An article in the Washington Post follows up on some comments made be Obama in response to the firings of all the faculty and staff at a Rhode Island high school.  To read the article click here.  As the author points out in the article, the "re-structuring" as it is being called, is intended to increase performance.  However, the reality is likely to be far from successful.  Reportedly, the Central Falls, where the firings took place, is the smallest and poorest city in the state.  I taught for several years in a rural middle school.  I struggled with some students.  No matter how hard I tried, which techniques and theories I implemented, nothing seemed to work.  The kids were indifferent at best.  Last week, I went to the grocery store around 9:30pm.  I saw a former student there with her mother.  (You are probably thinking that these things have nothing to do with each other, but keep reading.)  This kid was one of those kids.  She was one that I could never reach.  I couldn't crack her code for anything.  But as I left the grocery store, I may have finally understood why.  Yes, she was there with her mother, but not to shop.  To work.  She and her mother are the night shift cleaning crew.  Most likely, she begins work around 10pm and who knows when she fini,shes.  Finally it hit me.  It wasn't that I was failing as a teacher.  The external circumstances were too great and out of my control.  This poor girl was asleep.  She worked all night with her mother and came to school for the free meals and a place to sleep.  So here is the problem with school reform.  It doesn't actually address the real, underlying problem.  The problem is in the homes, in the economy.  Until the underlying problems are addressed, school reform, like that of Central Falls, will be unsuccessful.