Gaining education is not the singular factor in personal success, but an education is a critical requirement in our culture and a key factor for success in life. According to The State of Literacy in America, among adults with the lowest level of literacy, more than 40% live in poverty while only 4% of literate adults live in poverty. Education directly impacts public safety and overall economic growth of a ommunity.

According to the National Children’s Reading Foundation,more than 75% of juvenile crimes are committed by high school dropouts, and the cost to the nation for each high school dropout over his or her lifetime is estimated at $260,000 according to a study (October 2005) by the Teacher College at Columbia University. The Alliance for Excellent Education reported in 2006 that “if the male high-school graduation rate were increased nationally by 5%, the nation would experience a $4.9 billion savings in crime-related costs.”

Public education is in crisis all across the nation, with most urban schools struggling to serve an ever-increasing population of children living in poverty and families living in crisis. According to a study from Columbia University’s National Center for Children in Poverty, more than 35% of our nation’s children live in poverty. The 2008 study estimates that more than 28 million children have parents who are unable to meet their families’ basic needs.Obstacles abound nationally and locally to the provision of a quality education for those who need it most.