The Income Achievement Gap

Education used to be considered the great equalizer in American society, helping less advantaged children become successful adults. However recent studies show that the achievement gap between students from wealthy areas, and those from poor areas are widening. Furthermore, while the achievement gap between white and black students has narrowed significantly over the past several decades, the gap between rich and poor students has grown immensely over the same period of time. Yet the income divide has received far less attention from policy makers and government officials than gaps in student accomplishment by race.

Joining us to discuss this problem and potential solutions is author Dr. Cynthia E. Lamy, who is also Metrics manager for the Robin Hood Foundation in Manhattan, New York and Licensed & Certified Clinical Social Worker Veronica L. Schauder.

Episode Segments:

Educviii: Veronica L. Schauder Veronica , a returning guest, discusses why the income gap is widening, and steps that can be taken to help close it.
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Educviii: Cynthia E. Lamy Cynthia E. Lamy, Ed.D., is a research psychologist with developmental and educational expertise who is dedicated to an effective and efficient fight against poverty in America. Dr. Lamy led major studies, especially while at the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University, and is currently at the Robin Hood Foundation in New York City, where she helps the foundation understand the impact of their grants on children, families, and schools in poverty. From her work, she knows that we can protect children from the ravages of poverty, and she is passionate about sharing that news with the world. She believes that universal preschool is one of the keys to closing the income gap.
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Guest(s) Appearing on this Episode

Cynthia Lamy Cynthia Lamy is a developmental and educational psychologist and research fellow with the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) at Rutgers University. Her research focuses especially on children at risk of academic failure due to the many influences of poverty. She is the author of Author of American Children in Chronic Poverty: Complex Risks, Benefit-Cost Analysis, and Untangling the Knot. The Robin Hood Foundation