Summary: The Southern Education Foundation Study

The Southern Education Foundation Study contends poverty is the greatest barrier in obtaining an education (Strauss, 2013). Unfortunately, the education system is not as equal as we presume it to be, as there is a significant discrepancy in the education system between high-poverty schools versus privileged schools. Students in high-poverty schools face many more handicaps in acquiring an education. One such disadvantage is underqualified teachers (Carl, 2013). This means privileged schools are monopolizing all the highly qualified teachers, while high-poverty schools are stuck with inadequate, unmotivated teachers— making students’ success at such schools much more difficult. Additionally in these high-poverty schools, there is not much emphasis

placed on obtaining an education; therefore, teachers and administrators have low presumptions for student success (Carl, 2013). Moreover, high-poverty schools deal with a lack of resources that impedes teaching and student success. More often than not students in high-poverty schools have limited resources in and out of school, creating inequities between those in poverty schools and those in privileged schools. Such restricted resources include anything from school supplies to basic necessities, such as a lack of food and water (Carl, 2013). The low socioeconomic status of students combined with substandard education at high-poverty schools hinders students’ opportunities for acquiring a solid education, thereby affecting their ability to obtain gainful employment. In final analysis, students in high-poverty schools are placed at a striking disadvantage when it comes to education because these schools have underqualified teachers and limited resources.