PBS高端访谈:随着更多的孩子家境贫寒,教育系统面临将会更大的挑战

 　　HARI SREENIVASAN: A newly released report by the Southern Education Foundation says a majority of all public school students across the United States come from low-income families. Experts say that could have important implications for the nation.

　　For more about that, we’re joined now from Washington by Lyndsey Layton. She covered the story for The Washington Post.

　　So, the numbers have been getting worse over time, right? I mean, 10 years ago, it was only four states that had more than half their populations, the schoolchildren populations qualify for free or reduced lunches. Now it’s 21 states.

　　LYNDSEY LAYTON, The Washington Post: That’s right, Hari.

　　We have seen a really rapid acceleration¹ in this group of kids. And, of course, you know, people point to the 2008 recession as something that really made these numbers explode. B

　　ut we have seen continued acceleration. It hasn’t stabilized². It’s getting worse.

　　And now we’re at 51 percent, so a majority of public school kids qualify for free food.

　　HARI SREENIVASAN: So, what are some of the other strains on the system? In your story, I remember seeing that, basically, teachers are starting to act more than just teachers. They’re social workers. They’re psychologists.

　　LYNDSEY LAYTON: Well, if you talk to any teacher in a high-poverty school, they will tell you that they spend a huge amount of their time just making sure the kids are OK.

　　I mean, these kids don’t come into school wondering, am I going to take a test today? They come into school wondering, am I going to be OK?

　　I talked with one kindergarten teacher, a veteran teacher from New Mexico. She teaches in downtown Albuquerque. And she told me that the first hour of her morning, she does an inventory³ to check her kids, have they eaten, are they clean?

　　She keeps a drawer full of socks, shoes, clean underwear, toothbrushes for them just to take care of their immediate⁴ needs.

　　She can’t even focus on the academics.

　　HARI SREENIVASAN: What are some of the impacts or the potential impacts for education policy? I mean, right now, there’s a national conversation going about testing and whether to reauthorize No Child Left Behind or the Common Core, et cetera, et cetera.

　　But how can we really focus on tests if what you’re saying and what this teacher is saying is, is that we really have a deeper underlying⁵ problem, that kids aren’t going to be thinking about tests when they’re thinking about whether they’re hungry?

　　LYNDSEY LAYTON: Well, a lot of advocates for kids and a lot of Democrats⁶ and progressives want to see more spending to create wrap-around services around these kids, that the schools not only need help with the academics, with technology and curriculum and teacher training, but they also need to provide social services for these children.

　　That’s the argument that a lot of progressives are making. Right now, in town here, the Congress is about to debate the reauthorization of the main federal education law.

　　And Republicans think that perhaps we’re just not spending our money efficiently⁷ and that if states had more authority and more power in their spending, that the money would go to the greatest needs and that we need to streamline⁸ spending and give more authority to states.

　　So, there’s a real debate going on about what to do about this problem.

　　HARI SREENIVASAN: Are there patterns that you see here emerging? When you look at the data around the country, are certain parts hit worse than others?

　　LYNDSEY LAYTON: Well, all you need to do is glance at the map which is — it’s available at the Southern Education Foundation Web site and also at The Washington Post.

　　You just take a look at that map, and you can see the red areas, where you have got the high concentration of poor kids. Obviously, it’s the South and it’s the West. So, those are border states with a lot of immigration. That’s obvious.

　　But then you also see in other parts of the country where you don’t expect that — Vermont, for instance. One out of every three kids in Vermont has — needs free lunches and breakfast.

　　So, the need is growing. It’s all over the country, and beyond the obvious issues in the border states. You can find it all over the place.

　　HARI SREENIVASAN: All right, Lyndsey Layton from The Washington Post joining us from Washington tonight, thanks so much.

　　LYNDSEY LAYTON: Thanks, Hari.

1 acceleration   

n.加速，加速度

参考例句：

• All spacemen must be able to bear acceleration.所有太空人都应能承受加速度。
• He has also called for an acceleration of political reforms.他同时呼吁加快政治改革的步伐。

2 stabilized   

v.（使）稳定， （使）稳固( stabilize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The patient's condition stabilized. 患者的病情稳定下来。
• His blood pressure has stabilized. 他的血压已经稳定下来了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

3 inventory   

n.详细目录，存货清单

参考例句：

• Some stores inventory their stock once a week.有些商店每周清点存货一次。
• We will need to call on our supplier to get more inventory.我们必须请供应商送来更多存货。

4 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

5 underlying   

adj.在下面的，含蓄的，潜在的

参考例句：

• The underlying theme of the novel is very serious.小说隐含的主题是十分严肃的。
• This word has its underlying meaning.这个单词有它潜在的含义。

6 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 efficiently   

adv.高效率地，有能力地

参考例句：

• The worker oils the machine to operate it more efficiently.工人给机器上油以使机器运转更有效。
• Local authorities have to learn to allocate resources efficiently.地方政府必须学会有效地分配资源。

8 streamline   

vt.使成流线型；使简化；使现代化

参考例句：

• We must streamline our methods.我们必须简化方法。
• Any liquid or gas passing it will have streamline flow.任何通过它的液体或气体将呈流线型的流动。