Innovative city programs have increased the number of low-income shoppers getting access to locally grown produce. But technology and upfront costs remain a barrier for many.
With most U.S. transit systems considering service cuts or fare hikes, some advocates are painting the push for better federal funding not in terms of what’s “green” but what’s black and white.
Students in the Harlem Children’s Zone achieve the results they do, Canada says, because they invest more: They invest more actual time in the classroom, with a far longer school day and a school year that begins in September and ends in early August. All Promise Academy students are in school about 60 percent longer than average public school students. Struggling students can spend twice as many hours in school as the average kid—in class and in tutoring or in small-group before- and after-school instruction. HCZ’s corporate and school leaders say they hold each child to high standards and expect teachers to do “whatever it takes” to achieve success. And the charters invest more money per child per year—nearly $19,000 in 2008—than the $14,525 the city spends on children who attend general-education programs in traditional open-enrollment public schools.The financial investment starts well before the first formal day of kindergarten.
A 10th-grade global studies class. The Children’s Zone’s ultimate goal is to get as many of Harlem’s youth through college as possible. The Promise Academies have yet to graduate a high school class, so it’s not yet known how many will accomplish that feat. Photo by: Alice Proujansky
“If You Hit 65 Percent of the Population, That’s the Tipping Point.” By: Helen Zelon
At the Sheraton conference—co-sponsored by the Harlem Children’s Zone and PolicyLink, a California-based research and advocacy nonprofit with ties to the Obama administration— Canada drapes a lanky arm across the lectern as he speaks, sliding the mic from its stand, and moves downstage to confide in the audience.
One of the city’s poverty fighters wishes the people she works for, and with, had a better chance to realize their potential.
Four professors studied urban schools and interviewed students about their experiences. A new book presents what they learned.
A look at Queens Councilman Eric Gioia, who brings both idealism and strong funding to his quest for higher office. The third in a five-part series on the race for the Number Two spot in city government.
New proposals for ‘FoodStat’ and possible zoning incentives could help bring healthier food to areas with limited access.
Federal stimulus money is providing food stamp recipients more money to spend – on french fries or fresh veggies?
By showing how yoga can help disabled students, one enthusiastic teacher has made the discipline standard practice.
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