By four years of age, the average child in a family receiving public assistance has heard about 13 million words, compared to 45 million for a child from a wealthier family. The disadvantages developed during their first four years are usually still present in high school.

By regulating marijuana, we can put black market drug dealers out of business and eliminate the rebellious allure that attracts young people.

It's an intolerable abuse of power to have employees who are supposed to be advancing the public interest actually working on political campaigns.

It always takes a scandal to bring about reform.

During my eleven years as a New York City public school teacher, I saw firsthand the impact that poverty has on the classroom. In low-income neighborhoods like Sunset Park, where I taught, students as young as five years old enter school affected by the stresses often created by poverty: domestic violence, drug abuse, gang activity.

Even the best parents have to spend so much time making ends meet that they cannot help their kids with homework or afford the extra tutoring that wealthier students enjoy. To address these unjust disparities, we need an early education revolution.

I cant solve the poverty problem, but there are things you can do to mitigate its effects on kids.