The Impact of Poverty on Education
Thursday September 22, 2011, 4:00pm‐7:00pm
Loyola University Maryland

Pre-event Reception, Organization Showcase and Registration at 3:00pm
Doors open at 3:30 pm
Event begins at 4:00 pm

General parking and shuttle service available at:
Cathedral of Mary Our Queen
5200 N Charles St
Baltimore, MD 21210
Click here for parking instructions (PDF File)

How does poverty impact education? How can schools mitigate this impact? Where do we go from here? In this era of high-stakes testing and blaming teachers for school failure, the detrimental effect of poverty on academic achievement has been largely ignored by many educational leaders.

The mantras "you can't fix the parents" or "we can only focus on what we can control" are repeated as excuses for ignoring the basic needs of students. Although poverty is not an excuse for school failure; there is no excuse for disregarding the barriers to learning associated with poverty.

A growing movement of community schools, children's zones, and other innovations support the notion that both effective teachers and comprehensive wraparound services are critical for school success, especially in highpoverty neighborhoods.

Join us as we explore this issue with Peter C. Murrell, Jr., Ph.D (Professor of Urban Education, Loyola University Maryland School of Education, ); Jane Quinn (Vice President and Director of National Center for Community Schools, Children's Aid Society);and Heather B. Weiss, Ph.D. (Founder and Director of the Harvard Family Research Project). Marc Steiner, host of The Marc Steiner Show on WEAA 88.9 FM, will moderate the discussion.

Visit www.baltimorecp.org/leadingminds, e-mail bcpinfo@baltimorecp.org, or  call Larry Schugam at 410-675-7000 x17 for more information.

BREAKOUT SESSIONS

Presentations and Q&A will be followed by breakout sessions to discuss the topic further and find out what you can do to help address this issue.

ORGANIZATION SHOWCASE

This year we will showcase a number of local organizations that are working to address the impact of poverty on education. Vist their tables outside the auditorium before and after the forum.

• Baltimore Curriculum Project
• Loyola University Maryland School of Education
• Baltimore Education Coalition
• BCPS Office of Engagement
• BCPS Parent and Community Advisory Board
• Elev8 Baltimore
• Family League of Baltimore City
• Greater Homewood Community Corporation
• Safe and Sound Campaign
• Social Work Community Outreach Service
  University of MD School of Social Work

RELEVANT READING

Read more about the topic on the Relevant Reading and Links webpage.

PANELISTS

Peter C. Murrell, Jr., Ph.D., is Professor of Urban Education at Loyola University Maryland's School of Education. He is a nationally known expert in the field of urban education. Murrell was charged with developing Loyola’s third distinct school, which is the only School of Education in Maryland with a dedicated focus on the advancement of achievement and development of city children and youth that is based on an analytical framework of identity, race and culture.
Jane Quinn joined The Children's Aid Society as Assistant Executive Director for Community Schools in January 2000. As Vice President and Director of National Training Center for Community Schools, she directs the National Center for Community Schools and lends strategic planning and fundraising expertise to the Society’s 20 community schools in New York City.
Dr. Heather Weiss is the Founder and Director of the Harvard Family Research Project (HFRP) and is a Senior Research Associate and Lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. From its beginning in 1983, HFRP’s mission has been to support the creation of more effective practices, interventions and policies to promote children’s successful development from birth to adulthood. A key emphasis of HFRP’s work is the promotion, documentation and assessment of complementary learning—strategies that support children’s learning and development in nonschool as well as school contexts.
Marc Steiner has hosted the widely acclaimed public radio news and interview program, "The Marc Steiner Show" since the show was launched on WJHU in 1993. In 2001 when WJHU came up for sale, Steiner led the movement to maintain community ownership of the station, playing an integral role in the founding of WYPR. He served as Executive Vice President of WYPR from February 2002 through August of 2005. Since May 2008, The Marc Steiner Show has aired on WEAA 88.9 FM, the NPR member station at Morgan State University.

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