An Urban School Principal Encounters a Group of Teachers Who Seek to Address Racism in Their School

Urban principals lead complex schools. Although such schools often serve racially marginalized students from low-income families, they also exist within an environment that negatively stereotypes the students and their parents. Such stereotypes are even often held by school leaders and teachers in these environments. At the same time, there are often school professionals who are highly successful with urban students and who have substantive critiques of negative stereotypes about urban students and their families. In this case, a group of critically oriented urban school teachers come together, raise difficult issues, and thus provide a dilemma for their principal.

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Visual impairment in urban school children of low-income families in Kolkata, India

Indian Journal of Public Health ◽

10.4103/0019-557x.99919 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 56 (2) ◽

pp. 163 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Sambuddha Ghosh ◽

Udayaditya Mukhopadhyay ◽

Dipankar Maji ◽

Gautam Bhaduri

Keyword(s):

Visual Impairment ◽

School Children ◽

Low Income ◽

Urban School ◽

Low Income Families

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What is Parent Engagement in Early Learning? Depends Who You Ask

Journal of Child and Family Studies ◽

10.1007/s10826-019-01680-6 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 29 (3) ◽

pp. 747-760

Author(s):

Deborah Gross ◽

Amie F. Bettencourt ◽

Kathryn Taylor ◽

Lucine Francis ◽

Kelly Bower ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Low Income ◽

Parent Engagement ◽

Urban School ◽

Early Learning ◽

Poor Quality ◽

District Leaders ◽

School Partnerships ◽

Qualitative Descriptive ◽

Low Income Families

Abstract Objectives Parent engagement in early learning has historically been defined quite broadly and it is unclear whether those designing, implementing, evaluating, or participating in parent engagement initiatives conceptualize parent engagement in the same way. Lack of consensus could contribute to poor quality of parent-school partnerships and reliance on parent engagement measures and strategies that lack meaning and utility. We explored and compared definitions and characteristics of parent engagement in early learning across multiple stakeholders in one urban school district serving predominantly low-income, African American, and Latinx families. Methods Using a qualitative descriptive design, we individually interviewed 63 parents (n = 23), teachers (n = 8), early childhood staff (n = 8), district leaders (n = 7), and community leaders (n = 8) to understand how each defined parent engagement in early learning and the characteristics they believed were indicative of an engaged parent. Results Nine different definitions were described; the majority centering on parents’ responsibilities for ensuring engagement. We found wide differences within and across stakeholder groups in how parent engagement is defined and operationalized. Conclusions There was little consensus in how parent engagement was conceptualized, suggesting there may be different working models for how stakeholders believe parent engagement supports early learning. Three potential parent engagement models are discussed in relation to the qualitative findings. This is the first study to directly compare different stakeholders’ perspectives about parent engagement in early learning in an urban school system serving a large number of low income families and families of color.

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Medicaid, Low-Income Families, and Reimbursement

Pediatric News ◽

10.1016/s0031-398x(06)71583-1 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 40 (12) ◽

pp. 68

Author(s):

BRYAN FINE

Keyword(s):

Low Income ◽

Low Income Families

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Demonstrating Nutrient Cost Gradients: A Brooklyn Case Study

International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research ◽

10.1024/0300-9831/a000210 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 84 (5-6) ◽

pp. 244-251 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Robert J. Karp ◽

Gary Wong ◽

Marguerite Orsi

Keyword(s):

Low Income ◽

Energy Content ◽

Food Selection ◽

The United States ◽

United States Department ◽

Micronutrient Deficiencies ◽

Caloric Density ◽

Low Income Families ◽

The Cost ◽

The Impact

Abstract. Introduction: Foods dense in micronutrients are generally more expensive than those with higher energy content. These cost-differentials may put low-income families at risk of diminished micronutrient intake. Objectives: We sought to determine differences in the cost for iron, folate, and choline in foods available for purchase in a low-income community when assessed for energy content and serving size. Methods: Sixty-nine foods listed in the menu plans provided by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for low-income families were considered, in 10 domains. The cost and micronutrient content for-energy and per-serving of these foods were determined for the three micronutrients. Exact Kruskal-Wallis tests were used for comparisons of energy costs; Spearman rho tests for comparisons of micronutrient content. Ninety families were interviewed in a pediatric clinic to assess the impact of food cost on food selection. Results: Significant differences between domains were shown for energy density with both cost-for-energy (p < 0.001) and cost-per-serving (p < 0.05) comparisons. All three micronutrient contents were significantly correlated with cost-for-energy (p < 0.01). Both iron and choline contents were significantly correlated with cost-per-serving (p < 0.05). Of the 90 families, 38 (42 %) worried about food costs; 40 (44 %) had chosen foods of high caloric density in response to that fear, and 29 of 40 families experiencing both worry and making such food selection. Conclusion: Adjustments to USDA meal plans using cost-for-energy analysis showed differentials for both energy and micronutrients. These differentials were reduced using cost-per-serving analysis, but were not eliminated. A substantial proportion of low-income families are vulnerable to micronutrient deficiencies.

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