I wonder how many people have considered how a poor environment has caused poor school performance and how the ramifications continue.
Consider these two statements from "Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain" by David Eagleman.
"The major public health movement to remove lead-based paint grew out of an understanding that even low levels of lead can cause brain damage that makes children less intelligent and, in some cases, more impulsive and aggressive."
"As a child grows, neglect, physical abuse, and head injury can cause problems in mental development."
So, a child grows up impulsive and aggressive and becomes a parent. The now parent may also neglect and abuse his or her children. Now these children may have problems in mental development. And so it continues through the generations, some children breaking the cycle, too many not. "The sins of the fathers are visited upon the sons, yea, unto the seventh generation."
"But," you say, "lead paint was used everywhere. Wouldn't all kids have been affected?" Well, many children had the good fortune to grow up in houses where the paint was well-maintained. Others had the bad fortune to grow up in houses in which the paint deteriorated, chipped, and flaked. If the kids didn't eat some of the paint chips, they might have inhaled some of the dust from the deteriorating paint.
The problem is not to get the "lead" out of "poor-performing teachers" but to get the "lead" out of "poor performing families". That will take a lot more effort than too many are willing to spend. And I'm not talking about unwilling teachers.
