Building Bridges from High Poverty Communities, to Schools, to Productive Citizenship

More than 20% of all children in the United States live in poverty. This is particularly troubling given the associated risks of poverty to children’s social, emotional, and behavioral well-being; risks that have the potential to negatively impact children’s lives in and out of school. This book considers the impact of poverty on education, the unique needs of students from high poverty backgrounds, and strategies that hold promise in successfully educating students from high poverty backgrounds. There is a tremendous need for a practical model of school leadership aimed at bridging the gap between high poverty schools and communities, in order to lessen the effects of poverty on children and youth’s educational and life experiences. The authors call this «exceptional educational leadership», an approach that centers on the moral and ethical imperative to act in the best interests of children, youth, and their families.

Lisa Bass is an assistant professor of education at North Carolina State University. Dr. Bass received her PhD at the Pennsylvania State University. Her work focuses on education reform and poverty, with an emphasis on alternative education, leadership, and ethics. Susan C. Faircloth is an associate professor of education at North Carolina State University. Dr. Faircloth received her PhD at the Pennsylvania State University. She is an enrolled member of the Coharie Tribe of North Carolina. Her work focuses on the education of American Indian and Alaska Native students, with an emphasis on students receiving special education services. Dr. Faircloth is a former Fulbright Scholar to New Zealand and a Ford Foundation Postdoctoral Scholar.