Mid-summer seems to bring a well-deserved hiatus in education policy circles, but bloggers are relentless so let’s talk about poverty. Not an insignificant issue in education reform particularly when we focus on closing achievement gaps. Most education researchers will admit that more conclusive studies have been done on the impact of economic status on achievement than almost any other area in education. While the debate rages on, the “Nike” crowd -just do it - have won the hearts and minds of many urban education reformers. I am not saying they are entirely wrong, I would be more sympathetic, however, if I sensed that they were equally outraged at the economic conditions surrounding the lives of so many inner city children.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg in New York City is apparently walking the walk when it comes to poverty and has presented a new formula for for measuring poverty which according the New York Times editorial board, “creates a far more realistic view of life in the city.” The current federal formula for measuring poverty is essentially the same on that has been in effect for 40 years. Think about that for a moment - 1968. Under the Mayor’s proposed formula the poverty rate in NYC would be 23% instead of 19% an additional 400,000 poor people.

It is important to get the metrics right in this time of data-driven decision making and it is equally important for the next administration to attack childhood poverty with the same vigor as they do to closing the achievement gap. According to the Times editorial, Barak Obama has endorsed the Bloomberg proposal.