are in need of volunteers. To help build or fix up houses or shelters, check with your local public housing authority, or find the nearest chapter of Habitat for Humanity by calling (800) 422-4828 or visiting www.habitat.org.
• Vote. Support elected officials who stand behind affordable housing and a living wage. And support projects in your community that increase access to affordable housing and good jobs.
• Be aware of local laws that make crimes out of being homeless and take steps to change them. Laws that prevent people from loitering, eating or sleeping in public, sitting in certain areas among other discriminatory laws are detailed in a report by the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty and the National Coalition for the Homeless: Homes Not Handcuffs: The Criminalization of Homelessness in U.S. Cities.
• Support local businesses. A thriving local economy means more jobs and a solid tax base to fund everything from education and public transportation to subsidized housing and mental health programs.
• Get involved with a local street newspaper.  Street newspapers educate the general public about homelessness while providing people experiencing homelessness with a creative outlet to have their articles, photos, artwork, and poetry published and providing employment opportunities as vendors and writers. To get in touch with the street newspaper nearest you or to get help in establishing a newspaper in your community, contact Michael Stoops, (202) 462-4822 or mstoops@nationalhomeless.org, or contact the North American Street Newspaper Association, www.nasna.org, 202-462-0011, info@nasna.org.

Of course there are many other ways large and small that you can make a difference. I know how easy it can be to get caught up in everyday life and forget how important it is to lend a helping hand to others. So take this opportunity to spend even five minutes to do something large or small to help someone in need.

– By Jennifer E. Cooper

When we are young we are told not to talk to strangers. We are told to fear those who are different, to judge people by their appearance.

Last night I met Scott Catania and his young son just south of Warren. Though I was a complete stranger, the Catania family took me into their home and convinced me to speak to students at Jackson-Milton Elementary School about my walk.

I had no idea what I could possibly tell students. But I realized that the primary purpose of my trip, to encourage communities to help each other and look within to find solutions, begins by teaching children to be respectful of others and open to new experiences. Children who are taught to be nonjudgmental, and appreciate all there is to learn from those with different backgrounds from our own, grow to be adults who are good citizens. (At least that is my theory.)

I asked the students whether they thought it was fair that some children don’t have a home because their mom and dad can’t afford to pay rent. Many said they had participated in food drives, helped a student who didn’t have any friends or generally lent a helping hand. I told them that while it is important to help their family, friends and neighbors–people they know–that it is also important to help strangers.

Lest anyone things I was encouraging children to go out into the world and talk to every stranger they met, I reminded them that it is best to trust the judgment of their parents before interacting with someone they do not know. But I also told them I would not have gotten very far on my trip if I didn’t talk to strangers. Every person I have met on this trip began as a stranger.

Though the students were most interested in trying on my 30-pound backpack, I hope they will think about how it would feel if they did not have a home to return to at the end of the school day; did not have any toys; or could afford only one pair of shoes. Perhaps some of them understand how this feels all too well. But I hope they will grow to understand that building a strong community means talking to strangers and lending a helping hand to all in need.

– By Jennifer E. Cooper

As it turns out, keeping up with the Joneses may be out of reach for 1 in 4 American families. That is the estimated number of working families who are low income.

More than 1 in 5 jobs pay wages less than the poverty threshold.

A report by The Working Poor Families Project, Still Working Hard, Still Falling Short, found that in 13 states 33 percent or more of working families, are low-income. Two states, Mississippi and New Mexico, have 40 percent or more families classified as low-income. Between 2002 and 2006 the number of low-income working families increased by 350,000, and income inequality among working families increased by almost 10 percent. In all, a total of 42 million adults and children struggled to get by in 2006.

“Nationally, more than one in five jobs, or 22 percent, is in an occupation paying wages that fall below the federal poverty threshold. In eight states, more than one-third of all jobs are in poverty-wage occupations.” – Still Working Hard, Still Falling Short

The report defined low-wage families as those earning less than double the poverty rate. For a family of four, that would have been an annual income of $41,228 or less in 2006.

The good news is that last month the federal minimum wage was increased to $7.25 an hour. The bad news is that in 2006 a full-time worker needed to earn an hourly wage of $9.91 to meet the poverty threshold for a family of four.

– By Jennifer E. Cooper

I have never understood what it is that empowers some of us to always stand up for what is right, regardless of the consequences, while others stand idly by at the injustices of this world.

While I was at Target in Greensburg yesterday I met John and his young daughter Emily. As I talked with John about my journey and about my encounter with the Greensburg police, he impressed upon his daughter the value in standing up for yourself, even when it is isn’t easy. Emily just smiled but I suspect she will grow into a woman who stands firmly by her convictions.

Most people I spoke with about my tangle with the Greensburg police and subsequent charge of disorderly conduct agreed that what the police had done was wrong, and cheered me for standing up for myself. But there were some who felt that the police have the right to demand identification of innocent citizens they have no reason to suspect of a crime. Now whether the law is on the side of police is immaterial in my mind. It troubles me to think that anyone could think it is OK for those in positions of authority to abuse their power. If it is OK for the police to harass an innocent person, is it also OK for a senator to lie and accept bribes; a president to mislead the public for personal gain, or for a government to prop up businesses on the backs of workers? Yet millions in this country would hesitate to cry foul.

Numerous studies have found a connection between poverty and an increase in involvement in crime, lower levels of education, and reduced self-esteem thus locking people into a repeating cycle of poverty. I can understand how it might be hard to stand up for injustice when you have just worked a double shift and can think only of how to keep putting food on the table and a roof over your head.

Now perhaps I was born stubborn. But I was also raised in a family that taught me to do what is right; to stand up for myself; and always backed me up when I did so. And so I thank my parents for empowering me. But I am also thankful that I was born into a life that gave me the opportunity to stand firmly for what I believe in. So many children are raised in an environment where they are not made to feel valuable; taught that they cannot have the same hopes and dreams as those of means. And it is not hard to see how those raised to think they are lesser humans for being poor would grow to become adults who believe they are not worth more than minimum wage, that they have no value to society. Yes there are some in this world with rare and unique talents. But that is a twist of fate. Those who work hard to keep the wheels of society moving are no less valuable. Those who perform back-breaking work behind the scenes in the least desirable of professions–washing dishes and toilets; slaughtering meat and picking produce; cooking and serving our food; operating cash registers and selling our clothes and an endless array of material goods–are every bit as deserving of a safe and warm place to call home and good health.

It has been more than 70 years since President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed in his second inaugural address:  “I see millions denied education, recreation and the opportunity to better their lot and the lot of their children. . . one-third of a nation ill-housed, ill-clad, ill-nourished.” Though we have come a long way from the poverty seen during the Great Depression, we are still a nation in which 1 in 3 struggle to keep a roof over their heads.

– By Jennifer E. Cooper