There is an incredible book that anyone who is really interested in this subject should read. It is by Ruby Pain title "Framework for understanding poverty."
I am one of those right-wingers, I've been involved in lobbying, etc for almost two decades. Military background and old school to the point of keeping my military haircut even now. I am not a touchy feely person given to emotional outbursts. If you have seen the commercial with F Lee Armey where he playing a therapist and screams at the woos about being a "jackwagon"...that's my inclination.
This book explains why students act the way they do in very frank terms. What we have seen over the past many decades is a complete breakdown of social structures used to pass along key aspects of human interaction. I won't go any further but now working with charter schools within the inner cities of the South, this book explains what I see on a daily basis.
This 14-year old suffers from a poverty pattern. It is the parents fault though even the parents are going to struggle to deal with it. It's like some ancient secret that was lost for many families and ultimately they don't know what they don't know.
Boo
