The Growing Crisis of Poverty

Shelly Powell • Cahn Fellow 2019

The growing crisis of poverty in Georgia’s public schools is a call to re-evaluate the extent that educators have when reaching and teaching students of all economic backgrounds. Poverty has grown from an alarming 56% of our public school students to over 1.6 million students now eligible for free or reduced lunch. Unfortunately, poverty and dropouts are two words that often end up in the same sentence. Poor students are five times more likely to drop out of high school and suffer from homelessness, hunger and food insecurity. The fight to reduce the harsh impact of poverty’s grasp and its impact on students in urban communities is the goal of Daniel McLaughlin Therrell High School. Graduation is the right and privilege of all students, regardless of income or social status.

Throughout my tenure as principal at D.M. Therrell High School, we have worked relentlessly to increase the graduation rate of the scholars. As a result, over the course of my 8 years as the school leader, we have raised the graduation rate from an alarming 46% in 2011 to a notable 87.6% in 2019.