Poverty easy excuse for poor education

The public is so accustomed to the narrative put about by special interests that the woeful performance by Columbus City Schools (and other underperforming districts) is attributable to poverty on the part of students and their families that we have stopped trying to demand a common-sense look at the problem.

Poverty is simply not a cause of dismal performance. There are too many “poor” school districts and too many “poor” students across Ohio and the United States that excel in academic performance to ignore. And when you think a moment about it, would one’s income have anything to do with success in school? No.

Academic underperformance is caused by cultural underperformance on the part of many families. Parents who themselves have no interest in education and success are more likely to pass that attitude along to their children.

Experience has shown that these cultural shortcomings are more prevalent in poorer communities. It is this cultural deficiency that causes poverty, not the other way around. Of course it is important for all of us to alleviate the suffering of the poor to the best of our individual ability.

But let’s not blame poverty for circumstances that are actually caused by other phenomena.

Tom Dugan Columbus

Jennifer Troutner Columbus