NPR’s Morning Edition had a great, thought-provoking story this morning.

It’s a story about Juan Carlos Reyes, a poor Dominican kid from the Bronx who was able to excel academically despite circumstances that might have predicted a less-favorable outcome. From the story:

How a poor Dominican kid from an impoverished South Bronx neighborhood can make it to college can be seen in two different ways, says cultural historian Jim Cullen, author of The American Dream: A Short History of an Idea That Shaped a Nation.

“Some people would look at a story like Juan Carlos’ and say he’s proof the system works,” Cullen says. “Other people look at the story of a Juan Carlos and say he’s the exception – and therefore he’s evidence that there’s a problem.”
Given the poor quality of education the vast majority of kids living in poverty receive, Cullen says, access to higher education for them is a matter of luck and good fortune.

“A college degree has become, in effect, the lottery ticket of American life,” he says.

Cullen poses an itneresting question: Is there really such a thing as equal educational opportunity in America. Reyes seems to think – even though he’s clearly a success story – that is not the case. As part of Arkansas Kids 2012, we’re trying to give advocates some idea of what it’s like to be a kid in Arkansas. Sadly, research has shown that an achievement gap exists between white and minority students, as well as affluent and lower-income students, in Arkansas. You can read more about the achievement gap in our report about an Arkansas Student Bill of Rights.

While the gap is real, and can be quite discouraging. We can take steps to fix it. Join us over the next few months as we explore ways to close the achievement gap in Arkansas.