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The connections between poverty discourse and educational reform: When did “Reform” become synonymous with inattention?

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Abstract

This article presents the view that genuine educational reform is impossible in today's political, social, and economic climte. This climate is assessed through a review of how we got to where we are, including the lasting influence of the Reagan and Bush administration's celebration of individualism, the consequent growth in poverty, the prevailing view that “the past was better than the present,” and the accompanying realities that have led to a devaluation of education and parenting in favor of an overvaluation of more simply assessed “economic” measures.

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He is currently an assistant professor of criminal justice/human services at Huron University.

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Engvall, R.P. The connections between poverty discourse and educational reform: When did “Reform” become synonymous with inattention?. Urban Rev 28, 141–163 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02354382

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