Southern Schools Must Meet New Needs

When I attended my elementary school (the school where I now teach), it was made up of mostly middle-class, white kids. Now, the white kids are much poorer, and the racial mix of students (though not teachers, interestingly) is more diverse. A recent study from the Southern Education Foundation -- written about in this New York Times article -- reveals that this situation is not unique to my school.

My favorite quote from the article: "School districts in the South are already struggling to adapt, but it is not clear which methods are most effective." I think this means: No one yet knows how to best teach lower-income and non-white students. We'd better learn -- soon.