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The Burden of Poverty

A series on poverty in the schools and how it affects students’ learning. We examine the problems poverty creates for students and their families and the schools and strategies that are helping disadvantaged students succeed.

Mom Is ‘Determined to Do It’

Rockford Charles Honey

When Danielle Warner-Cavasos gets an A on a test, she puts it right where her children will see it: on the fridge. That's how much...

Providing Equity in Education Can Mean Everything to a Child

Kent ISD Erin Albanese

In science, a paradigm shift occurs when there is a change in underlying assumptions, when conventional wisdom comes into question as a result of...

Equity Leads to Excellence in Schools, Requires Courage and Tenacity

Kent ISD Erin Albanese

A child's background remains the biggest predictor of his or her success in the classroom, said professor and author Pedro Noguera. But that doesn't...

SNN Series Shows Team Approach Can Help Students Overcome Poverty

Kent ISD Charles Honey

I knew there was poverty up there in northern Kent County, but I didn’t know it felt this cold. Flossie Bliss sat in a plastic...

Lee High School: A Tale of the Need for Equity

Godfrey-Lee Erin Albanese

Lee High School freshman Paul Villarreal wrote down his vocabulary words: "zest," "campaigner," "poliomyelitis" and "delegate" while in the Scholastic READ 180 classroom. The...

Grand Rapids Gets Behind Getting Students to School

Grand Rapids School News Network

Antonio Zavala is the kind of student Grand Rapids Public Schools has been cultivating recently: the kind who comes to school every day, on...

‘You Can Be a Victim or a Victor,’ Homeless Coordinator Tells Teens

Kentwood Erin Albanese

Conversations between Aliya Armstrong and her students usually begin with the same question: "How are you doing?" For the students who show up in Armstrong's...

Great Teachers Make a Lasting Difference, Studies Show

Kent ISD Charles Honey

The old adage that having one great teacher can make a big difference in a student’s life is true, research shows – especially for...

With Love and High Expectations, Top Teachers Nurture Good Students

Grand Rapids Charles Honey

The boy was not having a good day. A new student in Vicki Boase’s second-grade classroom, Ja’Quon sat scowling in his seat while other...

Teachers Join Forces to Feed Families in Need

Godfrey-Lee Erin Albanese

Lee Middle School eighth-grader Jonathan Lopez helped distribute food from a Feeding America Mobile Food Pantry truck recently to Godfrey-Lee Public Schools families. "Some people...

Vision, Hearing Problems Add More Stress to Families

Kent ISD School News Network

Eryka Ehling felt lucky. Her 4-year-old daughter didn't need a hearing aid after all. The news followed several weeks of anxiety after 4-year-old Alexis failed...

State Poverty Numbers Grim, but Local Student Advocates See Signs of Hope

Kent ISD Charles Honey

Lynn Heemstra has been working to improve the lives of Grand Rapids children since 1998. As executive director of Our Community’s Children, a nonprofit...

How Hunger Hurts Learning: Schools Seek to Feed Students’ Tummies and Minds

Kent ISD Linda Odette

The list of ways hunger can affect a child's health is a long one. Chronic health issues like asthma, behavioral issues like anxiety and...

Turning Around a Low-Performing School

Godwin Heights Erin Albanese

Arelis Diaz realized at a young age that it’s possible for a teacher to impact the life of a vulnerable student forever. In third grade,...

The Road to Success in a High-Poverty School: It’s All About Collaboration, Expectations

Godwin Heights Erin Albanese

In Holly Vostad’s North Godwin Elementary School classroom, kindergarteners sat in circles on the rug, discussing what they planned to write about: A weekend...

Offering Help Where It’s Needed, School and Home

Kenowa Hills Charles Honey

When Rosalba Cruz was facing eviction from her mobile home because she was behind on rent, her daughter Anahi noticed she was stressing out. The...

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School News Network reports on the 20 public school districts in Kent County, which enroll more than 90,000 students. Founded in 2013, we are an editorially independent news site funded by Kent ISD, local districts and community sponsors, and powered by an experienced team of reporters, editors and photojournalists. We specialize in covering classroom teaching and learning, analyzing the many issues that enhance or discourage student success, and highlighting the education magic that happens each day in our public schools.

Teacher’s latest book focuses on motivation in education

Former principal returns to read, substitute teach at his old school

Fifth-grader publishes book, sequel to come

A decade in, teaching is still all about relationships

Young readers follow the recipe for perfect pound cake

Young engineers turn paper into a wild ride

Educators and business leaders team up to help build school-to-work pipeline

Tuning, tempo and treble clef: Teen musicians leading the way for younger counterparts

Diving into social-emotional learning

‘The journey’s not over’: High-schoolers showcase Black history

Art contest celebrates kindness, compassion and community

Parade of Nations is celebration of diversity

The Burden of Poverty

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