There is a new majority in American Society and I’m willing to bet it is not what you think. It has nothing to do with race, color or religion.
But, wait? How can we talk about majorities and minorities if we don’t have the label of race to distinguish them?
SIMPLE!
Because we are talking about Low Income Students in our Nation’s Public Schools
Students from low income households makeup 51% of public school children in America.
This new majority become official in 2013, according to data collected from the states by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
The trend has remained in full force.
Of the 50 U.S. States:
- 40 of them have atleast 40% of their student body comprised of low income students.
In U.S. 21 states:
- Students who qualify for free or reduced price lunches are the MAJORITY
Please digest (no pun intended) that last little factoid.
The appropriate quote here is – “Houston….We have a problem!”
Speaking of Houston...take a look at Texas in the infographic - 60% of their students are low income. Looks as if the south on a whole is in worse shape than the rest of the Country.
Mississippi leads the way with 71% of their school's students being from low income households.
This is an Issue
- Basically half of our nations children are growing up in Poverty
As someone who was a child of poverty and wondered on some days if their would be lunch I just can't believe that MORE children are dealing with this in today's day and age.
Granted, not everyone can "have it good" growing up. But half of the nations children having to even remotely worry if they are going to eat or how they will get to school, not to mention if they will get a good education is mind boggling.
I suppose this is why America's rankings in education have continually declined.
- As of 2015 the global rank of the U.S. education is 14th.
America - we can do better.
Regards,
Mitchell J
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