Taking student's poverty head on

There's a story making the rounds about Justin Bieber donating $100,000 to a high needs school in Las Vegas. Valerie Strauss digs a little deeper into the story, looking the work of the teachers and principal at the school. Even though 85% of the school's students qualify for free and reduced meals, there have been academic gains at the school over the years because the school actively tries to help the students and parents address their unmet basic needs at home.

So rather than ignore poverty like the "reformers" like to, this school (while an exceptional example) is taking it on. Not that we're suggesting that you have to subject the schools to more Bieber, but being innovative in how to address poverty and the problems it causes goes a long way to helping students be successful.